I am going to continue nursing Ioan in public for as long as he wants to, as well as doing all that I can to give support and encouragement to
other breastfeeding mothers who choose to nurse when they are out and about.
Their efforts to
help other breastfeeding mothers soon led them to forming La Leche League in 1956: «This is exactly what I needed with my first babies,» Mary Ann Cahill told us.
However, I'm really, really glad I stuck with my initial goal of breastfeeding (although I want to acknowledge and respect that fact that there are about a zillion scenarios and reasons
why other breastfeeding mothers decide to end their breastfeeding journey earlier than initially planned, and I fully support those choices).
I dealt with mastitis, thrush, blebs, and other pains, physical and emotional, that
other breastfeeding mothers deal with, but on top of all that, I had to wash bottles and pumps several times a day too.
Thankfully, my husband was (and continues to be) extremely supportive and encouraging and I did lots of blog reading
about other breastfeeding mothers» experiences, which gave me the confidence to continue nursing.
Surrounding yourself with
other breastfeeding mothers can be invaluable!
What are you suggesting to
other breastfeeding mothers?
It is also vital to connect with
other breastfeeding mothers and become familiar with the behavior of a normal breastfed baby; mothers who make plenty of milk worry that their babies aren't getting enough when they're fussy, if they feed often, or aren't long sleepers.
Since training as a bfing peer supporter and talking with
other breastfeeding mothers and a lactation consultant, I have become incredibly aware of the pervasiveness of bottle imagery.
Lansinoh's HPA Lanolin is not only recommended by health professionals around the world, but 99 % * of mums would recommend to
other breastfeeding mothers to help soothe and protect their nipples, so they can continue their breastfeeding journey.
It can help to mix with
other breastfeeding mothers (eg by attending local ABA group) as this can help her to become familiar with a breastfed baby's normal behaviour and gain support.
During this period, I encountered several problems that
other breastfeeding mothers may have experienced too.
We can reflect on our experiences during long nursing sessions and chat with
other breastfeeding mothers, who often share uncomfortable feelings about managing life with new babies.
It's easy to assume that
all other breastfeeding mothers (past and present) and advocates will offer the same, understanding support but sometimes the way they support is actually loading on guilt.
Before nursing my baby I didn't know
any other breastfeeding mothers.
Talk to
other breastfeeding mothers to find out how they handled this bump in the breastfeeding journey.
These mommies support each other and are providing loving encouragement to
other breastfeeding mothers.