Wise words, Melissa:
>Allowing a mom to see that she can handle even the "worst case scenario"--as
>in quitting bf completely--then that often makes her relax enough to where
>she can sort through what she really needs to do to make it work. The more
>control she has, the better--and far too many women quit bf because control
>is taken away from them by rigid rules, uninformed medical personnel, and
>inadequate support from family and friends.
When I did a talk at LLL conferences called "What's a Smart Woman Like You
Doing At Home?" (title taken, of course, from the wonderful book), I'd
mention that when I made the decision to stay home with my kids I did it
because it was my CHOICE. If society or someone in my life had told me I HAD
to stay home, I'd probably have been looking for work the next day, because
I tend to be a little ornery about being told what I have to do! (I believe
this is what's happening with the teen smoking epidemic--sometimes I think
we should tell them it's the greatest thing and adults think they SHOULD
smoke...)
It's so true that when you open up the discussion about stopping
breastfeeding, women regain control, realize they have options, and very
often will perservere. Feeling trapped doesn't do good things for anyone,
especially when coupled with sleep deprivation, pain/discomfort, and worry.
This was a hard step for me until I realized that by NOT discussing weaning,
I wasn't allowing informed choice.
Leslie Ayre-Jaschke, BEd, IBCLC
Peace River, Alberta, Canada
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