"I wish my home town had a breastfeeding support group when I was pregnant with Moo. I would have loved to have attended before she was born, to gain a first hand perspective of the realities of breastfeeding. Newborn feeding patterns, cluster feeding, weight gain... It's almost too late to find out that stuff once your baby is here. The antenatal 'infant feeding' class just didn't cut it. It was more aimed at convincing mothers to breastfeed, than what the process would actually be like.
I could have made some friends, perhaps other mothers due the same time as me. The other mums around me were formula feeding, I had no one to cry to about the issues that arose in the early days. No one that was facing a similar sort of thing. Someone to share the trials with, and celebrate successes with. I'd met some mum friends online, who were supportive, but they can't give you a hug while you sob into your extremely unflattering maternity nightie.
I wish I'd been in touch with a lactation consultant ante natally. Perhaps a breastfeeding support group could have facilitated that. I could have asked more questions about breastfeeding issues that I'd read about briefly; thrush, tongue tie, poor latch. A DVD of babies suckling away doesn't prepare you much for that.
It's almost impossible to believe that in my home town of around 25,000 people, a breastfeeding group didn't exist when Moo was born. I wasn't surrounded by nursing mothers, or IBCLCs, or mums with years of experience in a peer supporter role. Just a GP with outdated knowledge (how can you breastfeed a baby with teeth?!) and over stretched health visitors that mostly looked at me with pity.
I hope that one day every mother can encircle herself with other mums and health care professionals that are passionate about breastfeeding. Perhaps my story would have been very different, had such a group existed. I know I'd have at least not felt quite so alone, and sometimes that's all you need.
Big love, TPM"
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