I am happy to share with the community that La Leche League of Sturbridge has a new leader to continue to promote and educate many pregnant and nursing mothers.  Please help me welcome Sturbridge newest LLL Leader... Loretta McHugh!  Loretta is mother two wonderful children and works full time.  She nursed her oldest until almost 3 yrs. and is still nursing her youngest.  Loretta is a dedicated mother and wife that is an advocate for so many important family issues such as rear facing car seats to breastmilk is best.  Please help  me welcome her to leadership at our next meeting!!!

This months topic is Improving Family Nutrition.  As a breastfeeding mother, many of us weigh dietary decisions that effect the whole family.  Whether is it caring for yourself so you can make the most superior food for your nursing child to cooking a hearty meal to satisfy the whole family.  Here is one of my favorite recipes that combines great veggies that are hidden and lots of protein:

Mexican Casserole:

In a sauté pan, heat oil.  Add a 1/2 onion, 1/2 green pepper and 1/2 of red pepper for about 3-5 minutes then add either a pound of ground beef, ground turkey, ground buffalo or other meat substitute.  When meat is brown, add your favorite Taco Seasoning per directions.

In a 9x11 casserole dish layer:

Meat Mixture from above
One can of organic corn
Layer of chopped spinach (dice finely so littlest eyes can't detect it)
One can of refried beans (sporadically placed as a layer - comes out more like blobs. ;)
Organic Mexican cheese
Chopped tomatoes

Bake at 350 for about a half an hour.  Serve with corn tortillas chips, guacamole, sour cream, salsa and hot sauce. Kids enjoy it because they have chips to dip with for dinner and organic tortillas are the healthiest of chips.  Enjoy!!

Many BLLLessings,

Erin Abrams & Loretta McHugh
LLL Leaders of Sturbridge, MA
Please forward this to any pregnant or nursing mothers that you may know. If you would like to opt out of this newsletter - just hit "reply" and put "remove" in the subject line. 

Advertisement:

LLL of Sturbridge Nighttime Meeting:
Date:  April 20th (3rd Wed. of each month)
Time: 6-7:00PM Please note new time!!
Topic:  Improving Family Nutrition (Your questions and concerns are top priority.)
Please bring a healthy recipe (snack, side dish or main course).
Location:  Sturbridge Coffee House on Rt. 20 in Sturbridge.
In the tradition of LLL, please join in the discussion and support our community.  All you have to bring is your experiences that you have encountered with breastfeeding or help support another mother that could use a bit of breastfeeding wisdom. ;)
Breastfeeding babies, toddlers, and breastfeeding children who would be unhappy away from their mothers are welcome. Click here for directions.

For those interested in fresh, organic vegetables & fruit...... 

Heaven’s Harvest Farm, an organic farm out of New Braintree, is accepting members to fill their spring CSA program (Community Supported Agriculture), and as with past shares, the vegetables are delivered right here to my home in Sturbridge for pick-up.  The vegetables are all organic, and local as much as is possible this time of year.  The farm will be growing produce for most of the season, but in the meantime (until the snow melts), they are partnered with a farm in North Carolina to supplement and give a wonderful variety to the shares.

If you’d like to look at their website, you can find more information there - the winter shares have had an amazing selection of veggies each week.  The website is www.heavensharvestfarm.com 

If you would like to sign up or get more information about this CSA, please contact me or the farm directly.  If you’re not interested, I would appreciate it if you could take the time to pass along this email to friends and family that you think may be interested in learning more.  The farm relies mainly on word-of-mouth advertising to get the word out about their CSA. 

I hope this email finds you all well – I know I was very encouraged today to see so much grass as the snow is melting – warmer weather is just around the corner!  Thank you for your time.

Best regards,
Kathy Olson: Site Coordinator for Heaven’s Harvest Farm
508-347-0151
kathy.olson@charter.net

Items and events in this category are not associated with LLL and are listed here as a service to the community.  If you know of a community event, please email Erin at info@lllsturbridge.org by the first of the month.

6th Annual Baby Shower

Are you expecting? Or have a baby under 6 months? Come for food, prizes, gift bags and information! Thurs. May 12th from 1-4pm at the Notre Dame La Salle Hall, 44 Main St. Southbridge, MA.  More info call Jenn Reed of Healthy Families at 508-909-0061 ext. 10.

Baby-Friendly Yoga Class

This class is for mamas and all caregivers (dads, grandparents, and guardians, that means you!) of infants from 6 weeks to a year (+/-).  The class is for any adult who wants to get to a yoga class during the day, but can’t due to caring for an infant.  If baby cries, needs to eat, be changed, whatever, that is OK! 
 
