Those of you whose firstborns are older than 28 or so:

 

My firstborn, Larry, is 37 now - born in 1971 when the breastfeeding rates
were about the lowest - but I had read in college in this one book on
Marriage in my social Work studies in 1968 that "breastfeeding is best for
infants" and there is a group called "La Leche League" whose Leaders help
mothers breastfeed. Luckily, being Puerto Rican, the name "stuck" and when I
moved to St. Louis, recently married, I saw the announcement for this group
- I put it in my small telephone book (not too many things in it, I knew NO
ONE). 

 

How did you learn to breastfeed effectively?  

 

Three years later I called the number because I had just learned I was
pregnant.the Leaders (Verna Gremaud, Faye Young) were FANTASTIC the group
enormous and dynamic and I saw for the first time mothers breastfeeding
their babies.  I also so a style of parenting that was totally new to me (my
parents were wonderful, loving people - but I was an only child, so I had
never "observed" parenting.)  I went to over 6 meetings before my baby was
born, which helped a LOT.but still.

 

I had LOTS of questions, Larry was jaundiced, I called the Leaders almost
daily for 6 weeks.  Sore nipples, exhaustion, a colicky baby and still they
provided the support to get me through it (and my husband, who HAD seen his
mother breastfeed 5 kids and knew it was possible).

 

 

How did you learn to hand express?  

 

Despite having 3 breastfed children, I only learned this as an LC - in 1986
I lived in St. Louis "again" and drove to Indianapolis to see Chele Marmet
speak.  They had volunteer La Leche League moms who were there to allow us
to learn to hand express on "real" breasts.  It was a fantastic experience.

 

How did you learn to breastfeed lying down? 

 

I did not learn to breastfeeding lying down with the first baby - it was
only when I had #2 (Alex)  and #1 (Larry) never napped - so I figured out
how to latch Alex on while sitting on the side of the bed and then slid down
to the bed.  Of course later on we got to be able to nurse without that step
- but that's how I learned.

 

Jeanette Panchula, BSW, RN, PHN, IBCLC

California, USA


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