Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been a lactation consultant and a breastfeeding counsellor for nearly 20 years, ever since my own two breastfeeding journeys. I never stop learning in this job. It’s a professional requirement but, luckily, also an addiction I enjoy. I fully identify as a lactation nerd. I’m the author of 4 books that span the world of breasts and a podcaster. As an ex-teacher, I’m passionate about education and communication. When I can support a parent to reach their goals and feed their child for as long as they want to, it’s a magic feeling and it never gets old. I feel honoured to be doing the work I do.


I wrote

Supporting the Transition from Breastfeeding: A Guide to Weaning for Professionals, Supporters and Parents

By Emma Pickett,

Book cover of Supporting the Transition from Breastfeeding: A Guide to Weaning for Professionals, Supporters and Parents

What is my book about?

This accessible guide provides birth workers and lactation professionals with the skills to help families navigate the emotional and physical…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Making More Milk: The Breastfeeding Guide to Increasing Your Milk Production

Emma Pickett Why did I love this book?

Being a lactation consultant is sometimes like being a detective and this book feels like I have Sherlock Holmes by my side. I love the way it focuses on practical steps and combines science and research with a friendly, readable style.

Supporting parents who are struggling with milk production is one the hardest aspects of the job, and because this book is geared toward parents too, it feels like we can do the investigating together and work as a team. It’s a book I use every week.

By Lisa Marasco, Diana West,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Making More Milk as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Publisher's Note: Products purchased from Third Party sellers are not guaranteed by the publisher for quality, authenticity, or access to any online entitlements included with the product.

"Every drop of your milk is precious. Even small amounts have a unique mix of ingredients and immunities that continue to bolster your baby's health in a way that no formula can ever match."

Worried about making enough milk for your baby? Get the help you need with this practical guide from two lactation experts.

Since publication of this "low milk supply bible" a decade ago, new insights and better ways to maximize…


Book cover of Breastfeeding the Brave

Emma Pickett Why did I love this book?

I’m not from a medical background, so I have to work harder to understand how to support babies and children with complex health needs. This book is great at taking me into that world and explaining why breastfeeding matters and why these families need my help. It also has quiz questions to check understanding, and I love the paintings by artist Leanne Pearce. 

By Lyndsey Hookway,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Breastfeeding the Brave as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

High quality support plays a vital role in protecting breastfeeding and there are clear policies and training in the maternity and neonatal settings. But what happens when support is needed for infants and children in the separate paediatric setting where training and support lags behind?

Breastfeeding the Brave addresses this under-researched area, highlighting the needs and challenges of medically complex infants and children in paediatrics. Aspects of care related to sleep and bedsharing in hospital, responsive parenting and maternal mental health are also discussed. Drawing on novel research it explores the difficulties of feeding children with both common as well…


Book cover of Why Breastfeeding Grief and Trauma Matter

Emma Pickett Why did I love this book?

I meet women who had babies decades ago and are still in tears now when they try and talk about their attempts to breastfeed. Breastfeeding matters so much to the families we work with and when it doesn’t work out, it can be heart-breaking.

This book reminds me why my work matters. It also reminds me why governments, health districts, and health professionals need to care about breastfeeding, too – and make sure support is funded. It’s a book that motivates me to get up in the morning and open my inbox.

By Amy Brown,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Why Breastfeeding Grief and Trauma Matter as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A startlingly large number of women who want to breastfeed have to stop before they are ready, leaving them feeling a range of negative emotions, including grief, anger, guilt, shame and frustration, and often blaming themselves. But in a society that places little value on breastfeeding and mothers' feelings, their painful stories are often swept under the carpet to the detriment of women's mental health and experience of new motherhood.

Professor Amy Brown has researched what breastfeeding really means to women, how they can feel when things don't go according to plan and importantly, how we can change things for…


Book cover of Breastfeeding Answers: A guide to helping Families

Emma Pickett Why did I love this book?

This book was my buddy when I did my lactation consultant’s exam. I hope it’s forgiven me for all the highlighted pages.

Nancy is such a brilliant communicator. I love the way she understands how breastfeeding feels for families and is also able to explain research and complex concepts. It is an enormous book because it covers so much, but you can pass the exam just with this book and some decent internet access.

