Greetings--
I've been working with bf mom's for over 8 years. I'm not an LC
(postpartum
doula/LLLI bf counselor) but I think I have attained a lot of insight
as to the reasons why/why not bf succeeds--I am in these mom's home 5
hrs/day day in and day out for weeks. I also allow 24hr/7day access to
me from my moms. I
see the dramas being played out right in front of my eyes. I'm not
necessarily hearing it second hand.
The reasons are as various as there are bf moms! That's is one thing I
know for sure.
Another thing I know for sure is, if we are to change bf attitudes of
society, we
must start with the children! BF basics, (anatomy, composition of bm,
etc.)
must be taught in the high schools!
For goodness sakes, they see graphic pictures/slides of VDs (one of the
girls
in my daughter's class passed out in the middle of such a demo) why
can't
BREASTFEEDING be a part of the curriculum!!?!??!
When we educate and enlighten the young--they will be come mothers and
fathers who will demand changes of attitudes/policies from their
physicians, hospitals,families and SOCIETY!
In many cases, this demographic is being ignored by us all!
Just my two cents.
Kathy Koncelik
On Monday, July 28, 2003, at 08:05 PM, Catherine Watson Genna, IBCLC
wrote:
> Pat Gima's post about working hard reminded me of something I tell
> mothers with difficult to latch babies. I tell them that this is
> baby's
> first lesson that some things are worth working for. We talk about how
> some day this baby is going to have to learn calculus, or physics, and
> that having this experience is going to help him then.
>
> I also realize that mothers sometimes have limited resources, whether
> financial, emotional, or temporal, and that they can only work on any
> challenge until those resources are depleted. If moms need to stop
> working toward solving a bf problem, we talk about this. I encourage
> them to grieve the loss of bf, and to credit themselves for the work
> they did, understanding that they worked as hard as their resources at
> this time would let them. I find that this approach is both truthful
> for me, and helpful for the mothers, who are able to talk about their
> ambivalent feelings and resolve them. Many moms in my practice who
> were
> not able to climb over their breastfeeding obstacles with their first
> baby were able to get there with their second. I think if we twist the
> knife in their wound by calling them failures, these moms will not be
> able to heal. The moms with these festering wounds are the ones
> crusading against the breastfeeding that hurt them.
> Catherine Watson Genna, BS, IBCLC NYC
>
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As always . . . .
Wishing you all the best!
--K
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