We could juxtapose the title of this posting to why breastfeeding mothers 
eventually become LC`s
I worked in publishing as my first career and as a young single woman 
working in London it never occurred to me that my life would change 
radically when I had my first baby and that this would completely overturn 
my values, my aspirations and academic interest.
While pregnant and giving birth, I read the books, got the t-shirt and sat 
smugly with my sweet new baby in the hospital assuming that now I had 
experienced THE BIRTH, everthing else would be easy.
How I struggled with bonding, mothering, breastfeeding, PND. I will not go 
into now, but my big question was how could I have been so naive? Why was I 
not prepared? And why did I not get support?  Was I the only mother to 
experience this ambivalence, this emotional upheaval?  I gave up 
breastfeeding after six weeks, feeling guilty and inadequate.
During the second pregnancy, I discovered NCT and my life changed.  NCT not 
only provided quality preparation in pregnancy but was the only agency that 
continued this support for bf and postpartum.  Not only did I bf this baby 
for more than a year, I found a whole new support system in my neighborhood.
Subsequently I co-ordinated the local postnatal support group and we founded 
the Fleet and Camberley branch of NCT.  Meanwhile I had gone back to study 
psychology through a London University external studies satellite and by the 
time I had the third and fourth babies (all bf for long periods) I was ready 
for a career change.  The rest is history.

Today when I work with pregnant women and their partners and counsel them 
for bf I rejoice that I and all my colleagues worldwide can make that 
difference.  It doesn`t mean that women today have fewer concerns and 
problems,  because there are so many changes in society and other pressures 
that did not exist 30-40 years ago.  But we are there to offer our support, 
our knowledge and those of us who did experience difficulties ourselves are 
perhaps a little less judgmental.  We do not take it for granted that every 
woman giving birth is going to have that lovely fuzzy feeling - for many it 
is a buzzing booming confusion as much for the mother as for the baby.

Wendy Blumfield
NCT ANT Tutor/BFC
Israel Childbirth Education Centre

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Karyn-grace Clarke" <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, January 14, 2007 4:16 AM
Subject: Re: Why LC's breastfeed


>I think there is a huge degree of truth and reality in this post, and in 
>what
> many others on this list have been saying; however, I don't think it is 
> whole
> truth.  I think that there truly are many mothers who do NOT enjoy
> breastfeeding and only do so because of what it means for their baby.
>
> And personally, I think we as lactation professionals should exploit this! 
> If
> some mothers really DON'T get it, and really do not experience the warm
> fuzzies with breastfeeding...so what?  Do we really think that is the only 
> thing
> that will make them continue to breastfeed?
>
> I don't think so.  Maybe if we as LC's or if the Lactation Educators, or 
> if LLLL's
> could tap into what, if anything, particularly motives EACH woman, we'd 
> see
> more breastfeeding and longer durations.
>
> What I'm saying is, *we* may have breastfed because of what it offered
> ourselves as women, as mothers.  *We* may have breastfed because we 'got
> it' and somehow were blessed with that connection, that spiritual 
> experience,
> that intense, emotional bond.  *We* may have become lactation 
> professionals
> because of our experiences and love of breastfeeding and desire to help
> mothers and babies...but...do we really expect that every mother who
> breastfeeds must feel as passionate as we do?  Do we really expect that
> every woman *should* love breastfeeding and desire it?  Do we really 
> expect
> that it is only the ones who 'get it' who will succeed?
>
> Blessings!
>
> Karyn-grace Clarke, IBCLC, LLLL
>
>
> On Sat, 13 Jan 2007 10:56:41 -0500, Barbara Berges <[log in to unmask]>
> wrote:
>
>>Many years ago there was a thread on Lactnet about why LC's had chosen to
>>breastfeed their first child.  Many women wrote in to share their 
>>thoughts,
>>ideas, and memories.  As I recall, it was decided that most of us chose to
>>breastfeed for reasons that had more to do with the "mom" than the "baby".
>>We started breastfeeding because it was easier, or we wanted to lose
> weight,
>>or we wanted bigger breasts, or whatever.  Of course, the health benefits
>>for the baby were also important.  But even we, who would eventually
> become
>>LC's, chose to breastfeed for ourselves.
>>
>>Barb Berges BS, RN, IBCLC
>>near Cleveland, Ohio
>>
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