By Nancy Mohrbacher,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Breastfeeding Answers as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

1


Book cover of Drops of Nurture: True Stories of Love, Resilience and Community

Emma Pickett Why did I love this book?

As a middle-class white lady from London, I have to work extra hard to make sure I hear the voices of mothers who are not like me. Listening to stories from different cultures and hearing about diverse experiences is important for my work. This book is filled with stories from mothers from Indian and South Asian backgrounds.

It doesn’t pretend that breastfeeding is all rose petals and butterflies. These mothers have gone through some tough challenges and have not always had the support they needed. I love that it’s a book about women being strong and why breastfeeding matters to them.

By Dilraz Kunnummal (editor),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Drops of Nurture as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

As natural as it may seem, breastfeeding rarely comes easy. It is a process that needs to be learned. It is a journey in which one can easily feel overwhelmed and ready to give up. It can also be a lonely journey, full of self-doubt and often accompanied by guilt. But with the right knowledge and support, it can be truly fulfilling.

'Drops of Nurture' is an anthology of 30 heart-warming breastfeeding stories - incredible stories of strength, commitment and resilience from some amazing mothers to let breastfeeding mothers know that they are not alone in this journey. That whatever…


Explore my book 😀

Supporting the Transition from Breastfeeding: A Guide to Weaning for Professionals, Supporters and Parents

By Emma Pickett,

Book cover of Supporting the Transition from Breastfeeding: A Guide to Weaning for Professionals, Supporters and Parents

What is my book about?

This accessible guide provides birth workers and lactation professionals with the skills to help families navigate the emotional and physical challenges of ending breastfeeding. Using a person-centered approach that prioritizes the needs of both mother and child, this resource details the emotional impact of weaning and offers practical guidance and expert advice suitable for professionals and parents alike in order to facilitate complex decision-making processes and set healthy boundaries.

Enriched with the voices of parents talking about their individual weaning experiences, this is a empathetic approach to the complex journey of weaning. It recognizes that breastfeeding is far more than a milk delivery system and the approach to ending the journey needs to reflect that.

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Raising an Entrepreneur: How to Help Your Children Achieve Their Dreams - 99 Stories from Families Who Did

By Margot Machol Bisnow,

Book cover of Raising an Entrepreneur: How to Help Your Children Achieve Their Dreams - 99 Stories from Families Who Did

Margot Machol Bisnow Author Of Raising an Entrepreneur: How to Help Your Children Achieve Their Dreams - 99 Stories from Families Who Did

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve become passionate about telling parents how to raise happy, resilient, creative, confident, entrepreneurial children who are doing something that gives them joy. So many young people are unhappy; parents don’t understand how to help. They think their children should follow their path, but that no longer works for many. For the last 10 years, I’ve been speaking to parent groups; I was an Advisor to EQ Generation, an after-school program that gives children the skills to succeed; on the Advisory Board of MUSE School, preparing young people with passion-based learning; and on the Board of Spark the Journey, mentoring low-income high school students to achieve college and career success. 

Margot's book list on learn how to raise confident children

What is my book about?

This book shakes longstanding assumptions of parenting.

Through 99 stories of people who are now changing the world, it shows how to raise creative, confident, resilient children who are filled with joy and purpose. Based on interviews with top entrepreneurs and their parents, it guides you to help your children identify their passion and figure out how they can spend their professional lives doing something they love. 

Parents' well-intentioned efforts often boomerang. By ignoring their children’s skills and interests, parents can inadvertently create pressure and anxiety, thwarting their children's ability to excel and find happiness. Too often, following your heart…

Raising an Entrepreneur: How to Help Your Children Achieve Their Dreams - 99 Stories from Families Who Did

By Margot Machol Bisnow,

What is this book about?

Learn how successful entrepreneurs were raised! Could your children start a company that disrupts existing industries? Or a non-profit that helps people around the world? Or follow their passion as an artist or activist? And most important, lead a life of joy and purpose, to be happy and fulfilled? Margot Machol Bisnow, mother of two thriving entrepreneurs, reveals how to raise creative, confident, resilient, fearless kids who achieve their dreams, through 99 stories of families who did it.

Read stories from 70 families who raised true game changers. See family photos of these thriving entrepreneurs, both when they were young…


5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in breastfeeding, mental health, and mental disorders?

Breastfeeding 23 books
Mental Health 193 books
Mental Disorders 181 books