A League of Their Own

When you become a first time mother, there is a vast array of organizations that are ready and willing to lend you their services. Most are for profit and have some very specific marketing goals in mind. Think Isis Maternity for those of you who are local folk. Not so of the La Leche League (LLL).

I first heard of LLL through a friend who breastfeeds her baby. It seemed like a good thing to think about, but I didn't contact anyone or do anything until I was at home with a 3 week old baby and seriously sore nipples that I didn't know what to do about. I called up a friendly LLL leader (who I had never met or spoken to) who talked me through some things that could be wrong and what I could try for remedy. I can't quite remember what, if anything, of what she said I actually tried and what, if anything, helped. But I very clearly remember that I found great solice from the fact that there was a person on the other end of the line who wanted nothing from me and who was sitting there, ready to listen to my woes and offer advice.

So, why am I telling you such personal and odd facts? Because I want to dispell this notion that LLL is some crazy cult that will make you breastfeed your kid until they are well into college. That is simply not the case. While there are certainly some mothers who are still breastfeeding children well into their 4th year (and I raise an eyebrow on that), the vast majority of the moms who come breasfeed until a year or even less. To anyone who thinks a year is too long to breastfeed, please note that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that mothers breastfeed until 1 year. Although maybe some of you with kids think that they are some crazy cooky cult.

And so, if any of you know a pregnant woman or a new mother who wants to breastfeed but may need a little help, send her to http://www.llli.org/ and she's sure to find the help she needs. I've been to 3 meetings and enjoyed all of them.

By the way, I have to mention one story because it's been burning in my memory. I was at a baby shower not that long ago and the LLL came up as a good support group for breastfeeding moms. Then one expecting mother recalled the horror story of her friend who was going to LLL. Yada, yada, yada, the friend gets mastitis and guess what? The evil leaders at LLL were telling her to keep breastfeeding while all she wanted to do was stop because she was in horrible pain. You should see this woman's face. To an unsuspecting deaf onlooker, she was talking about war crimes.

I know mastitis very well - I've had it 3 times. Mastitis may be cured by antibiotics, but you won't get rid of the pain until you empty your plug. If you stop breastfeeding your kid because you have mastitis, you get horrible engorgement because your body still thinks that you should be feeding your baby (and it's right). If that woman thought she was in pain from the infection, she had no idea what was coming!