The lip-flip tip in this book really helped me get the latch on correct, and the information on combining nursing with pumping to help increase my milk supply was great! When I went back to work, I was able to pump 15-26 ounces per day (in 3 pumpings).
All the other breastfeeding books I read were all written by women. Dr. William Sears adds his input from a man's perspective, which is funny (check out his reaction while driving and Martha began breastfeeding in the back seat of their car), and insightful. My husband even enjoyed reading this book!
HOWEVER...as someone who bottle fed her first child after giving breastfeeding my all (even the lactation consultant said I'd done my best, go to formula) I did find Dr. Sears's attitude toward bottle feeding and bottle feeding mothers really appalling. He has a sidebar on page 48 where he refers to "Mothers of the bottle-feeding set" and makes them sound completely neurotic with sterilizing and preparing formula and counting ounces. On pages 7-8 he refers to the "stinky stools" of the formula fed baby and how the parent changing the child will have a look on their face of "mild aversion to downright disgust" and how the breastfed child will see "happiness rather than disgust...perhaps a perk for building self-esteem." Give me a break. His AP philosophy has some very good points to it, but making a child's self esteem dependent on a parent's cheerful demeanor during diaper changes is ridiculous.
So I'd say this book is helpful if you just look up what you need in the detailed index, go right to that page and read what you need. It's fine to have the opinion that breastfeeding is best and everyone should at least try it, but I think his obvious disdain for bottle-feeding mothers (who may have no other choice, who may be giving breastfeeding another try)is unfortunate. I feel sorry for any mothers of children in his practice who, like me, were unable to breastfeed a child.
