Hi Laurie: Good for you that you will be doing a support group. You will
find it the highlight of your week and re-energize you for the week ahead!
I've been doing hospital-based support groups for for at least 10 years.
My current group meets every Friday morning from 10:30-12:00. It's free
and there is no registration. Mom and baby just show up - if she can't
stay the hour and a half, no big deal. Actual group time is probably
closer to an hour - I tried to build in time to get babies settled. Ages
range from 1 week to 1 year on the average. The group that I used to run
at my previous hospital is still going strong with 2 back-to-back sessions,
the earlier one for younger babies, the later one for older ones. I did
have a request last week from a mom who had seen the ad in the paper for a
group for nursing toddlers. I've encouraged her to come to the Friday
group, hopefully she'll come.
We meet in a hospital meeting room. No particular agenda, whatever the
moms want to talk about. We may spend half an hour total actually
discussing breastfeeding issues, most of the time parenting issues are
discussed. Baptisms, vacations, clothing (for mom and baby), toys, growth
and development, and one little guy's recent open heart surgery have been
recent topics. He missed the week of his surgery and was back the next
showing off (actually, his mom) his scar. She has received a ton of
support from all the other moms. The hospital staff was amazed at how well
he has done - he never received any food other than his mom's milk. She
was allowed to room-in and pumped during the time he was NPO - as soon as
he was OK'd for oral feedings he went right back to the breast.
The group has decided my function is told hold babies when someone has to
go to the bathroom.
The moms totally run the group and have started a list of participants'
names, addresses, phone #s, e-mail, etc. so that they can continue
networking outside the group times. Some of the moms have returned to work.
Whatever you do, don't do any consulting during group time. If a mom has a
particular problem or I notice she seems to be having difficulty, I will
ask if she could stay afterwards for a private consult. You also do not
want to get into weighing babies. This was suggested at one of our system-
wide LC meetings. What are you going to do if a baby turns up seriously
underweight after his proud mom has put him on the scale? This group is
about mothers feeling good about themselves and their breastfeeding
experience, not for the creation of additional stress.
Some future plans include a picnic on the 260 acre wooded campus our
hospital sits on and possibly a nurse-in on Breastfeeding Challenge Day,
Oct. 4. I'll have to see what the moms come up with.
Oh, and the most important thing - we make sure we keep ourselves fed. The
moms take turns bringing treats each week. Of course, chocolate wins hands
down.
Good luck.
Pam Hirsch, RN,BSN,CLC
Clinical Lead, Lactation Services
Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital
Barrington, IL USA
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