My Child’s Behaviour Following Weaning
“Soon after my three-year-old daughter gradually self-weaned, her behaviour seemed to change which I found alarming and difficult to cope with. She has started having … Read more
Extended Breastfeeding
I felt a need say what a help La Leche League was for me with my second child. We had moved to live in China and … Read more
Breastfeeding an Older Child and Weaning with Love
I have two beautiful girls. They are now aged six-and-a-half, and nearly four. I always believed I would breastfed my babies when I had them. My mother … Read more
Sudden Weaning
On July 26th this year, the day my little girl Jessica turned 11 months, she awoke with a bad cold. She refused her morning breastfeed and later in the morning after one small nursing began refusing every time I offered her the breast. I was surprised, as up until that day, she had breastfed happily several times a day and often once or twice during the night as well. By that night I knew something was wrong as she was unhappy and crying a lot and I suspected an ear infection. I was expressing milk and offered her that in a cup. She was otherwise drinking water … Read more
Fully Breastfeeding Amber after Latching-On Problems
Amber was born on New Years Eve 2001, at home, in the water under a beautiful, fullmoon sky. Everything went as planned and Amber had her first breastfeed half an hour after birth. Amber and I bonded instantly and I knew that I wanted to breastfeed her as it was best for her health. It’s natural and comforting and what better way to show my baby how much I love her. I had read breastfeeding books and talked to my midwife, Heather, about feeding and thought that I was prepared. The first few days Amber fed quite well and I was starting to get the hang of it, Heather had explained to me that breastfeeding is a skill that has to be learned and that Amber and I were teaching each other. Around day three, things started to go wrong and I couldn’t latch Amber on properly, so my nipples were being grazed. The next day, when Heather came to see us she told me to make absolutely sure that Amber’s mouth was opening wide and to make sure she was getting enough breast in her mouth. She also said that if it hurt me, to take Amber off and try again, (and again and again…) until it didn’t hurt and felt comfortable. I found that every time … Read more
Coping with a Prem Baby
I would like to share my experience so that it may help anyone out there who has been told that you cannot breastfeed a premature … Read more
Childfree Wedding Invite
“A good friend of mine has invited my husband and me to her wedding in a few months’ time. The invitation, however, is not extended … Read more
Breastfeeding with Inverted Nipples
Ten years ago it would not have seemed likely that I would have been involved with La Leche League today. I was bottle feeding my firstborn Madeline (albeit with expressed breast milk EBM) and slowly convincing myself that I was one of those poor women who could not breastfeed. I did write about my failed breastfeeding experience for the then New Beginnings (the forerunner of Aroha). The conclusion I reached at the end of the article was that when you have a baby and wish to breastfeed, you must make breastfeeding top priority once your baby is born and until you and your baby have it ‘sussed’. My problem was small flat nipples that became very cracked with my feeding attempts. I gave up and settled for pumping breast … Read more
Breastfeeding in a Bottle Culture
I just happened to read, at my local library, in a recent issue of another parenting magazine an article on breastfeeding in a bottle culture, which was written by a La Leche League Leader. I wanted you to know about an experience I had and how right that article was. Also I would like other people to know that illness does not have to be the end of breastfeeding. It might sound like this happened decades ago but it was last November when my baby was seven weeks old. I was hospitalised with salmonella, eight days in total. (Initially it was thought to be a uterus infection). My baby was being exclusively breastfed. For various reasons and I know they included concern for my wellbeing, the nurses encouraged my family to give my baby formula in bottles. I was told by doctors it was ‘on the cards’ that my daughter would get the salmonella too, yet nurses continued to want my baby bottle fed. Four days after admission my baby accepted a bottle. That morning a doctor walked in and said the baby shouldn’t be there. As a new mother I didn’t have the right words or information but my mother had earlier told me she thought the breast milk was providing my baby with immunity to the salmonella and so I tried to ask the doctor about this. She simply stated that there was no … Read more
The Working Mother
When I found I was pregnant with Sander I knew I had some decisions to make. What sort of work could I do that would allow me adequate time with my child and yet provide me with an income relative to my needs? I quickly decided to attend a teacher training course to teach at secondary school. Deciding on which course to attend was dependant on the institute that would support me with my newborn. Auckland University allowed me to take my newborn (five week old) to all classes and lectures. It was, overall, a very good experience. I wasn’t comfortable breastfeeding in the class with my peers so I simply left and sat in an empty room. I was worried that perhaps the stress of the environment coupled with the impact of being a new mother might affect my breastfeeding but my worries were never realised. However I did feed Sander from one breast for the 20 months that I nursed him. He had completely rejected the left breast from about his second week of life. Fortunately, as I found out, one is as good as two and surprisingly no one ever noticed a lopsided look. But who would be looking anyway! … Read more
The Breastfeeding Librarian
In April 2008, while reading my local newspaper, I saw the ad that would signal a change in direction for my life, and take me … Read more
I’m Returning to Work – How Did You Manage?
“I have a new baby and am planning to return to work at 14 weeks while my partner, Dave, stays at home with our son, … Read more
Keeping Baby Close at Birth
“Because of health problems developing late in my pregnancy, I must be in hospital for the birth. I’ve read that having my baby as close … Read more
Is Our Family Complete?
“I’m wondering how other mums ‘knew’ when their families were complete. We have two beautiful children. My husband says he’s perfectly content as a family … Read more
Fertility and Breastfeeding
“I have a 26 month old son who has always breastfed enthusiastically and still breastfeeds frequently. My menstrual periods returned when he was approaching two … Read more