>
>A nearby high school health teacher (who breastfed her own baby) has asked
>that one of the local LCs come in and talk to her class for about an hour.
>I'd like to oblige, and was wondering if someone could share a ready-made
>outline.  The focus ought to be on why to breastfeed, more than on how to
>breastfeed.


I used to present to a high school class each semester.  One thing that 
helped a lot was for a nursing mother to go with me.  She spoke for a brief 
time and answered a few questions but the "prop" was most valuable.  The 
best one was a young mother who was about 18.  I had known her for several 
months and her 4 month-old baby girl was charming.  When this mother began 
speaking to the teens I felt that it was a foreign language.  Her demeanor, 
inflection, and vocabulary were totally different from what she had 
portrayed to the LC.  She spoke "Teen" and they related amazingly.  She let 
them know how surprised she was that feeding her baby was so enjoyable. She 
hoped that they would do it too.

I still speak to groups of girls who are part of a School Age Parenting 
Program.  I stress the importance of physical and emotional bonding with 
the baby and share how valuable that is for breastfeeding success. I let 
them know that it is so much more enjoyable to be with a baby and child 
whom we are closely connected to. Also that it is something that is 
uniquely theirs to give their babies.

I don't find that telling of babies who are sick less goes far with most of 
young people.  They are not usually into health, including their own.

Speaking to teens who are already pregnant is different, of course, from 
the class that you will be presenting to. I assume that it will be a 
mixed-gender class and you would want to offer some supportive information 
to the guys.  Hopefully others on this list will have more detailed 
suggestions for you.

Patricia Gima, IBCLC
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Mailto:[log in to unmask]

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