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Tuesday, June 17, 2008

The LLL Experience

Tonight Cate and I went to our first La Leche League meeting over in Hyde Park. I know it may seem kind of late in the game to be going since Cate is already 4 and a half months old, but I had a few reasons for wanting to go.

One, Eric had an info. meeting in Dayton to work, so Cate and I needed something to do and long, long walks that we're prone to taking are on hold due to the cicada infestation (we still walk, just not as long or as often).

Two, I've been feeling discouraged lately on the nursing front and have been thinking how much easier it would be if we just switched to formula (she'd feel fuller, I wouldn't have to worry about nursing in public, I could go back to running long distances, etc.) In the end of the to quit or not to quit debate in my head, I always realize my reasons for wanting to stop are purely selfish ones and that Cate gets more benefits from continuing to nurse. So what if my body has like ZERO estrogen (no joke, this is what the doctor told me)? So what if I can't seem to shake those last few pounds? So what if my shirts just don't fit right? Cate is healthy and happy and doing well because of it. So I guess I just needed some re-affirmation that I'm not crazy to want to continue to nurse until her first birthday.

And finally, I guess I also went to meet some other moms. I've also been struggling on the mom-friend front. My closest friends (you know, the ones that will tell Cate all the crazy stories about her mommy growing up) all live out of town and most do not have children. And now that I'm out of school and home with Cate all day, I'm craving some other grown up company (and maybe Cate will gain a friend or two out of the deal when she's old enough to really play with other kiddos). I've been praying about this a lot too and thankfully ended up meeting some neighbors up the street who both work in schools (so they're off for the summer) who have a 1 year old daughter and preschool age son. I'm looking forward to seeing more of them this summer for sure.

Anyway, I have to admit that I was a little apprehensive about going at first. I was afraid that the meeting would be full of women who advocate natural childbirth (whereas I wanted to take the epidural man home with me), or parents that follow the baby wearing or co-sleeping or any number of other philosophies that we really don't (we're all about keeping Cate on as regular of a routine as possible), or something like that. But I was pleasantly surprised to simply find a variety of women, with all different parenting styles, who all happen to believe in the benefits of breastfeeding. There were pregnant women there, as well as women whose children are long past breastfeeding, but who come to support those of us who still are. Unfortunately, Cate got a little sleepy (read "fussy") towards the end, so we couldn't stick around to socialize for too long afterwards. I am looking forward to next month's meeting (they're free if any other mommies are interested) and hopefully then I can get to know some of the other moms a little better. It was definitely time well spent and enough encouragement to keep me nursing for awhile (or at least until next month).

I'll leave you with a cute picture I managed to snap of Cate today. Tomorrow she gets to meet my friend, Jane, from Miami. Jane currently lives in Tacoma but is relocating this summer to Tucson (big yay since I have family there too).
~Melody :-)

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