The Complete Book of Breastfeeding, 4th Edition: The Classic Guide

The Complete Book of Breastfeeding is a recognized classic in its field. Now it's been completely revised and updated in a new fourth edition―non-doctrinaire, informative, and friendly, it is the most accessible and authoritative book, as much required reading for expecting and new mothers as a pregnancy guide and baby name book.

All healthy mothers should consider breastfeeding for the first year of a baby’s life, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, and this is the book that will help women give their babies the healthiest start possible. Written by Sally Wendkos Olds and a new co-author, Laura Marks, M.D., The Complete Book of Breastfeeding, Fourth Edition offers a comprehensive introduction to breastfeeding―how to get ready before the baby arrives; how to involve fathers and siblings; and the best diet and foods for mom. There are sections on dealing with problems at the hospital; extensive information on exclusive pumping (EPing); the best systems for giving supplementary bottles to a breastfed baby; the safest sleep scenarios for babies; breastfeeding in public, including laws affecting breastfeeding mothers. New data about preterm infants is presented, and special situations―multiples, breast cancer, overweight and large-breasted women, breast surgery, tattoos and piercings―are also discussed in detail. An expanded chapter on weaning features sections on breastfeeding past infancy. Also new is an appendix of online resources.

Laura M. Marks, MD, a pediatrician at Willows Pediatric Group in Westport, Connecticut, breastfed her own three children and is expert at guiding other women through the process.  A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and Yale University School of Medicine, she is a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society.  She interned at Harvard University Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, and completed her residency at Children’s Hospital at Yale New Haven Medical Center.

With her husband, David Marks, MD, Dr. Marks coauthored The Headache Prevention Cookbook: Eating Right to Prevent Migraines and Other Headaches. She is the Medical Advisor to the Weston (Connecticut) School District and is on the Pediatric Executive Committee of Norwalk Hospital. Dr. Marks is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics’s Section on Breastfeeding Medicine, the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, and La Leche League International.




Sally Wendkos Olds has written extensively about relationships, health, and personal growth. She has won national awards for her writing, including the Career Achievement Award of the American Society of Journalists and Authors, of which she is a member and a past president. Ms. Olds’ college textbooks on child and adult development, co-authored with psychologist Diane E. Papalia, Ph.D., have been read by more than two million students and are the leading texts in their fields. She is also the author of Super Granny: Great Stuff to Do with Your Grandkids, The Working Parents’ Survival Guide, and The Eternal Garden: Seasons of Our Sexuality, and the coauthor of Helping Your Child Find Values to Live By and Raising a Hyperactive Child.

A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Ms. Olds is a member of La Leche League International, International Childbirth Education Association, the Authors Guild, and other professional and civic organizations. She nursed her three daughters and is the proud grandmother of five breastfed children. Visit her at her website: www.SallyWendkosOlds.com.