They transformed not just our early days, but her following weeks and months … and now because of them, we’re still going strong, Hope still loves her milky and her ‘feeding times’ relax and calm both of us, quite aside from all the other positive health giving reasons to nurse beyond babyhood.
When I was tiny my mother was a member of the local La Leche League where she lived at the time in California … so it’s been an organisation I’ve been aware of for years. When I got pregnant and finally delivered a healthy little girl after the longest pregnancy ever, I knew that I’d be able to find support from LLL … I don’t think however that I ever imagined I’d need it.
We did.
She had a tongue tie, spotted by a LLL volunteer at the hospital, it was snipped, we went to a local breastfeeding group and were given the confidence to continue … over the following months I went to a couple of drop in sessions, each time given more kindly advice and each time leaving more confident.
When we flew to stay with friends in the States the first thing I did was to look up the local La Leche League groups … the women I met there or as a result of going became friends
I still pop into the monthly meetings when I get the chance, there is something inspiring in sitting in a room of other breastfeeding women, listening to problems, solutions, stories and laughter … tiny babies and toddlers, older children too, feasting, playing, watching what is going on … and all with the sage and wise LLL advisors, supporters, consultants – whatever they are called; wonderful women, calmly, amusingly, solemnly helping or listening … or just joining in the chatter. What’s not to enjoy, appreciate and admire?
For this reason, I’ve given a picture of small person and I to LLL, a lovely picture by Paul Clarke, of us nursing when she was two and a quarter. They’ve used it for their 2015 fundraising calendar and I’m humbled to profess that we’re now Miss May (and side kick) … I’m also working on a project called Milky Moments (alot more about that soon), and my illustrator Jessica D’Alton Goode and I have been working on images of breastfeeding since January. We submitted one, an early draft, and it was also selected (from the Mindful Mothering website) … our peacefully nursing lady is Miss June.
So … rush at once and buy the calendar … the LLL need support and funding and you don’t know if it will be you, your friend, your daughter, granddaughter, sister, niece, auntie or colleague that might need help from them … so buy a calendar £9 (and you MUST order by 30th November 2014), or buy several and give them to friends … your support will help make a huge difference to so many people’s lives … and you’ll have us as your May pin up!!
http://www.lllgbbooks.co.uk/product/569/LLLGB-Calendar-2015/default.aspx
