Written by Cyndie Blythe, LLLC Leader Winnipegosis Group
As a relatively new LLLC Leader, I am often asked questions that I donāt feel completely confident answering off the top of my head. After giving the parent what support I CAN give off the cuff, I generally suggest that I will get back to them with a more complete answer. āLet me do a bit of research and get back to you,ā I might say, or āI am sure LLL has a resource around that topic, I just need to find it and email you with more information.ā
Invariably, my first go to resource is The Art of Breastfeeding. I have found that most every basic question posed by a breastfeeding parent is there, clearly discussed and concise. The index is extensive and helpful. Chapter 18, āA-Z āTech Supportā Tool Kit,ā often provides exactly what we are looking for. I can answer confidently, without missing an important point. What a resource!
And that is my point here. The Art of Breastfeeding can be and should be used as a valuable resource, but not only for Leaders. It is a large book, clocking in at 570 pages of text. It covers a LOT of topics, and multiple years from pregnancy to toddlerhood. It is required reading for Leaders, of course, but will a new or expecting parent really want all of that information all at once, potentially within a typical 2 week loan window from a library, or even as a loaner between LLL meetings, maybe a month? It could be a classic case of Too Much Information!
In my experience, most people only want the information they need NOW swimming around in their heads. The information they will need later can swim in their heads later, when it is needed. The problem is that the information for later needs to be accessible WHEN it is needed, but not everyone can afford to purchase a book that may only really be useful for a few years, and not everyone has access to or feels comfortable with digital resources. This has led me to approach loaning out copies of The Art of Breastfeeding in a slightly novel way.
I have used Group funds primarily for purchasing copies of The Art of Breastfeeding expressly for the purpose of making long term loans. I write our Group name in sharpie marker on the edges of the pages so it canāt get torn out or worn off, and then I give a copy to any parent who expresses interest and I encourage them to keep it as long as they need it, possibly for several years, and to pass it along to another parent they may know if that seems the thing to do. I donāt care if I ever see that book again. I donāt keep track of where it is or who I gave it to. I want that incredible resource to float around in the community for as long as it needs to. The fact that my Group name is on it will allow anyone to contact me if they need support, even if they never had contact with me any other way. So far, in my 6 or 7 years as a Leader, Iāve gotten two books back, both of them the previous edition so I no longer give them out.
Obviously, not every question is covered by The Art of Breastfeeding, or a parent may really prefer just to contact me for support each time they need it. As an LLLC Leader I have access to a whole wealth of resources, whether in print form or via Leader connections. That is the great thing about being a Leader, I am the doorway to massive depths of information if a parent needs it, and beyond that I can connect parents to even more resources such as local lactation consultants and physicians. Still, having a copy of The Art of Breastfeeding handy is the first place to look, not only for me, but for any parent who finds that suddenly their baby is biting in the middle of the night, or whatever it might be, and they want someplace to turn to right then, not the next day or next week.
The Art of Breastfeeding is a great read if breastfeeding is your passion, as it is for me. My two children are now in their 30ās but breastfeeding them was one of the great joys of my life and I cherish those memories. Neither of them weaned before their 5th birthday so they also remember those times fondly. The connections we formed in those years have carried our relationships through adolescence, divorce, living long distances apart, dealing with death, and sometimes even politically charged differences of opinion. The value of those quiet moments in the rocking chair cannot be overstated for me. I am passionate about helping parents form such great connections with their precious children, especially in these turbulent times.
So yes, for me The Art of Breastfeeding is a read, but I treat it as a resource as well, for myself and anyone who needs it.