Helping Moms To Breastfeed

Welcome to The Breastfeeding Cafe Carnival!

This post was written as part of The Breastfeeding Cafe’s Carnival. For more info on the Breastfeeding Cafe, go to www.breastfeedingcafe.wordpress.com . For more info on the Carnival or if you want to participate, contact Claire at clindstrom2 {at} gmail {dot} com. Today’s post is about how you influence others as a breastfeeding mom. Please read the other blogs in today’s carnival listed below and check back for more posts July 18th through the 31st!
 


 

Helping moms to breastfeed successfully is something that is very important to me. I turned my life up-side-down to do it. I left my corporate job, became an entrepreneur and now everything I do, every day is with that goal in mind.

Throughout the last 4.5 years, I have learned a lot about how I can help moms to be successful in meeting their goals. One of the most helpful articles that I have ever found is an article by Diane Wiessinger called “What If I Want To Wean My Baby?” For a mom who is on the fence, and not sure that she wants to give breastfeeding a try – this article can be tremendously convincing. It shows that there is no risk to trying it out and it shows the incredible benefits that even two days of breastfeeding will bring to both mom and baby. It is a powerful tool!

I have met many moms who had difficulties breastfeeding their first babies. They wanted to succeed, but encountered too many booby traps that prohibited them from meeting their own goals to breastfeed. With the help of Diane’s article, I have been able to convince them to try. And so many of them were able to succeed – with just a little encouragement to give it a try.

A specific example – I met a woman in a new-mom, new-baby group when I first had my son. She was bottle feeding at the time and I was breastfeeding. One of the first things she said to me when we met was “Don’t stop breastfeeding – you can always go longer, but once you stop you can’t start up again.” She had started out breastfeeding and had a lot of difficulties – so after about 4-6 weeks, she switched to bottle feeding. For me it was a pretty powerful statement – she wished she had gone longer – so I wasn’t going to stop until my son and I were both ready!

Years later, when this same woman was pregnant with her second child, we discussed breastfeeding. It was only then that I learned about her difficulties breastfeeding the first time around. She wanted to try again, but didn’t know if it was even worth trying since she’d had so many difficulties with the first baby. I printed out a copy of “What If I Want To Wean My Baby?” for her and gave it to her. I reassured her that the second time around, most moms find it easier to breastfeed, even if they weren’t successful the first time. And I pointed out some of the powerful statements in Diane’s article:

Try it for just a few days – it won’t hurt – and maybe it will work!

“IF YOU NURSE YOUR BABY FOR JUST A FEW DAYS, he will have received your colostrum, or early milk. By providing antibodies and the food his brand-new body expects, nursing gives your baby his first – and easiest – “immunization” and helps get his digestive system going smoothly. Breastfeeding is how your baby expects to start, and helps your own body recover from the birth. Why not use your time in the hospital to prepare your baby for life through the gift of nursing?”

Look at all of the benefits your first child received by breastfeeding for the time that you did:

“IF YOU NURSE YOUR BABY FOR FOUR TO SIX WEEKS, you will have eased him through the most critical part of his infancy. Newborns who are not breastfed are much more likely to get sick or be hospitalized, and have many more digestive problems than breastfed babies.”

Well, months later, she had her baby – and with the help of my encouragement and Diane’s wonderful article, she decided to give it a try. She went on to successfully breastfeed her 2nd and 3rd babies!

There are so many more stories – very similar to this one. A little encouragement goes a long way! How have you helped a new mom to meet her breastfeeding goals? What tips can you share with us? Please leave a comment and let us know!

 


 
Here are more post by the Breastfeeding Cafe Carnival participants! Check back because more will be added throughout the day.

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