<<It is very frustrating to watch someone struggle with a task so simple
for us to perform, but the confidence we can give with our encouragement
has to be there as the learner struggles on their own to do the task in the
way they find works best for them.>>

Having recently done a home visit with a mother of Mexican cultural
heritage, the topic of empowerment has been on my mind a great deal. The
woman's mother was there, providing a variety of assistance to her,
including with positioning and latch on. I could not bear to add my hands
to the mix. I focused on information and support that did not involve the
use of my hands. My main message was to encourage experimentation and trust
in her and her baby's capacities to learn from each other. Listening to and
empathizing with her frustration, encouraging her continued and expanded
use of her own powers of observation and response...
I have also worked with blind and visually impaired mothers who have
arrived home from the hospital terrified to be left alone with their
babies. All of the "help" that they received from medical personnel
(doctors, nurses, LC's) consisted of others doing things for them. No one
trusted that these mothers could learn to breastfeed using their non-visual
senses along with verbal information and support. No one taught them how to
position and latch their babies themselves. How utterly disempowering and
how utterly unnecessary.

As I stated in my article, "Helping the Visually Impaired or Blind Mother
Breastfeed" (Leaven, Vol. 35 No. 3, June-July 1999, pp. 51-56):

"Sighted health care providers, family members or friends who are helping a
visually impaired or blind mother with breastfeeding may be very tempted to
position the baby themselves, place the mother's breast in the baby's mouth
or arrange pillows for the mother. While this type of help may get
breastfeeding established quickly, it also makes the mother dependent on
others and may leave her feeling discouraged, incompetent or afraid to be
alone with the baby. When a sighted person makes verbal descriptions and
suggestions instead, the mother can choose to take action herself or
request physical assistance. In this way she will more quickly develop the
skills that she needs to breastfeed her baby independently."
(http://www.lalecheleague.org/llleaderweb/LV/LVJunJul99p51.html)

Empowerment is critical.

Cynthia Good Mojab
(Breastfeeding mother, advocate, independent [cross-cultural] researcher
and author; LLL Leader and researcher in the LLLI Publications Department;
and former psychotherapist currently busy nurturing her own little one.)
Ammawell
Email: [log in to unmask]
Web site: http://ammawell.homepage.com

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