This group has by far exceeded my expectations. When partners deploy or spend 12-14 hours a day in the field the mothers have each other. A core of other mothers facing similar situations. The online group provides a constant source of stable support. With smart phones on the rise, the group is available at the touch of a finger. The moms here often have no family living nearby and when they have visitors, or they go home to visit, they can experience anxiety with breastfeeding and what their family is going to think. It’s awesome to read when a mom posts about how she nursed in public for the first time that day and just wanted to share with us.įairbanks is a big military town. Nursing in public can be intimidating for some, and being able to share that fear with others and explore options for conquering that fear can be helpful. One of our peer counselors took a video of her nursing in public in a baby carrier and shared it in our group for all to see. Our WIC clinic has 4 breastfeeding peer counselors that help monitor the group and ensure accurate evidence based information is being provided. They are able to link one another to online articles, to share information and even videos. Is my baby getting enough to eat? My baby is biting me, what can I do? Can I use birth control? I need help with breastfeeding, who can I call? Mothers supporting mothers is what keeps the group going. This provides for in-person peer support and often helps encourage relationships. However for others, the group helps them feel connected and actually encourages them to venture out and meet these moms that they interact with daily. Some mothers hide behind our online Facebook group, never attending an in person breastfeeding support meeting. This is especially important for those who may have transportation issues. Who wants to take their newborn out in that? The group provides a way for mothers to get critical breastfeeding support from their own homes. Here in the interior of Alaska, winter time temperatures can often dip to -50 below zero. Mothers participate in our closed group multiple times per day and throughout what can be the lonely midnight and morning hours. It’s a great alternative to Google as it’s filled with real live mothers at various stages in lactation, all of whom have encountered their own challenges. The group started about a year ago and now has over 300 mothers. I’m an IBCLC in Fairbanks Alaska and I run a successful virtual breastfeeding support group (through Facebook) for our local WIC clinic. In this day and age, Google can be a new mother’s best friend. I finished my training to become an accredited La Leche League Leader, and three breastfed baby boys later, I am registered to sit for the IBLCE boards in 2013! I believe that every mother (and her family) deserves breastfeeding support, guidance and education both prenatally and postpartum in order to successfully deal with those “bumps in the road” that might make it challenging to experience the pure joy that is breastfeeding. Feeling alone and ready to throw in the towel, coupled with not being able to find the help and guidance I felt I needed, I vowed that if I could make it through this, I would do everything possible to provide caring support for women whose goal it was to breastfeed their babies. From latch problems to thrush, plugged ducts and mastitis, nothing seemed to be working out as easily as I had expected it would. When I gave birth in 2003, I experienced many difficulties with breastfeeding. There can be a pretty steep learning curve and unanticipated difficulties, no matter how prepared a mother-to-be is. What I didn’t realize at the time was that although breastfeeding truly IS the most natural way to feed a baby, it doesn’t always come naturally to a mother/baby dyad. I read all the breastfeeding books that were available, took breastfeeding courses at my local hospital, and felt very prepared and confident all throughout my pregnancy. Nothing seemed more natural or perfect to me - providing my baby with everything he would need to thrive and being able to form that special bond with him through nursing. I knew right from the start that I wanted to breastfeed. When I was working as a small animal veterinarian in 2002, I got pregnant with my first little bundle of joy. As we seek to increase access to the services of IBCLCs, cheering on those who are taking up the challenge should be celebrated! If you are a 2013 exam hopeful and would like to share a bit with us about what inspired you to become an IBCLC, please email us at name is Jodi Fan and I am a La Leche League Leader in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. Lactation Matters is in the midst of a series of blog posts, from now until July when the 2013 exam to certify IBCLCs is given. By lactationmatters on in IBCLCs around the globe
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