One of the things I've been wanting to do more of at our new practice is patient support and education. I'd love to set up an asthma education night or a "healthy lifestyles" night for at risk and overweight patients.
One of the other groups I've been toying with is a breastfeeding support group. I love to talk breastfeeding with new moms and I always wish I had more time to do it. I remember how many questions I had when I started nursing, how hard it really was and how frustrated I got with it. With Adeline, there were lots of tears and feelings of worthlessness at not being able to feed my newborn daughter. Nobody ever told me it could be like that but that it would get better. I'm also kind of sad to say that I didn't get much help from the pediatrician's office.
Obviously it got better and I nursed Adeline for a year. I only quit because I loath the pump. Things went a lot more smoothly with Eliott. He was a natural and latched on right away, my milk came in sooner and I didn't stress at all when he lost almost a whole pound before day 3. I knew he and I would be fine.
Some pediatricians do a good job supporting breast feeding in the first month or so but tend to forget about it once nursing is established. We see a big drop off in nursing after the first month. Lately I've been thinking about why that is. Here are some of my theories.
- Women go back to work and have a hard time finding the time to pump or can't pump enough.
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They supplemented too much and their supply dropped off because of lack of demand.
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They considered it not convenient especially when going out with their baby.
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Or like me, they found that nursing and pumping especially can be lonely.
It's all of these but especially this last point that I'd like to address. I have no problem nursing in public (with a cover) I've nursed in sports bars, on the beach, in the parking lot and even in the furniture section of Target. But I've found that a lot of time I'm nursing alone. Joel and Adeline don't care and Dela will often curl up next to me and insist I read one of her books over and over. But when we have company or if there are grandparents around, they sometimes seem to avoid me and Eliott. Of course you are never really alone when your nursing and it is wonderful bonding time but after a while...Then there's pumping which is very lonely, uncomfortable and inconvenient.
To take my mind off of it I read while pumping and sometimes while nursing. That results in a lot of pages covered in a day.
That (finally) gets me to my idea for a breast feeding support group in the conference area of our medical office. I was thinking about making it half support group leading off with a short discussion about a breastfeeding subject and maybe some Q&A then an informal book club. It would be open to nursing moms, their infants obviously, expecting moms and anyone else interested in nursing. It might draw in some moms who have snubbed nursing support groups because they felt uncomfortable with the "lactation Nazis" as I have heard them referred too and maybe give moms something to do while pumping and nursing that might encourage them to keep going.
I just don't know if anyone would come. Does/did anyone else out there read while nursing or pumping? Did anyone go to a nursing group and did you get anything out of it? Why and when did you stop nursing? Have any of my pediatrician friends found anything that helps keep that nursing record up after the first few months?
5 comments:
Yes, Yes, Yes! Please do this! I, too, had so many problems when nursing my first. I couldn't believe how hard it was and I was tempted to quit so many times. Thank goodness after about 7 weeks, we figured it out and it turned into a fantastic relationship (albeit with bumps along the way). I was desperate for help in those first weeks and only got suggestions for supplementing with formula from the pedi. Second time around has been easier, but still not without questions and new worries with a different baby. The more moms and health workers can support each other, the more success we will see as a society, I think! I went to a few LLL meetings and those tended to be a bit overwhelming with some of the nazis. Our local hospital had a program called "baby steps" and they met every week with different topics from newborn massage to sign language to breastfeeding, etc. They would have a 20-30 minute presentation from the guest speaker and then open to discussions. It was great to have a forum for new moms. My favorite session was always "ask a doctor" and they had a fantastic family DO who knew a lot about breastfeeding and always allayed a lot of my worries.
As for the reading idea, I really love it. I got a nook specifically to make reading while breastfeeding easier and have been flying through the books during nursing. Good luck!
If your area is lacking the non-LLL nursing support then I definitely think this would be great.
I was lucky and didn't have too many issues nursing and had enough friends describe how to do it... but we have drop in nursing clinics in the area and I have many friends that went to those religiously. As for pumping and keeping my supply up, I don't know what I would have done without other mom's advice.
I wonder if you could set up a message board along with a local group so that people can give advice for the mom in the middle of a nursing crisis and then give folks a chance to meet.
I would come! I avoid the lactation nazis because they make me feel worthless. I know they try to help but I must not respond to their advice the way they intend. I am a pumper, pumped for Paul for 1 year and started pumping exclusively for John at age 6 weeks when I decided the nursing pain was never going to go away. I can do anything pumping as long as I can sit - read, put on makeup, type this response :). I would love to help, great idea Sarah!
I think that would be a great group. I had such a hard time with nursing Julia and no help from her ped either. This time around it is much easier, but still not painless. I read, watch movies, type emails especially when pumping. With Julia I studied for the step 3.
What I have been doing recently,is discussing breastfeeding during prenatal visits with future mommies. That way they know what to expect ahead of time. It sets up a good ground and I get more questions after baby is born. Occasionally I have watched them latch the baby on and feed. I think that is the most helpful,issue is time.
So if you have a dedicated time spot, I bet people will come and will benefit greatly. So go for it, and if it works maybe you can give me tips on how to set it up in my practice.
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