Lactivate!: A User's Guide to Breastfeeding

I have read a few books now in regards to expecting/breastfeeding. This is by far my favorite for breastfeeding. It’s straight and to the point. It’s a easy read with tons of information. The best part is it is completely judgement free. They even give you different options to help you find something that suits you. As a first time mother to be, that is very important to me. Two of my friends had babies in the last year. They told me I had to read “A Parents Guide to Breastfeeding” by Amy Spangler, it was judgey but had so much good information in it. Well I read that book after reading Lactivate! and I wasn’t impressed with it at all. It didn’t offer any new information and on top of that you had to dealing with the judging. I also originally bought “The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding” knowing the reviews said it was also very judgey. I just figured I’d get the information I can from it and ignore the judgey part. Since I got this book I just ended up returning it because I realized there are non judgey books out there. I can not recommend Lactivate! enough. I will definitely be keeping it on hand as a quick reference for when I need it.After reading this book all I could think is how this would be a great baby shower gift! I will be adding it into baby shower gifts from now on.

I really liked this book. It was super easy to read, and I did learn some valuable information through this book. My baby is due in January and this I am hoping will be beneficial when she gets here and I will be able, if needed be able to reference the codes in the back of the book. The book provided in-depth information that was helpful as well as pictures to help give a visual image of what the authors were talking about.

Before reading this book, breastfeeding seemed like this huge, overwhelming, intimidating world that I didn’t understand. As a first-time expecting mom, all I ever heard was horror stories from other moms about how hard it is to breastfeed, how much pain they suffered through, etc. It was such a relief to find this book and have everything laid out in simple, easy-to-understand terms. It’s such an easy read and I finished it in only a few days during my third trimester. The writing comes across like a supportive big sister who has been there and understands the challenges but is still cheering you on! I’m encouraged and hopeful that my breastfeeding journey will be a bit more smooth thanks to this book, but I love that it will be easy to refer back to troubleshooting tips when we’ll inevitably hit bumps in the road. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for this helpful, approachable resource! -Kate

I liked the formatting and no nonsense tone.I'm halfway through pregnancy and trying to learn as much as I can. This book seems like one I will refer to once my kid is born.

I loved this book. A mommy must-have for sure! I'm due in April and have already read this whole book and put post it notes where I may need refreshers. As a mom who breastfeeding didn't work out for with her first child, but preparing to give it another go with her second, this book is very uplifting. There is no mommy shaming in this book and mental health is very important to the author. Also I love the look, colors and layout of the text. It made this a fast and fun read. P.S. I never finish books, so this is a big deal that it held my attention all the way to the end.

This was super informative and really easy to read. The information is organized so that it will be easy to go back to when I need it in the moment. It is a quick read that only took a few evenings to get through, nonjudgmental, and at the same time I feel like they crammed all the information needed in. I highly recommend to moms in general but especially first time moms who are anxious about knowing what to do, like myself.

I am an IBCLC. Overall, I think this will be a helpful tool/resource to have in my back pocket. In many ways, it's most of what I'd have written in a book if I were to write a book (give or take a few sentences/comments). There's not a list of benefits of breastfeeding for mom/baby in the book, which is my main critique. There are some sprinkled throughout, but remembering all the benefits has kept me going on some rough days of my own BF journey, like when dealing with thrush, etc. It's fairly basic and straightforward. I appreciate that they refer for help when things start getting more complicated- I'm glad they didn't try to tackle too much in the book.I plan to have a few copies on hand (Amazon sale!) given my current season of life with lots of people I know having babies and just type up a list of benefits to stick in the front when I gift a copy! I appreciate that it’s not as guilt-inducing as some of the older BF resources.

This was a good book with good, quick information. It seemed like a great idea when I was pregnant and trying to prepare for my first child. Once I started breastfeeding and experienced some trouble I didn't find this book very helpful. The information was broad and concise, but I found when I was looking for answers I needed WAY more information. Save your time and $. If you are just starting your motherhood journey, and want to prepare, look for local lactation consultants. Most lactation consultants are covered by insurance or TLN and are so vital to learning about all of the different things that go on with breastfeeding.

Cute little book, able to read In about two days. Good basic information nothing mind blowing.

This was the first book I read as a preparation for my breast feeding journey. It is indeed a book with lots of useful info and as other reviewers say totally non-judgmental. Later I came across the Thompson Method for breast feeding that I can really highly recommend to everyone. I don't agree with certain advice anymore as it is described in this book. If you are interested in the mainstream advice, go for this book. If you are interested in a gentle, intuitive, evidence based approach, get the online course for the Thompson Method.