Book Review: Breastfeeding Your Premature Baby.

Book Review: Breastfeeding Your Premature Baby

by Gwen Gotsch, La Leche League International, 1999, $5.95, order from 847-519-9585

Written by Gwen Gotsch and published by La Leche League, this small book (just 53 pages) is written for women who want to breastfeed their early babies. It starts with a chapter on "Breastfeeding Basics"--why breastfeeding is best, especially for preemies, and how it works. It covers breastmilk expression, some common problems encountered with pumping, and includes a list of helpful suggestions for keeping up a good milk supply.

The author then goes into parenting a preemie--how it's normal to be "confused and anxious, scared and worried" when your baby is in NICU. This book covers, albeit briefly, the grief process that is a normal part of giving birth to a premature baby. There is also a good section on working with medical professionals, acknowledging that some of them may have never heard of this information (for example, that babies don't have to reach a certain weight to be able to breastfeed), but reinforcing the idea that parents and professionals all want what's best for the baby. The author gives parents specific questions they can ask their baby's care provider and encourages them to remain firm in their convictions that breast is best for their babies.

The book also covers kangaroo care-skin-to-skin contact with the premature infant--(a must in any book that talks about prematurity!) and has good "how-to" information on getting a premature baby latched on, how to support the baby's head, and even how to calculate if the baby needs caloric supplementation. The last chapter covers coming home with the baby, how to know if the baby is getting enough milk, and information on adjusting to parenting this baby full-time. It also includes pictures on cup feeding, spoon feeding, and syringe-feeding, if necessary for supplementation or for receiving breastmilk when the baby is unable to suck, even in the hospital. At the end of the book there is a list of resources for further information and support on all aspects of birthing and parenting a premature baby. There is also a lengthy bibliography intended for health care professionals and others interested in the research upon which this book is based. This is a concise, easy-to-read book that would enhance any childbirth professional's library. Of course, it's also great for parents of preemies!

--Holly Richardson is a certified childbirth educator, certified doula, and brand-new practicing midwife. She lives in Alpine, Utah, with her husband, Greg, and their nine children who came to them through the miracles of birth and adoption.