What La Leche League Meetings are Really Like (at least in New Orleans!)

New to New Orleans and a first time mother, I craved community. As a breastfeeding mother, I had questions and needed reassurance. This led me to my first La Leche League meeting in January of 2010. What I most remember about the meeting was the relief of seeing other moms assuredly nursing their children. I was spending the bulk of my mothering moments with my son on my breast or trying to get him to latch on, so it was affirming to see that there would be a day when this would be such an easy act that I could smile, talk, and manage an older child all while nursing my baby.

What are La Leche League Meetings Like?Sadly, this group disbanded before I could attend another meeting. The leader lived outside New Orleans and could no longer commute in. Fast forward 18 months and I was still nursing my son and feeling motivated to bring La Leche League back to New Orleans. I went through the leader certification process and reactivated the LLL of New Orleans chapter, holding our first meeting in June 2012, three days before my daughter was born.

I’m well aware of La Leche League stereotypes (I believe the term would be “breastfeeding nazis”) but was surprised at some of the places I found resistance to LLL. In promoting the new chapter, I delivered meeting flyers to local OB/GYNs and pediatricians. In two cases,respected pediatricians showed hesitation because of stories they’d heard from moms who’d been to LLL in the past. They were concerned LLL wasn’t supportive of choices other than breastfeeding.

After two years of overflowing meetings, I can tell you the new La Leche League of New Orleans strives to be a supportive and informative resource for moms in this community. Here’s what you can expect to find at a La Leche League meeting.

breastfeedingbabyBoobs

You will see boobs. And thank goodness for that! The best time to attend a LLL meeting is while you are pregnant. You’ll get a very realistic sense of breastfeeding by spending an hour with breastfeeding moms. Inevitably, many babies will want to nurse during that time, so you’ll get to see moms at different stages nursing. You’ll get to see how confidently a veteran mom (of even 3 months!) nurses her baby. Nursing shouldn’t be a closeted activity. It’s the most natural way to feed your child, and yes, you need to expose a little breast to do so. It can be really freeing to come to a LLL meeting and breastfeed your child in entirely supportive company.

Information first, questions second

Half of the attendees at a given meeting come with burning questions. The other half come because they enjoy the company of other nursing moms and are happy to share their own experiences to help a less veteran mother. To ensure that everyone leaves with new information, there is always a short program or topic. These have ranged from how to deal with sore nipples to introducing complementary foods to a breastfed baby to the mechanics of the supply and demand nature of breastfeeding. Information is shared and women get a chance to share their experiences on the topic or ask questions.

Then we spend the bulk of the hour long meeting addressing the questions in the room. As the leader, I like to start with the youngest baby in the room and address his/her mom’s questions first. What I see repeatedly is that even more helpful than suggestions is the validation of hearing that other moms struggled at first and were able to get past challenges. Moms at the tired two, three, and four weeks into motherhood point often seem to leave with new energy after being encouraged by fellow moms.

nursing.in.publicDiversity of experiences

We have mothers of all ages, races, and sexual orientations at La Leche League. We have fist time moms and third time moms. We have working moms and moms that stay at home. We have moms that wean at a variety of stages. We have moms who deal with supply issues; we have moms who have 100 ounces in the freezer and roly-poly babies now, but who struggled with poor weight gain initially. It is awesome to see a mom who was really struggling in March come back in April having surmounted the obstacle and able to share with others how she did.

Dads?

LLL meetings are advertised to women, but if asked, we welcome a new dad. Occasionally, dads do come with their partner and bless them for being so supportive. A dad usually is in attendance when the mom is either very new to breastfeeding or dealing with a significant challenge. You can bet that a dad at a LLL meeting is very supportive of breastfeeding and respectful of other moms in attendance.

With 20+ moms crowding into ZukaBaby, it quickly became apparent that there was a need for breastfeeding education and support in New Orleans. Our chapter expanded to twice monthly meetings and recently added quarterly meetings focused on toddler nursing. Meetings are free and open to anyone. LLL of New Orleans meets at supportive host ZukaBaby, where there is a bathroom, changing table, and a comfy couch for pregnant ladies or moms just days from delivery. Meetings are the first Thursday of the month at 6:00 p.m. and the third Wednesday of the month at 9:00 a.m. August meetings are the 7th and the 20th. For more information, email lllofneworleans {at} gmail {dot} com.

Have you visited an LLL meeting? What was your experience?

 

1 COMMENT

  1. Thank you for this! I doubt you remember me, but in February 2013 while my son was in the NICU you came to bring me a book I had asked about concerning increasing production or something of that sort. I always respected LLL, but that act really motivated me to continue BFing and helped when things were rough while pumping for a year. I always wanted to participate in meetings but they always seemed to be when I was at work. Thanks for being a great advocate for women in the area who choose to BF.

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