Breastfeeding Doesn't Need to Suck: How to Nurture Your Baby and Your Mental Health by Kathleen Kendall-Tackett

Product Overview

Selected for the National Library of Medicine's book club August 2022

Advanced Praise for Breastfeeding Doesn't Need to Suck

"If you are considering breastfeeding your baby, are actually breastfeeding now, or are providing support for nursing mothers, this book is for you! It goes beyond the basics to provide the research and tested suggestions needed to prevent and work with challenges that might occur. Written in a friendly, positive voice, this is a book which I am excited to highly recommend."

—MARIAN TOMPSON, COFOUNDER OF LA LECHE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL, FOUNDER OF ANOTHERLOOK AT BREASTFEEDING AND HIV/AIDS, AND AUTHOR OF PASSIONATE JOURNEY: MY UNEXPECTED LIFE

"Kathleen Kendall-Tackett has managed to tackle some of the most common problems facing breastfeeding mothers today and has made them relatable and nonthreatening while providing advice and connecting with the reader not as just an authority but as someone who truly “gets it.” It is a book I will be recommending to all new moms so we can once and for all put to bed the idea that breastfeeding has to suck."

—TRACY CASSELS, PHD, DIRECTOR OF EVOLUTIONARY PARENTING

"An indispensable resource for all new mothers. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett is a trusted expert in the field who uses understandable language to integrate science, her clinical experience, and, crucially, the experiences of mothers. This book cuts through the contradictory messages that new mothers often receive about breastfeeding and provides hope and optimism even in the face of breastfeeding challenges."

—AMY WENZEL, PHD, ABPP, FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR, MAIN LINE CENTER FOR EVIDENCE-BASED PSYCHOTHERAPY, BRYN MAWR, PA

"Chapter 2 is pure genius and worth the price of the entire book. In Chapter 2, the “five I’s” of new motherhood address contemporary issues that are rarely mentioned in other comparable books: idleness, isolation, incompetence, identity, and intensity. “Mothering is relentless” might be the most insightful phrase in the entire book. The coping strategies in this chapter are brilliantly simple, doable, and practical even if the new mother is alone in her environment."

—LINDA J. SMITH, MPH, IBCLC, BRIGHT FUTURE LACTATION RESOURCE CENTRE LTD.

"This is the best book I’ve ever read in my 35 years specializing in maternal mental health. It advises women how to successfully navigate breastfeeding and motherhood, how to weigh all their options, and how to begin the most important journey of their life with confidence."

—DR. DIANE SANFORD, LICENSED PSYCHOLOGIST, COAUTHOR OF STRESS LESS LIVE BETTER: FOR PREGNANCY, POSTPARTUM, AND EARLY MOTHERHOOD, COAUTHOR OF LIFE WILL NEVER BE THE SAME: THE REAL MOM’S POSTPARTUM SURVIVAL GUIDE, AND COAUTHOR OF THE ORIGINAL POSTPARTUM SURVIVAL GUIDE: “IT WASN’T SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE THIS..."

Breastfeeding Doesn’t Need to Suck is a unique breastfeeding book in that it shows mothers how to navigate their breastfeeding journey while also caring for their mental health. Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett is both a psychologist and an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant, with more than 30 years’ experience in both lactation and mental health. Breastfeeding Doesn’t Need to Suck contains information that you will not find in other breastfeeding book, such as a thorough discussion of breastfeeding’s impact on sleep, safe (and unsafe) bedsharing, and how where babies sleep impacts their mothers’ mental health.

Breastfeeding Doesn’t Need to Suck also includes an in-depth and practical discussion of social support. Most breastfeeding books tell mothers they need “support,” but are often vague about what it is or how they can get it. Unfortunately, people often try to “help,” but undermine breastfeeding in the process. This book describes what effective help looks like and gives specific suggestions for partners, grandmothers, and friends who want to help. Mothers will also learn how to navigate healthcare systems that can often undermine breastfeeding and mental health.

Let’s face it; postpartum is hard, no matter how you feed your baby. Yet formula companies tell mothers that all of their problems will be solved if only they would switch. It’s not true; these issues will still be there even if mothers stop breastfeeding. These are the “five I’s of new motherhood”: idleness, isolation, incompetence, identity, and intensity. If mothers are unprepared for these feelings, they can undermine both her breastfeeding and her mental health.

Finally, Breastfeeding Doesn’t Need to Suck provides information on common breastfeeding problems, such as nipple pain and low milk supply, but always keeping mothers’ mental health in mind. Breastfeeding, when it’s going well, protects mothers’ mental health. Conversely, breastfeeding problems increase the risk of depression and anxiety. Addressing breastfeeding problems supports mothers’ mental health. The ultimate goal of this book is that mothers and babies navigate postpartum and come through it happy, healthy, and securely attached.

Dr. Kendall-Tackett is a health psychologist and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, and the Owner and Editor-in-Chief of Praeclarus Press, a small press specializing in women's health. Dr. Kendall-Tackett is Editor-in-Chief of the journal, Psychological Trauma and was Founding Editor-in-Chief of Clinical Lactation, a position she held for 11 years. She is Fellow of the American Psychological Association in Health and Trauma Psychology, Past President of the APA Division of Trauma Psychology, and a member of APA’s Publications and Communications Board.

Author: Kathleen Kendall-Tackett

ISBN:978-1-4338-3384-7

Total Pages: 354

Paperback

Reviews

(1 review) Write a Review

1 Review Hide Reviews Show Reviews

5
Breastfeeding Doesn't Need to Suck

Posted by Pat Rizzo on 29th Aug 2022

This is a winner. Have been helping breastfeeding moms for fifty years and still learned some gems of wisdom from Kathleen.