Rejuvenate your body, mind, and spirit.  Meet other parents, build community, and spend quality time out of the house with your baby.  Every Wednesday from 9:30 to 10:30am at Sturbridge Yoga Place:

www.theyogaplacesturbridge.com.

Home Depot Craft day in Auburn, MA

1st Saturday of the month Home Depot brings out wonderful projects for kids to create and celebrate the season.  Drop in during the AM hours and earn a pin for your children's apron.

CPC Preschool Program
Dates: various locations and days from Brookfield to Brimfield
Location: Hitchcock Free Academy, Wed. 9-9:45AM (music based class)
Free program offered by the CPC for caregivers and preschool aged children to play, explore and learn together. www.hitchcockacademy.org

Joshua Hyde Library/Sturbridge

Children's Events: http://www.town.sturbridge.ma.us/Public_Documents/SturbridgeMA_LibCal/?FormID=158   

Jacob Edwards Library/Southbridge
508-764-5427
Charlton Children's Events:  http://www.charltonlibrary.org/charlton/children.asp  

Charlton Public Library
508-248-0452
Children's Events:
http://www.charltonlibrary.org/charlton/children.asp

 

Merrick Public Library
2 Lincoln Street
Brookfield
508-867-6339
Babytime: Wednesdays 11:00am – 12:00pm
Pre-School story time and singing with Ms. Coro: Fridays 11:30am – 12:00pm
Drop-in Arts & Crafts: Fridays 2:30pm – 4:30pm, all ages welcome to attend.
Yoga for kids: Thursdays 2:00pm.

Are you on Facebook? Then join LLL online!  Many of us have busy lives and can't connect during our meeting times.  Facebook allows you to post a question to fellow breastfeeding mothers and have an instant community when you need support.  We also use it to announce what we are doing that day and if any other like-minded moms want to join in.  Search for LLL of Sturbridge and ask to join!

Would you like to see our LLL group reach out to more mothers and bring more awareness to breastfeeding?  If you have ever thought of volunteering or giving back a small amount of your time while making an amazing shift in our area's thinking, I can not express how rewarding being a Leader is.  For me, it has given me the opportunity to connected with so many amazing mothers and families that they have made me a better mother and wife.  I am truly blessed to be in this community and help support it. If you would like to help support our community and would like to help lead our group, please contact me.

What is our purpose as LLL Leaders?  Leaders know the importance of one mother helping another to recognize and understand the needs of her child and to find the best means of fulfilling those needs. Leaders provide information and support so that each mother can make the decisions which are best for her family.

What does a Leader do? Most Leaders fulfill the basic responsibilities of leadership, which are:
• Helping mothers one-to-one by telephone, email, or in person.
• Planning and leading monthly Series Meetings.
• Supervising the management of the LLL Group.
• Keeping up-to-date on breastfeeding information.
• Upholding the LLL philosophy

LLL Philosophy

Mothering through breastfeeding is the most natural and effective way of understanding and satisfying the needs of the baby. Mother and baby need to be together early and often to establish a satisfying relationship and an adequate milk supply. In the early years, the baby has an intense need to be with his mother which is as basic as his need for food. Breast milk is the superior infant food. For the healthy, full-term baby, breast milk is the only food necessary until baby shows signs of needing solids, about the middle of the first year after birth. Ideally, the breastfeeding relationship will continue until the baby outgrows the need. Alert and active participation by the mother in childbirth is a help in getting breastfeeding off to a good start. Breastfeeding is enhanced and the nursing couple sustained by the loving support, help, and companionship of the baby’s father. A father’s unique relationship with his baby is an important element in the child’s development from early infancy. Good nutrition means eating a well-balanced and varied diet of foods in as close to their natural state as possible. From infancy on, children need loving guidance which reflects acceptance of their capabilities and sensitivity to their feelings.

 

LLL of Worcester holds monthly meetings to help leaders become accredited.  Please email me if you are interested in attending and seeing if leadership is right for you.

 

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	You don't have to join LLL to come to our meetings but by joining LLL of Sturbridge you help support YOUR breastfeeding community.  The $40 LLL Regular Membership  includes a discount in the LLLI Online Store, a subscription to New Beginnings e-Magazine and much more.  To find out more benefits and other levels of membership, visit http://www.llli.org/membership.html.
	New Beginnings e-Magazine Free with a 1 year membership - LLL Online Bi-Monthly magazine is filled with valuable information on breastfeeding and mother-to-mother sharing.
Please mail it directly to our group as your money will be directly contributing to your local community.  You can send check made out to LLL of Sturbridge, MA and mail it to PO Box 523, Sturbridge, MA 01566.