Beatriz,

I am an LLLL, I currently work p/t and from home/computer and have an now
young (short day) school age daughter. I was accredited while I was still
working full time, I went back to work f/t when she was 3 months old, I
shared a tele-commute with my husband until she was 6 months and then was in
the office full time until I stopped working f/t when she was 4 1/2. I also
exclusively bf until she was 22 months old when she self-weaned rather
quickly.

I did have to overcome some bias in being accepted as a leader applicant, I
think a problem is that in some geographic areas leader applicants who are
employed/have a regular separation from their child are not accepted and in
others the actual specific situation is evaluated in the context of
understanding and meeting the child's needs in the greater context of the
overall needs of the family.

In our case the separation was somewhat gradual, at six months when I went
back f/t I still went to daycare at lunch every day to nurse her, that
lasted until she was about 13 months old and was way too interested in other
things to nurse.

The philosophy in question is that a young child has an intense need to be
with their mother in the early years, the question then is how does a mother
who has had regular separation, model meeting that need to other mothers, I
think she can do it and those of us who have exclusively breastfed and been
employed can bring an empathy that comes from experience that really can
support the mother who is employed in part because we have the experience of
feeling torn in multiple directions.

There is a regular section of New Beginnings "Making it work" that addresses
working mother situations. We, LLL, are doing better at meeting mothers
where they are and supporting them regardless of the situation they are in.

If you are interested in leadership, I'd recommend having a really frank
conversation with a current leader about leader applicancy and addressing
how you have understood and met your children's needs while being an
employed mother. You need a leader recommendation for applicancy but you
might also talk with your area leader applicant coordinator person about
your concerns.

A woman who says "I think it's great to go back to work 1

WarmLLLy,
Ruth

>
>
> Date:    Wed, 30 May 2007 11:41:02 -0400
> From:    Beatriz Garcia <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: response to "what we do"
>
> It is interesting that you mention your concern regarding the decline in
> LLL leaders. I would like to share with you my personal experience with
> this.


You have no idea how hard I have tried and how many people I have contacted
> at LLL to try to become a Leader so I can help the mothers in my community
> by promoting breastfeeding with LLL support. I have been denied the
> opportunity to do so because I am a working mom and according to LLL that
> may be in conflict with LLL philosophy. So, the fact that I am a full time
> working mom who has successfully and exclusively nursed two children to
> toddlerhood has been regarded as inconsequential. I would figure that LLL
> would be thrilled by having women with different experiences to help other
> moms, especially if the leader is a working mom herself, has personal
> experience in pumping at work and can relate to the increasing number of
> working mothers who would like to breastfeed but think it can not be done
> while working. I am still hopeful that LLL revamps their program and evolves
> to a modern support system which recognizes that some mothers have no option
> of staying home with their children. Hopefully then the number of LLL
> leaders will increase and more working mothers are empowered to nurse their
> children for more than the weeks of maternity leave.
>
> Beatriz
>
>

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