> I'm sure back in the early days of Lactnet, there was a long discussion
> about using the analogy of learning to ride a bike, or drive a stick-shift
> to the early days of breastfeeding.  It's difficult in the beginning,
until
> you get the hang of it, and then it becomes effortless and rewarding, and
> you never forget how.

This is a useful analogy, & helps mums see that skills are learnt & not
instinctive, & take practice to perfect the techniques.
Also I compare bf with learning to dance, initially 2 novices who have no
sense of rhythm or direction, & figuratively stand on each others feet,
trip up etc. but gradually learn & anticipate each others moves & the music.
For a 2nd time mum who has already bf her 1st baby, it's an experienced
dancer with a new novice partner.

> Don't forget the importance of educating mothers (and fathers and other
> support or lack-of-support people in the mother's life) that human
children
> are designed to be breastfed for anywhere from 2.5 years to 7.0 years.

I feel I need to be very selective in whom I say this to.
To some it may seem far too long, unrealistic & an unachievable dream.
To others it might seem so ambitious, as to be very off-putting from even
starting!
Sadly many people see bf as restricted to babyhood, & have negative views
about long-term feeding, unless they're encouraged to get there by default,
bit by bit without noticing.

> Only if you think 12 months is the maximum duration does 6 weeks seem like
> "good enough".  If you understand that 12 months is supposed to be the
> minimum duration, then 6 weeks doesn't seem like much toward your goal.
If
> everyone talked about how 12 months is the minimum, and 2.5 years is the
> goal to shoot for, then people might not give up so easily.

I prefer to encourage mums in smaller time frames, in manageable chunks (as
they see it), be that weeks or months, with the opportunity then to review,
& set their own next goal. This takes ongoing support.

> It would be like having someone train for a marathon, when the marathon is
> only 1 mile.  If they make a half a mile, they may think they've "done
good"
> and stop.  If they understood that you have to run 26 miles to make a
> marathon, and they only made a half a mile, then they understand that they
> didn't do very good at all.  Plus, they begin to understand that in order
to
> run a marathon it takes education, practice, training, dedication, and
> willingness to put up with some discomfort sometimes.  In fact, you could
> use the marathon analogy for breastfeeding in general -- at the beginning
to
> need to prepare yourself, before you start, and when you begin you may
find
> it difficult at first, but soon enough you hit your stride and things go
> fine for mile after mile, and eventually you hit the wall (nursing strike,
> mastitis, etc.) but if you persevere, then you get to the stage where you
> have that "runner's high" -- and when you finish the marathon, it's a
great
> feeling, and you are exhausted and worn out, but happy and proud as well.

This is a great analogy for an athlete, but could seem like an *all or
nothing* approach.
I can identify with those who would just say *no way, that's beyond me*, &
wouldn't even consider starting the training, & would switch off  (& choose
to formula feed instead)
I'm a mile by mile person!

Sheila Company (UK)
 IBCLC, Health Visitor & NCT breastfeeding counsellor



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