Earlier this year I met a Doula at The Right Start. We got to talking about a lot of things. Some big, some small.
Eventually, we started talking about support for women pre and postpartum. I felt the need to voice my discontent with the lack of information out there for women who want to wean from breast-feeding before a year. I am passionate about this topic because I had to stop breast-feeding Charlie when he was 6 months due to failure to thrive. It was a very upsetting time for me. I didn’t want to stop, but continuing to breast feed would have been selfish and about me, not about what would have been best for Charlie at that time.
When I pumped, I would only get 3-5 ounces total (that’s both boobs people) and would have to pump 3 – 5 times a day on top of breast-feeding to produce enough milk to satisfy Charlie’s growing appetite.
Here’s the thing, I know that you can produce enough milk if you just pump all day long, but that is not realistic. Pumping all day does not increase your milk supply, all it does is give you more opportunities to make milk — if you pump more, you get more. It’s not like if you pump more you will start to make more at each sitting, at least not for me.
I felt like when I needed to wean based on the recommendation of Charlie’s pediatrician, that the lack of support online or with consultants was appalling. I couldn’t find anyone who simply accepted my decision as my own, rather, they would try to talk me out of it, hoping to convince me that I was doing a disservice to my son.
Come on people, as if I didn’t feel guilty enough… I don’ t need you to tell me that breast is best and that babies benefit from breast milk for the first year. I know that, but if my tatas aren’t doing it, please do not make me feel guilty for not spending 24 hours a day pumping and feeding my child.
Cindy the Doula listened to me and took what I had to say to the lactation consultants at Ideal Birth. She did not make me feel bad for my decision and agreed that women need support no matter when they decide to wean, whether it is at 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 6 months or 2 years. . I immediately wanted to know more about Cindy and Ideal Birth, where she worked.
Ideal Birth offers prenatal and post partum services to women and families, including Master Doulas, Lactation Consultants, Massage Therapists, Nutrition Consultants and classes galore.
On Saturday, I met the Founder, Dahlia Frydman, who is a Master Doula, Lactation Consultant and Educator. She let me know that they are offering an Infant/Child CPR and First Aid Class, taught by Richard Pass from Save A Little Life, tomorrow, Tuesday, April 12, 2011 from 6:30 – 9pm. Larry and I took this class while I was pregnant with Charlie. It was offered at the Pump Station. We thought it was fantastic. I highly recommend it if you haven’t already taken an infant CPR class. Or, if you are like me and didn’t retain anything from pregnancy, then a refresher course might be a good idea.
The cost of the class is $70 for one person or $125 for a couple. If you bring a friend, you both get 15%. To register, call 818.850.BIRTH or visit their website http://www.YourIdealBirth.com.
I wish Ideal Birth was around when I was pregnant. Finding a Doula was so difficult and we drove all around town for prenatal classes. It would have been nice to have a resource I could trust so close to home.
