by Heidi Green
July 18, 2010

From the minute my oldest child was born, I have found myself singing. There have been the traditional nursery songs, the cherished lullabies, the dusted-off golden oldies, and the educational ditties. In a class of their own are the improvisations, made up on the spot to encourage a child searching for a lost item, coax him upstairs at bedtime, get him to lie still during a diaper change, or tease him into his winter gear.

It is easy to imagine Alison Blenkinsop’s musical imagination similarly taking hold as she prepared to teach a new mother about breastfeeding, to explain to expectant parents the role of midwives and doulas, and to discuss the pure goodness of breast milk. Not many women would choose to sing—or songwrite—about these topics, but Blenkinsop (a former midwife, now a lactation consultant) puts her musical skills to the task, with verve and humor that are sure to have her audience laughing from page to page.

Although the word “breastfeeding” is nowhere to be found in the book’s title, Fit to Bust: A Comic Treasure Chest, each page is a celebration of the wholesomeness of breastfeeding and mother’s love. Original lyrics about infant feeding are set to the tunes of well-known songs, with accompanying details about Blenkinsop’s inspiration for the piece, the occasion for which it was first performed, reflections on her experiences in foreign countries, stories about breastfeeding dyads, and more.

As a whole, Fit to Bust (2008) celebrates breastfeeding mothers; at the same time, it acknowledges that breastfeeding is not always easy and encourages parents who may face challenges such as tongue-tie, nipple pain, lack of support, and persistent formula advertising. New parents and expectant parents will find it to be a quick read that provides a wealth of practical information in a fun, easy-to-digest manner. Photographs, cartoons, song lyrics, and humorous anecdotes provide many passages readers will be eager to share.

While parents may enjoy most of this book, there are sections that seem to be included expressly for an audience of midwives, doulas, parent educators, and lactation consultants. For example, Blenkinsop’s discussion of how to make and use a knitted breast model to explain concepts to breastfeeding mothers simply is not relevant for a general parent audience. Also, a series of brief poems that ran monthly in a lactation consultant newsletter seems an odd fit to the book. In fact, parents may choose to skip Chapter 14, “Breastfeeding Supporters and Specialists,” altogether. But that would be a shame since Blenkinsop’s helpful “Thrush and Mastitis” (set to the tune of “Morning Has Broken”) is contained in that section.

Blenkinsop is British, so many of her reflections and statistics are about breastfeeding in the UK, but the themes and concerns she addresses are universal. This book serves as a valuable, funny reminder to relax and enjoy this important, loving aspect of the parent-child bond. Proceeds benefit the non-profit Baby Milk Action in its effort to limit the damage of artificial infant feeding.

Heidi Green has been researching and writing about women’s and children health since she moved to Pittsburgh more than 10 years ago. She is also a children’s book reviewer in her spare time. She is mom to Ben, Katie, Sam, and Max.