Overview

Your complete guide to breastfeeding your baby. Recommended by professionals 'An absolutely fabulous book' Cathy Monaghan, senior paediatric dietitian 'A much-needed resource for parents' Sheena Byrom, OBE, midwife Practical Breastfeeding is the calm, evidence-based companion new parents need for the first weeks and beyond. International Board Certified Lactation Consultant Caoimhe Whelan guides you step-by-step through latch and positioning, the golden hours, cluster feeding, pumping, mastitis and blocked ducts, low milk supply, mental health, safe sleep, and gentle weaning—beautifully illustrated by Lauren Rebbeck for instant “I can do that” clarity. She answers key questions such as how to latch, how often to feed a newborn, whether you can drink alcohol and what is best to eat to produce breastmilk. Inside you’ll find: • Clear, picture-led instructions for latch, holds and troubleshooting • Day-by-day expectations for the first week • Relief strategies for sore nipples, engorgement, blocked ducts and mastitis • Pumping plans and return-to-work logistics • Low-supply pathways • Postpartum mental health support (baby blues, anxiety, intrusive thoughts) • Safe-sleep guidance that protects attachment and milk supply • Special circumstances: prematurity, tongue-tie, reflux, jaundice, medication safety • Gentle weaning plans—partial or complete—with scripts and checklists Warm, non-judgemental and practical, this book helps you sleep more, stress less and feed your baby with confidence—whatever your starting point, birth story or goals. Perfect for: New mothers and partners, baby-care gift lists, antenatal classes, postnatal teams, health visitors, IBCLCs and peer supporters. Expert help Caoimhe Whelan is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) working in private practice in Dublin, Ireland. Prior to qualifying, she was a voluntary breastfeeding supporter with Cuidiu, the Irish equivalent of the National Childbirth Trust, for eight years. In her 15-plus years of volunteering and working in private practice, she has passionately supported parents through their own breastfeeding journeys. Read the glowing reviews for this caring and expert book 'In a world saturated with conflicting advice and often unrealistic portrayals of early parenthood, Caoimhe Whelan offers a breath of fresh air: evidence-based, compassionate, and beautifully accessible guidance.’ Sheena Byrom, OBE, midwife, co-owner of All4Maternity and The Practising Midwife Journal 'My first thought when I saw this book was: “Wow, this is beautiful!” As a 36-year-old breastfeeding mother of two, I have never come across illustrations that reflected me and my life so honestly, capturing both the rawness and beauty of motherhood.' Tessa Clemson, Pregnancy and Mummy and Baby Yoga Instructor 'Beautifully laid out in easy-to-follow sections, and completely evidence-based without the dryness that can make books a hard read. I don't think I've seen a breastfeeding book this engaging before.' - Jan Eyde, IBCLC, Breastfeeding Norfolk 'This is an absolutely fabulous book. It covers everything and it is so wonderfully inclusive in every possible way. It has a beautiful uplifting feel about it and balances the benefits with the struggles so beautifully' – Cathy Monaghan, Senior Paediatric Dietitian 'This book is amazing! It explains everything so well. If you are looking for a book to buy as a gift or for yourself, that talks about everything to do with breastfeeding, then this is for you.' – Ciara Butler, IBCLC, Midwife, Nurse Buy the book and start reading

Full Product Details

Author:   Caoimhe Whelan ,  Lauren Rebbeck ,  Nicola O'Byrne
Publisher:   Canbury Press
Imprint:   Canbury Press
ISBN:  

9781914487392

ISBN 10:   1914487397
Pages:   354
Publication Date:   05 June 2025
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

