By Suzana Why You Should Find a Breastfeeding Support Group
Breastfeeding support groups can be found in your local area by contacting your delivery hospital or your local Le Leche League chapter. Support groups are very helpful for people who are either starting up something new or trying to cope with a life issue.
Support groups provide just that – support. Knowing that you are not alone in the world makes all the difference in adjusting or adapting. Knowing other people are going through the same changes and lifestyle adjustments makes doing it yourself so much easier. There are groups for almost everything you can dream up. Single parent groups, quitting smoking groups, learning to knit groups, health and wellness groups, and of course, breastfeeding support groups.
Breastfeeding your baby will create changes in your daily life. It is an individual’s personal opinion whether the changes are manageable or not, but either way a support group can still help. There are all sorts of issues that come along with breastfeeding your baby. For example, vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower are known to cause painful gas in some infants when mom includes too much in her own diet. When you are attending a support group as a new breastfeeding mom, you could hear other moms talking about this issue and it could shed some light on why your baby has been having crying fits after feedings. It will put your mind at ease that your baby is okay and you just have to cut broccoli out of your diet for a while.
Every mother and baby is different, but sharing a common experience such as giving birth, starting to breastfeed, and becoming a mother for the first time provides a good base for sharing stories and building a support system for your family. Knowledge is power and sharing stories with other mothers experiencing the same things you are provides a wider base of knowledge faster. You may have a mom in your support group that has a baby a few months older than yours and hearing her stories and how she has responded to things could help you make your decision on how you will handle a similar situation if and when it arises.
Breastfeeding is not something that anyone has ever done prior to having their first child. This puts new moms on an even playing field coming into a breastfeeding support group. Women that feel very strongly about breastfeeding may join the group long after their first child. These women can become great mentors for new moms breastfeeding for the first time. As breastfeeding moms, everyone in the support group will share a common interest no matter the diversity of women. This will become a great base for learning and support and possibly even long-term friendship.