Sweet Sleep

Starred review from June 2, 2014
In 2010, La Leche issued The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, which became the breast-feeding bible for many new mothers. In their latest book, the organization again challenges existing wisdom while offering an essential guide for parents. The premise is simple: “research finds that most breastfeeding mothers do sleep with their babies at some point and preparing for bedsharing is safer than accidentally falling asleep together.” In fact, “Part V: Sleep Science” addresses current sleep research and should calm lingering concerns about the safety of bed sharing. The core of the book offers detailed, practical advice on bed sharing and breast-feeding, with basic guidelines for safe bed sharing outlined in seven steps (“The Safe Sleep Seven”). Parents need to be nonsmoking, sober, and breast-feeding, while babies should be healthy, unswaddled, and on a safe surface. The five steps for making a surface safe are also succinctly discussed, and the book details how to implement a safe sleeping plan under a variety of circumstances, from working the night shift to dealing with pets on the bed. 92 b&w illus. Agent: Stephanie Rostan, Levine Greenberg Literary.