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Review: The Essential Breastfeeding Log

by Jennifer Signore

May 04, 2009

Last week at the Savvy Source, we talked about getting the kids to eat well and how make the family meal a reality.  Today, I'd like to take a step back to our kids' earliest days and talk about breastfeeding.  I am not going to get into the merits of nursing versus formula feeding.  But, what I do want to offer is my review of a new tool for nursing moms, The Essential Breastfeeding Log, by Sarah Bowen Shea and Suzanne Schlosberg. 

Whether you are a new mom or have been through the ropes, the Essential Breastfeeding Log can help to get you through those days when getting showered and dressed are monumental tasks.  One of the first sections of the book shares the authors' top ten tips for successful breastfeeding.  Many other books offer hints and tips, but what this book offers is a sense of reality.  When I saw that Tip #1 was "Remember: Just Because It's Natural Doesn't Mean It's Easy" I knew that it was a guide that spoke my language. 

The log itself is well designed and is separated by week and then by day.  On each day you can log the time of each feeding, how much time was spent on each breast (a great tool when you get to the next feeding and can't remember on which side to start), the amount pumped (if applicable), and tally up the wet and dirty diapers.  The authors give advice on how you might use each section of the log but go on to say that you should use it in whatever way helps you.  I appreciate their understanding that not every mom wants to chart every single item on the list.  Starting in Week 7, the log also provides a space where moms can chart their own activities, like exercise, "me" time, and a brief food log.  This is also the time at which the log provides a section to log sleep time.  I know that my kids had very erratic sleep schedules for at least two months, and an acknowledgment of how difficult it is to track newborn sleep patterns by leaving that detail out of the early charts should be a comfort for many moms.

One thing I would change is the way the days are numbered.  Week 1 starts with "Monday" and a blank for the date.  However, not all children are born on a Monday.  I would suggest that in subsequent editions, the authors leave both the day and date spaces blank.  And, while it is not necessarily a birth log, I would have liked to see a page at the beginning of the charting section for some thoughts and reflections on the birth as well as the first nursing session.  Those minor critiques aside, had the Essential Breastfeeding Log been available when my children were born, I would have considered it a necessary addition to my rocker-side table. 

In the interest of full disclosure, I was provided with a complimentary copy of the Essential Breastfeeding Log in exchange for my review.  I am giving that copy to a chart-loving friend currently expecting her first child. 

About the Authors:

Suzanne Schlosberg is the author of seven other books, including The Ultimate Workout Log and Fitness for Dummies. She has contributed to magazines for more than 15 years, including Shape, Health, Natural Health, Women's Health, Fitness, and Fit Pregnancy. Suzanne nursed her twin boys, and kept a log of her own making to keep her sane and get the boys on a schedule.

Sarah Bowen Shea has been a contributing writer for Fit Pregnancy since its inception. She has also written for The New York Times, Self, Shape, Glamour, Health, Parenting, American Baby, Real Simple, Women's Health, and Baby Talk. Sarah nursed each of her three children and knows first-hand the need for a breastfeeding log and organizer. 

Tools for the busy parent

by Jennifer Signore

January 08, 2009

I don't know about you, but I am often left wondering what to do when a new situation arises with my kids. I have enough parenting time under my belt to wing it, but what do you do when something really odd happens or if you are a new parent without that terribly heavy toolbelt to carry around? Well, you go out and get some new tools, that's what! I know that there are many parenting  Read more...