Written by Lisa Wood Shapiro
Book Review By Normasrifah Bte Yusoff

"My hair, which was not washed, was up in a ponytail. Cabbage leaves poked out of my nursing bra, which concealed my plastic nipple protectors and nursing pads. I sat on the bed with some kind of manmade pillow attached to my waist, like cigarette box women wore in speakeasies while shouting, 'Cigars, cigarettes.' That was my motherly image and I’m not even going to talk about the granny panties" - Lisa Wood Shapiro describing her early nursing days.

The title of the book took me by surprise and I knew instantly that this is a must read book for me. A bibliography of a first time mum in motherhood and breastfeeding, Lisa Wood Shapiro who was not afraid to share and laugh at herself, gave an insight on her funny, moving and audacious breastfeeding experiences. She herself came from an all-breastfed family, influenced much by her great grandmother. Lisa was married for almost four years and was holding a high profile job in the film industry. When she and her husband learnt that they were expecting, she knew that breastfeeding would be her first priority. She cited that she was very much influence by The Blue Lagoon movie, staring fourteen year old Brooke Shields who menstruated, lost her virginity, gave birth and breastfed her baby. Though the movie did not very much reveal the mechanics of breastfeeding, The Blue Lagoon somehow snapped Lisa how easy it was.

Like many other first time mums, Lisa and her husband signed up for many pre pregnancy courses but failed to complete many of them citing boring as the reason. She was convinced that breastfeeding was the most natural thing in the world to do and see no necessity for anybody to attend such classes. She learnt about breastfeeding from books, pamphlets and articles, cutting and placing them in a small pocket in her handbag. When her baby arrived, her misadventures of nursing ruled. Initially, she found difficulty in nursing her baby and knew that from pictures of the latch-on in the pamphlets it was not the same with her Sophie’s. Lisa did not have any contact details of lactation consultants or other breast feeding mothers. Only when she was hit with engorgements, she describe that her breasts is going to explode and it feels hard and huge. She contacted her hospital and met the lactation consultant fourteen hours later. Her lactation consultant invited her to their local breastfeeding support group. There she widen and educated herself on nursing and made new friends. Lisa was thankful to her new best friend, “My Brest Friend Pillow” for her success in breastfeeding. When the family went for a vacation, they were held up in Chicago due to the 9/11 attacks. Lisa’s husband was so glad that they were on breast milk. He created “With Breast, Will Travel” slogan. She weaned off Sophie went she was about ten months, after they have planned for the second baby. Lisa breastfed her second child with no difficulties or at the minimum, she claimed.

I would recommend expecting mothers who are planning to breastfeed to read this book. It is a simple, hilarious and not the typical-dummies-guide-to-breastfeeding kind. They will learn about the preparation to nurse, other than the usual necessities like cabbage or sore nipple cream. For nursing mothers who are moo-ing non stop, this is a good book to learn and evaluate your situation. A good book to relate to your nursing woes and have it with a cuppa!