Book Review
Defining Your Own Success:
Breastfeeding After Breast Reduction Surgery
by Diana
West
Schaumburg, IL: La Leche League International, 2001
Available from the LLLI Online Store.
Reviewed by Unity Dienes
Hollis NH USA
From: NEW BEGINNINGS,
Vol. 18 No. 6, November-December 2001, p. 222
Until now, women seeking
to learn more about breastfeeding after breast reduction surgery ("BFAR")
have had few resources and no comprehensive guide to the experience.
Diana West's DEFINING YOUR OWN SUCCESS: BREASTFEEDING AFTER BREAST REDUCTION
SURGERY is a groundbreaking new book from La Leche League International
that fills this need with cutting-edge data, first-hand experience,
and an upbeat, empathetic attitude.
For mothers who have had
reduction surgery, this book is absolutely essential, and the questions
confronting them are carefully and sensitively addressed. Will I ever
be able to produce enough milk? Can I do anything to increase the amount
of milk I do produce? How do I know if I need to supplement, and how
do I do that without jeopardizing breastfeeding? How will common breastfeeding
problems that I may face be affected by my past surgery? Most importantly,
how do I achieve a successful, happy breastfeeding relationship in spite
of sometimes overwhelming technical difficulties?
West does not provide pat
answers to such complex questions. Instead, she provides information
derived from the latest scientific research on BFAR, from the collective
experiences of many BFAR women who have faced these problems, and from
an impressive understanding of general breastfeeding dynamics. Some
issues facing BFAR mothers, while not unique to their situation, may
nonetheless be exacerbated by their prior surgery. As a result, DEFINING
YOUR OWN SUCCESS covers many of the same topics of a more standard breastfeeding
book, but is packed with the subtle ways in which breastfeeding is experienced
differently by women who have undergone breast reduction. It is never
assumed, however, that there is a single BFAR experience, a point that
is made clear by the personal stories of thirteen BFAR mothers presented
between the chapters. West strongly encourages women to develop their
own support network (either online or in person) of other mothers to
combat the all-too-common feeling of facing the difficulties of breastfeeding
after reduction surgery alone.
The author's warmth and positive
attitude provide a foundation of that support network, even when the
technical information she presents is occasionally discouraging. Never
judgmental, West gives many possible solutions to problems and encourages
mothers to make choices that will work best in their particular situation,
even if they are sometimes not ideal. After all, she reminds readers
that any baby who suckles at the breast is a breastfed baby, regardless
of actual milk intake, and she maintains that "the only factors
necessary to breastfeed are at least one breast and nipple, information,
and support." If mothers provide the breast and the nipple, West
will provide the information and support they need to get started and
keep going.
This is a peerless resource
for mothers wanting to breastfeed after reduction surgery, yet in many
ways, this book transcends its unique context. For example, human milk
is honored as a priceless treasure in any quantity a baby may receive.
This perspective can be appreciated by any breastfeeding mother, since
many women for many reasons face an uphill battle and lots of discouragement
in their efforts to breastfeed. One chapter contains cutting-edge information
on the unique qualities of human milk, including detailed tables and
charts of its immunological and nutritional components. In keeping with
the upbeat tone of the book, however, artificial baby milk is not disparaged
but is respected as adequate infant nutrition if full breastfeeding
is not possible. This approach is both inspiring for the Herculean efforts
to breastfeed and forgiving of compromises mothers may need to make.
Also inspiring are the descriptions
of the almost miraculous functioning of the breast. It can be so hard
for mothers to trust their bodies to provide for their infants, and
so easy to fear they will be unable to produce enough milk. For women
breastfeeding after reduction, this very real concern necessitates extra
record-keeping and more detailed knowledge about the signs of healthy
infant growth.
All of this is covered in
extensive detail in this book, of course, and will be essential to mothers
in this situation. But both BFAR mothers and women without a surgical
history may be impressed by the well-illustrated and simply explained
discussions of both normal breast functioning and post-surgical lactation
experiences. The amazing information about the ability of the breast
to "recanalize" (to reconnect severed milk ducts) and to "reinnervate"
(to grow new nerves) may help all women have more faith and confidence
in the ability of their breasts to function as intended.
The primary audience of this
book is clearly made up of pregnant or breastfeeding women who have
had breast reduction surgery and the professionals or volunteers who
help them, such as their doctors, nurses, lactation consultants, or
La Leche League Leaders. But many others would benefit from a more casual
reading, and would be impressed both by the book's clearly explained
technical information and by its personal stories of triumph over adversity.
As the author powerfully concludes, "Each BFAR mother is a heroine....Your
exceptional efforts and deep devotion to your child add a new dimension
to the definition of motherhood and inspire mothers everywhere to reach
greater heights of nurturing" (271). Like a BFAR mother, this book,
too, has the power to inspire mothers with any breastfeeding background
with its example of a passionate devotion to children and the wisdom
earned through struggle.
Last updated Friday, September 8, 2006 by njb.
Page last edited Sun Oct 14 09:30:31 UTC 2007.
