Book Review: You’ve Got It In You, by Emma Pickett

You’ve got it in you is a chatty, positive little book packed with very useful information for breastfeeding mothers. In fact it begins with the decision to breastfeed, explaining the importance of gathering your support and doing your research well before the birth of your baby. It then takes a roughly chronological journey through the experience of breastfeeding, starting with the importance of skin to skin and a gentle transition into the world. The contents of the book are so closely aligned to what I would say myself that it’s impossible not to read without nodding constantly, going ‘yes, yes, yes.’ It’s all so very sensible.

Emma Pickett’s friendly (sometimes a little brisk) narrative voice can be heard clearly throughout the book; it might feel like having a kind and experienced breastfeeding counsellor sitting alongside you, giving you both reassurance and information at critical times. I found the switch between “we” and “you” and “they” slightly confusing, and sometimes this gave it a slightly nanny-like tone; but in general the language used is clear and accessible, and this is definitely a book I would offer to a new mother, whether she needed help, or just as a companion.

The detailed signposting in the book could be extremely useful, however the weblink formatting doesn’t really work in print, and of course there is the danger of going out of date. This is where a QR code or some other way of accessing online references would be useful. Reading this academically, I wanted to see more references to support some of the information given, partly so that I could share it myself with confidence. Some pictures might also be helpful, in the section on positioning and attachment.

In addition to good quality information for breastfeeding mothers, the book also includes a handy little chapter for grandparents, information about safer bedsharing, and even details of how to train as a breastfeeding counsellor yourself. This would have been a great book for me as a new mother, but I also recommend it to anyone supporting new families. It’s one of the best books on breastfeeding that I have read.

[Disclosure: Emma sent me a review copy of this book]