La Leche League

I have been to my first breastfeeding support group meeting in the form of a local La Leche League meeting. How I wish I could have turned back time and were able  to or did attend a meeting like this when I was pregnant with Mia.

I am not sure what I expected but what I found was a wonderful place where mother's are welcomed warmly and encouraged to share their experiences regardless of whether they were good or bad.

I heard from mothers who struggled to breastfeed successfully yet persevered, and warned one of the pregnant mothers that she should just try breastfeeding for another 24 hours if she thinks of quitting. I heard from a mother who had an 11month old, who contracted baby measles which made her so violently ill, that she was unable to keep anything down, except breast milk which ultimately kept her out of hospital and hydrated.

I heard of a mother that was able to console her 27 year old son after a terrible traumatic break-up by just being there and holding him, comforting him until he was ready to open up to her and allow her to share in his desperation and his broken heart; because of the emotional investment she made by breastfeeding him all those years ago.

I heard of the wonders of breast milk, how it adapts to your baby's specific needs and allows the mother's body to manufacture and disperse the exact required composition for her baby in terms of nutrients and immunity. I heard that you are able to use breast milk for anything from cracked nipples and dry skin to ear infections and a runny nose. I heard that a baby's immune system is only 60% completed if you breastfeed for a year and that if you continue into the second year you are able to provide the further support your baby might need.

I came away excited that there is a group of people; mothers like you and I; who care to provide information and support to those who only have to ask. If you are breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed you should find you local branch and go see for yourself.