Forgive Me La Leche, For I Have Sinned...

Forgive me La Leche, for I have sinned...

I gave both my babies pacifiers starting in the hospital (in all honesty, they didn't use them often or at all past 3 or 6 months old)

I drink caffeine. Everyday.

I let Jaron start solids at 4.5 months. When I found out that Aedyn was sneaking him bites of things like Oreos, Lucky Charms, and Loaded Mashed Potatoes.

I encourage moms to feel okay if the have to supplement, a little breastmilk is better than turning Mom off breastfeeding all together.

I encourage mom to remember that she is part of the "mutual" desire. If she's done, it's ok to gently encourage baby to be done. (That goes for night nursing or weaning altogether.)

If I'm tired or busy, I don't offer, but don't refuse. Not everyday or all the time, but on occasion. Sometimes I just need a break.

I wing it. Every baby is different. Even if I don't follow the "RULES" I know I'm doing what's best for me and my baby.

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This post is part the Breastfeeding Blog Hop hosted by

Life With Levi

The Slacker Mom & Diary Of A Devil Dog Wife

be sure to check out their and others great posts about Breaking Breastfeeding Rules!

Does It Take a Village to Breastfeed?

I'm a soloist. Always have been really. I like to do things myself, my own way, in my own time. It may or may not be the "popular" thing but it's me and it's what I do.

SIDENOTE: And I wonder where Aedyn gets it from!?!?!

I am also an information addict. I would be enrolled in some form of class or program all the time if I had the money and enough hours in the day.

So you might guess that I'm not the biggest support group type person. I tend to get frustrated easily with people who have pat or textbook answers to questions and I get impatient trying to hold back all the knowledge and tidbits I've absorbed in all my research, reading, and Googling.

I admit I don't know everything. And honestly, that's why I go to La Leche League. I rarely go with questions because I've killed the internet looking for answers. I go to hear other mom's stories. To pick up on things that might help someone on Twitter or Facebook and conversely things I learn from my tweeps and blogs I pass on in real life.

Maybe that's why it's a support group and not a class. It's not all about learning new things and answering questions (even though that is part of it), it's about being there for each other, hearing stories, venting frustrations, and celebrating successes. Finding strangers who may become friends, smiling faces that are willing to listen and to talk.

Do you need a village then? On a physical level, maybe yes, maybe no. I successfully nursed Aedyn through problems without any sort of group, although I wonder if I had been in a support group it might have gone smoother at the beginning. But emotionally...

Emotionally, I really do think a village is vital. Maybe it's family members, maybe anybody but family members. A general breastfeeding support group, or a La Leche League group. Find someone who helps you feel sane, who reminds you that even though it may be difficult and frustrating, this too shall pass. You'll both be better for it.

Your local hospital may have contact information for Breastfeeding Support Groups in your area. You can visit La Leche League International for a directory of meetings in your area.

Where's your favorite place to get support? Facebook, Twitter, Family, Groups?

This is part of the Breastfeeding Blog Hop hosted by Life with Levi, The Slacker Mom, and Diary of a Devil Dog Wife. Check out some of the other posts in the hop and link up your own!



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Put My Money Where My Mouth Is

Well, after thinking, and mentioning, and thinking, and mentioning, and thinking some more, and working out scheduling, and thinking. I finally went back to my local La Leche League.

I'd never planned to stop going, but life got in the way a couple times and then I didn't want to get attached here just in time to move to Tampa. So I just didn't go back after my first meeting. Then things changed, we're no longer moving to Tampa, and I was dragging my feet.

So I decided just to go. I could talk about Leadership after a few meetings, maybe. We'd see. But tonight, our leader asked us to introduce ourselves and say why we sought out LLL.

Ummm... Well, I couldn't bring myself to lie, so I just told the truth. I was there because I'd like to become an IBCLC and LLL Leadership is pretty much the only way for me to do that without moving my entire family. I also told them that I enjoyed the support and the feeling of breastfeeding being normal.

It is pretty refreshing to just be able to talk and hang out and pull my shirt down to feed my baby and not worry whether he pops off to check things out every 2 minutes. I also got to commiserate and swap tips with another mom of a gymnastic nurser.

So I'm in. That's it.

My personality combined with the way I was raised means that when I decide to do something I jump in both feet without holding back. Now I might take awhile to decide I will do whatever it is, I might test things out (that was my plan with this meeting, just see how it went, know one else would know what I was really testing for); but once I say it out loud, once someone else knows, I'm committed.

So, I spoke to one of the leaders tonight. I'll need to participate in meetings covering 2 other topics to complete the series and then we'll get going. But now they know and now I know. And to me that means no easy excuse to skip meetings or talk myself out of going. And it's a good thing.

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