Written in the fashion of a friend giving another friend (pumping) pointers, Pump Mama Pump is the guide I wish I’d known about before my son was born. Patterson writes in an easy to understand, relatable way, and keeps it real about the ups AND downs of pumping.
Better yet, if you are finding this book AFTER the birth of your child (like me), it’s a quick, easy, one-sitting read that doesn’t take long at all… definitely a bonus when you are busy with your newborn!
Patterson laid out this book in an clear format, so if you aren’t much of a reader or don’t care to sit and read (even for the short time this book takes), you could probably skim it pretty easily.
Patterson VS Lactation Consultants
There is a very clear disclaimer before the book even officially starts that Patterson is NOT a lactation consultant. With that being said, as someone who has met with multiple lactation consultants, Pump Mama Pump was (overall) more helpful due to the focus of each. The lactation consultants I met with were either entirely focused on breastfeeding, or focused on the pump no longer being needed.
That is not to say that lactation consultants aren’t helpful, just a note to consider where YOUR focus lies. Also, lactation consultants CAN help you fit your pump properly with the right flanges and parts, if needed (my consultant did) – she just had a different focus than I did. All of that to say, if you want to be an exclusively pumping mama, help can come from more than one source, just remember the focus.
Recommendation
Looking for another quick read after Pump Mama Pump? Sacred Ground, Sticky Floors by Jami Amerine was an enjoyable, refreshing read on parenting – from a Christian perspective without shoving beliefs down anyone’s throat.
I’d recommend this book to mamas who are considering pumping for the first time and would like to know more about the whole process and whether or not it’s worth the effort. Keep in mind, however, that this book wasn’t quite as in depth as I would have liked, so I’m still on the hunt for more information. Pump Mama Pump is a great starting place, but if you decide you actually want to pump, you (like me) may crave more (in depth) information.
Overall, I’d give Pump Mama Pump three and a half stars (rounded up to four), and keep in on my bookshelf as a quick reference book (after the initial read-through).
Christian, wife, “hybrid” mama, I run the site All Behind A Smile to help others like me.
[…] about exclusively pumping or my nursing journey thus far? Pump Mama Pump by Raequael Patterson gives a short intro to pumping life in a quick, easy read that also gives helpful tips and tricks. […]