<< I believe these Moms feel like a

 failure or are too exhuasted to go anywhere and a LLL meeting is the last

 place they would go with a big problem.  I have heard Moms say they sat
 in  the corner of a room wishing they weren't there because all they heard at
  a LLL meeting was how wonderful breastfeeding was. >>

I would just like to state that having been attending LLL meetings for the
past 21 years (almost to the day!), I have seen plenty of mothers in
excruciating pain receive helpful, up-to-date information through individual
Leaders.  These women's pain was acknowledged and support and information was
given. I actually witnessed a woman burst into tears at a meeting when she
realized that "it didn't hurt anymore" after she received help with
positioning.  Women are not just told "how wonderful breastfeeding is"
without any suggestions if difficulties arise.  In fact, one of the monthly
series meetings is entitled (with variations) "Overcoming Difficulties".
Many references and professional support are available for Leaders to help
mothers.  As a result, there are many Leaders who fully understand and
respect the reasons for sore nipples and the pain that mothers experience.
Some of these Leaders go on to become IBCLCs.  However, this does not mean
that Leaders who are not IBCLCs do not have the knowledge and support from
LLLI to help mothers with sore nipples.

<<As a LLLL I never could figure out why I got them, until I

took the UCLA CLE course 13 years later.  I remember my moment of
"getting it"  when Kitty Franc talked about the heart shaped tongue.>>

I also happened to receive some wonderful information on short frenulums from
Kitty Frantz - at several LLLI conferences attended by BOTH LLLLs and IBCLCS
(some, of course, are both!).  Of course, it was not the first time I had
heard about short frenulums.  I had learned about them from LLL Leaders
several years previously.

Ruth Scuderi
Westfield, MA

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