After giving birth, many women are shocked to discover that breastfeeding doesn’t come naturally: rather, it is painful and awkward. At a point of frustration and exhaustion, they often find themselves without help and support from hospital staff. Not surprisingly, many do not initiate or prematurely quit breastfeeding.

A new book, “How to Succeed in Breastfeeding Without Really Trying, or Ten Steps to Laugh Your Way Through,” co-authored by a pediatric geneticist and a university professor, provides new mothers with humorous, easy-to-use, hands-on advice and step-by step instructions on how to initiate, sustain, and succeed in breastfeeding. Relevant medical and scientific explanations are also humorous and easy to read. The book is strewn with jokes, poems, literary associations, and color illustrations, creating a feeling of festivity and providing a boost to the mood of postpartum mothers.