Breastfeeding Resources
August 15, 2007
When I had my son I was already a breastfeeding counselor, armed with information, knowledge and resources and I still had difficulties. I was not prepared for the amount of time and commitment breastfeeding would require. Surely there was something wrong with me or my babe. I needed a support system. That’s when I discovered La Leche League. I could phone at all hours of the night and my questions would be answered, but most of all I had a network of seasoned nursing mamas who could give me some advice and a “been there done that” attitude that I needed. It wasn’t so much about the advice, it was the sense of community I craved.
I was not prepared for the level of isolation I felt. None of my friends or family had nursed a baby and the advice I got was to “take a break and give him a bottle” I knew that wasn’t for me. I wanted someone to understand my pain, the all night nurse-a-thons. The feelings of constant dissapointment and inadequecy as my milk failed to come in.
Women are bombarded with books outlining pregnancy, labour and childbirth, but even as a doula and breastfeeding counselor I was ill-prepared for nursing. I wanted to put together a resource list that would’ve helped me so much in the beginning. The best place to start is with La Leche League, www.lalecheleague.org They have information and local groups that can help during pregnancy, post partum and toddler-hood. The second is Dr. Jack Newman, he is a Canadian breastfeeding specialist who has amazing resources that can help with any breastfeeding difficulties you may have, he even has a DVD that is called The Visual Guide to Breastfeeding which is a wonderful resource, www.drjacknewman.com
These places are a great start, and something to be checked out BEFORE baby arrives. I always say, a baby will come out whether you read a book about it or not, breastfeeding doesn’t always happen that easily. These reources are a starting point, I hope to add more in the furture as breastfeeding becomes the primary feeding choice for new moms and new resources become available.
Entry Filed under: Blog, Breastfeeding, breast health. .
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1.
Rebecca Weiss | August 21, 2007 at 3:06 pm
There are a lot of good resources for Breasfeeding available online, such as Breastfeeding Companion – Breastfeeding information and support, Breast Milk Pumping, Nursing Bras and More
2.
halfpintpixie | August 30, 2007 at 7:36 am
thanks for the visit, I’ve added the dvd (it looks really good) to the gift basket list!.
You’re right about the isolation, it can feel like no-one understands. I often felt like if I complained of being tired people thought it was my own fault for breastfeeding!
online, I think kellymom.com is a fantastic resourcce.
3.
milkandhoneydesigns | September 3, 2007 at 6:02 am
I agree, when I just wanted to cry about how tired I was from breastfeeding I would be greeted with comments like “why don’t you just give him a bottle” and the like, almost a serves you right attitude. Breastfeeding is hard, any way you cut the pie and sometimes I just wanted to stop. But, I perservered, like many of my breastfeeding commrades. It is such a wonderful experience but it does not come without challenges and I think it’s great we can share them in an authentic way. We are not perfect, it’s only through relationships and being truthful about our experiences can we grow and change and discover what is meaningful in life. Thank-you for your comments.
4.
Bill Bartmann | September 3, 2009 at 3:03 pm
Cool site, love the info.