Although I didn't manage to get to a La Leche League meeting until my son was almost a year old; it was one of the best parenting decisions I've made. Thankfully I have a very supportive husband and family members in regard to breastfeeding my son, however, as my son approached a year of age the questions began: "How much longer do you have to do that?" "He's getting too big/grown up for that, isn't he?", "You're still doing that?" Knowing that I wanted to continue to breastfeed until my son decided to quit on his own, knowing I wanted to respect his needs, knowing that I was not yet ready to give up our special time together, I decided to seek support.
I was so warmly greeted and felt so comfortable asking questions, expressing my concerns, and debating differences of opinion with other moms, I haven't missed a meeting since. You are always encouraged to take from a meeting what works for you and your family and leave behind what doesn't. There is no pressure to conform or see everything like everyone else. Perfect example: I work 33 hours a week and pumped for about 18 months. I thought the fact that I was working would cast a dark shadow. Much to my surprise the Leaders of my group turn to me as a resource for other moms that are returning to work. I've never felt put-down or "outcast" because I'm not a Stay At Home Mom. How refreshing! My only sadness is that I didn't start attending meetings sooner.
My goal in attending my first meeting was to come up with some brilliant answers to all the questions I was getting. What I learned is that I really didn't need to give others an explanation if I didn't want to. Simply knowing that I'm doing what is best for my family gave me the confidence and knowledge I needed to not worry about what others might be thinking or saying. I began to understand that the questions were often out of curiosity and ignorance of what breastfeeding is all about. Rather than be ticked off or hurt I decided to educate. And, where education wasn't accepted, I ignored.
I've been attending LLL meetings for over a year and I learn something new every time. This Friday we have our regular monthly meeting and I'm planning to talk to the Leader about becoming a Leader myself. I'm hoping to start a group closer to where I live so I can help and teach my neighbors about the benefits of breastfeeding.
