Warmest Greetings,
After be absent from the community, many of you
have reached out to me expressing how
instrumental this group has been for their
breastfeeding relationship. I can't thank
you enough for taking the time to share your
experiences. I have been overjoyed to hear
how many children have been so much more
enriched from breastfeeding; and how the the
breastfeeding relationship was more extended as
a direct effect of being a part of La Leche
League. Many similar experiences I have enjoyed from
being a part of the group and the LLL community
(and not just as the leader ;-).
In our
group, I have been witness to so many challenges
and stories that mothers have shared; all which
have
inspired me to be a better breastfeeding mother,
parent, wife, and human. I truly feel
blessed that my children have been full-termed
breastfed and are part of a community that
supports it.
I have two boys, which I will
potentially have less impact on my grandchildren
nursing because my children will not be the
primary food substance for them as infants.
This worries me...but I am thankful that they
are always around the fact that "mommy helps
babies and children nurse - that is her
'job.'"....as they would often say. Or the
fact that my 5 1/2 yr. old sees me nursing my 2
1/2 yr. old. He understands at an early
age that this is the norm and this is how he was
raised - what a beautiful picture to paint for a
child - the details of Mother Nature's entire
circle of life.
Over these past few months I have still been
answering phone calls and emails which is
wonderful to see that there is still a great
collection of mothers making the choice to
breastfeed and preserve through the challenges
our society and Formula companies have placed upon them. It has also been
difficult to let go of this group knowing so
many amazing mothers have kept it going for
close to two decades. So stating in November,
LLL of Sturbridge will be meeting again,
at the
Southbridge Savings Bank on Rt. 20W in
Sturbridge.
Please join us for some conversations and
laughs on
Nov.18th. Until then, if you do require any assistance, please
email or call me: 508-259-1973.
Look forward to
seeing you all soon.
Many BLLLessings,
Erin Abrams
LLL Leader 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.
Nighttime Meeting:
Date:
November 18th -
(3rd Wed. of each
month)
Time: 7-8:00PM
Topic: Full Term Breastfeeding & Weaning
(Your questions and concerns are top
priority.)
Location: Southbridge Savings Bank, 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.
My Baby Is Suddenly Refusing
to Nurse.
Does That Mean It's Time to
Wean?
A baby
who is truly ready to wean
will almost always do so
gradually, over a period of
weeks or months. If your
baby or toddler has been
breastfeeding well and
suddenly refuses to nurse,
it is probably what is
called a "nursing strike"
rather than a signal that
it's time to wean. Nursing
strikes can be frightening
and upsetting to both you
and your baby, but they are
almost always temporary.
Most nursing strikes are
over, with the baby back to
breastfeeding, within two to
four days. (If your baby is
a newborn please see our FAQ
on
Getting a Newborn Back to
the Breast)
Nursing strikes happen for
many reasons. They are
almost always a temporary
reaction to an external
factor, although sometimes
their cause is never
determined. Here are some of
the most common triggers of
nursing strikes:
-
You've changed your
deodorant, soap,
perfume, lotion, etc.
and you smell
"different" to your
baby.
-
You've been under stress
(such as having extra
company, traveling,
moving, dealing with a
family crisis).
-
Your baby or toddler has
an illness or injury
that makes nursing
uncomfortable (an ear
infection, a stuffy
nose, thrush, a cut in
the mouth).
-
Your baby has sore gums
from teething.
-
You've recently changed
your nursing patterns
(started a new job, left
the baby with a sitter
more than usual, put off
nursing because of being
busy, etc.).
-
You reacted strongly
when your baby bit you,
and the baby was
frightened.
Getting over the nursing
strike and getting your baby
back to the breast takes
patience and persistence.
Get medical attention if an
illness or injury seems to
have caused the strike. See
if you can get some extra
help with your household
chores and older children so
that you can spent lots of
time with the baby. Try to
relax and concentrate on
making breastfeeding a
pleasant experience. Stop
and comfort your baby if he
or she gets upset when you
try to nurse. Remember that
your baby isn't rejecting
you, and that breastfeeding
will almost always get back
to normal with a little
time.
Extra cuddling, stroking,
and skin-to-skin contact
with the baby can help you
re-establish closeness. Some
babies are more willing to
nurse when they are sleepy.
Sometimes it helps if you
are rocking or walking
around (in which case a
sling or cloth carrier can
be useful.) Try nursing in a
quiet room with the lights
dimmed to avoid
distractions. You can also
try to stimulate your
let-down and get your milk
flowing before offering the
breast so the baby gets an
immediate reward.
You will probably need to
express your milk to avoid
feeling uncomfortably full,
as well as to keep up your
milk supply (especially
important in a nursing
strike that continues for
more than a day or two). You
can feed the baby your milk
with a cup, eye-dropper,
feeding syringe, or spoon.
Avoid bottles: they can
cause nipple confusion.
Your local LLL Leader can
offer support and more
suggestions if these don't
seem to be working.
Recommended Reading: Our
resource page on
Nursing Strikes.
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Read
more great articles from New
Beginnings e-Magazine
with your $40/yr. LLL Membership.
More info>> |
Advertise with US!
If
you or someone you know would like to advertise
in our monthly newsletter, please spread the
word. Money received will help support our group
and the community we share. Our newsletter goes
out to over 70 people and is hopefully shared
with more as some on our list are doulas, nurses
and midwives. We are a specific
market of mothers, families, nursing moms,
nutrition focused and many homeschoolers.
Advertising rates begin at $10/month!
WHAT A DEAL!!
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.
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
Old Sturbridge
Village:
Home School
Day: November 4, 2009: Home School Days
are a great opportunity for you and your
children to gain exposure to the life and
work of an early 19th-century rural New
England community.
Scout Day:
November 7, 2009 9:30 am-4:00 pm: Join us for a
day of activities and amusements for Scouts
(both boys and girls).
Thanksgiving Day
Celebration: November 26, 2009 9:30 am-4:00
pm: To mark one of just a handful of holidays on
the early New England calendar, Old Sturbridge
Village re-creates various activities from an
early New England Thanksgiving Day, including
cooking at the hearth.
More info on all events:
http://www.osv.org/activities_events/event_calendar.html?SD=2009-09-01&ED=2009-12-31&S=3
La Leche League International
La Leche League International offers
24 hour toll free helpline
providing information, education and support for
women who want to breastfeed and healthcare
providers. Visit
www.breasfeedinghelpline.com for more
information or call
1-877-LA-LECHE (1-877-452-5324).
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Special workshops
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More info contact
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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
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LLL Philosophy
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-
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.
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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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Birth Doula & Educator
VBAC Preparation & Support
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Cell:
508-344-2531 | Email:
cosmos@meganet.net
www.daylilydoula.com
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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.
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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.
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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. |
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