Book Review: Making More Milk

Concerns about milk supply make up the majority of questions posed to me as a breastfeeding counselor. While some of those concerns are legitimate, some are simply unfounded. The wonderful new book release The Breastfeeding Mother’s Guide to Making More Milk helps mothers troubleshoot, taking them through the evaluation process to determine whether there is indeed a legitimate concern, what might be causing the low milk supply, and how best to proceed to increase the milk supply.

Lactation consultants and authors Diana West and Lisa Marasco have written a must-have guide for breastfeeding mothers and lactation professionals alike. The book expertly packs a wealth of information into an easily readable format. Starting with “How to Know If There Really Is a Problem,” the book then proceeds to detail the physical, hormonal, and psychological causes of low milk supply and how best to address them. It also offers practical information about how to establish a good milk supply in the first place, and, if supplementation is indeed necessary, how to supplement without decreasing the existing milk supply.

This is the one book I wish I could press into the hands of every woman who has ever asked me, “Are there some women who just can’t make enough milk?” (My answer is that sadly some women do not get the support they need. Very few women simply cannot produce enough, but many women receive erroneous advice from family members and medical professionals). It would be a blessing if delivery nurses, obstetricians, midwives, pediatricians and family practitioners — anyone in a position to advise the breastfeeding mother — had a copy of this book.

For more about The Breastfeeding Mother’s Guide to Making More Milk, resources on low milk supply, and information on breastfeeding after a reduction, see the authors’ website Making More Milk.