Introduction 7 Chapter 1. Thinking About Breastfeeding, 9 Chapter 2. Breasts, Colostrum, and Antenatal Hand Expression, 37 Chapter 3. Birth and the Golden Hours, 51 Chapter 4. The First Week, 75 Chapter 5. Weeks Two and Three, 103 Chapter 6. Life in the Fourth Trimester, 121 Chapter 7. Using Social Media, 135 Chapter 8. Sore Nipples and Tricky Nipples, 143 Chapter 9. Mastitis, Blocked Ducts and Breast Pain, 161 Chapter 10. Pumps and Pumping, 173 Chapter 11. Postpartum Mental Health and Breastfeeding, 189 Chapter 12. Breastfeeding and Sleep, 207 Chapter 13. When Breastfeeding is Hard, 225 Chapter 14. Low Milk Supply, 245 Chapter 15. Drugs, Food and Alcohol, 269 Chapter 16. Outside the Box Lactation, 285 Chapter 17. Maternal Conditions/Illnesses and Breastfeeding, 303 Chapter 18. Infant Conditions/Illnesses, 311 Chapter 19. Breastfeeding Beyond the Fourth Trimester, 323 Chapter 20. Stopping Breastfeeding, 335 Additional Resources, 347 Acknowledgements, 350

Reviews

'This is an absolutely fabulous book. It covers everything and it is so wonderfully inclusive in every possible way. It has a beautiful uplifting feel about it and balances the benefits with the struggles so beautifully – I think any mum would feel empowered after reading it and know that it is OK to find it hard, but know that it will pass. The illustrations are great – I giggled at the social media breastfeeding yogi!' – Cathy Monaghan, Senior Paediatric Dietitian 'This beautifully illustrated book provides a wealth of practical guidance backed by science and clinical experience delivered in an accessible and inclusive way. It is a great resource to read either from cover to cover or to dip into for troubleshooting and includes information about pumping, medications, supplementation at the breast, mental health and navigating social media. I would recommend this book to all on their breastfeeding journey.' – Dr Anne Doolan, Consultant Neonatologist and IBCLC 'My expectations were completely blown out of the water by ‘Practical Breastfeeding’. There is no corner of breastfeeding left unexplored, in a simple understandable way. The illustrations are so beautiful and inclusive and so many brought tears to my eyes. The myth-busting and promotion of normal newborn behaviour is such a welcome sight in a world where things are pathologised and capitalised on so often. Looking back on my own journeys, three feeding experiences and a loss (I love how this is included) I can’t tell you how valuable this would have been to me, everything is covered. I will recommend this to all of my doula clients, friends and family and anyone I interact with who expresses a desire or curiosity about breastfeeding. Huge well done to Caoimhe, Lauren and Nicola on such a work of art.' – Pamela-Jane Davis, Birth Doula and Pre/Postnatal Pilates Instructor 'This book is amazing! The illustrations are beautiful, the language is so inclusive, and it covers everything you might want to know about breastfeeding, from conception right through to birth, weaning and sleep. The book is just so stunning. It explains everything so well. If you are looking for a book to buy as a gift or for yourself, that talks about everything to do with breastfeeding, then this is for you.' – Ciara Butler, IBCLC, Midwife, Nurse

Author Information

Caoimhe is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) working in private practice in Dublin, Ireland. Prior to qualifying as an IBCLC, she was a voluntary breastfeeding supporter with Cuidiu (the Irish equivalent of the National Childbirth Trust) for eight years. In her 15+ years of volunteering and working in private practice, Caoimhe has always been passionate about providing individualised support to parents and helping them to have an experience of breastfeeding or lactation that they are happy with. Caoimhe is particularly interested in women's and parents' lived experiences of breastfeeding and transitioning to motherhood. In 2023, she graduated from University College Dublin with an MSc. in research. She studied women's experiences of breastfeeding with primary low milk supply and her findings were published in  Breastfeeding Medicine and International Breastfeeding Journal. Caoimhe is an accomplished speaker and has presented at many national and national breastfeeding conferences, including the International Lactation Consultant Association conference, GOLD Lactation, iLactation, The New Zealand Lactation Consultant Association conference, and the Lactation Consultants of Great Britain conference. Lauren Rebbeck is an illustrator, author and mother, with years of experience creating artwork for lactation specialists, NHS maternity trusts, midwifery journals, independent midwives and maternity co-operatives. Lauren creates relatable imagery to bridge the gap between maternity service and parents: using her illustrations to showcase the inspiring skills and compassion of midwives and birth workers, whilst acknowledging the transformative highs, lows and challenges of new parents. An advocate for inclusion, equity and representation, Lauren strives to depict under-represented or marginalised communities within her illustrations. Lauren’s work depicts the ideals of safe birth and postnatal care for all.

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