Mothers need breastfeeding education and support to meet their breastfeeding goals.
Breastfeeding education and support are two essential activities that ensure that you and your baby can learn to breastfeed and happily continue breastfeeding for as long as you like, even if you were not breastfed as a baby and were not raised in a community that supported breastfeeding.
"Ideally you were breastfed as a baby, surrounded by your mother, aunties, sisters, cousins, and friends all breastfeeding their babies. You would grow up nourished and comforted by your mother. And then, observe other babies and children breastfeeding. You would first know breastfeeding as a baby, then through the lens of a child, as a teen, and then as an adult.
"As a pregnant mother, your education would become more specific. You would already know how to care for a baby and how to rock, soothe and entertain a baby. You would carefully observe other mothers cuddling and responding to, and breastfeeding their babies and children. You would ask them questions about how they started breastfeeding; how they knew their baby was healthy; and what night feeds were like."
Breastfeeding thrives with education and support from your family, neighborhood, city and country. Breastfeeding is a normal mammalian behavior that provides specific nutrients for human development, protects babies from disease and provides consistent attention for a baby's growth and socialization.
Communities are stronger, safer and healthier when they support mothers and babies breastfeeding.
Americans mostly bottle feed their babies, but there are communities, businesses, not-for-profit organizations, and government agencies that promote, educate, support and protect breastfeeding.
Mostly breastfeeding education happens through a patchwork of maternity health care providers, non-profit organizations and for-profit businesses.
The biggest education sources are:
- WIC
- Tinyhood
- Aeroflow
- Lactation Education Resources
- Natural Breastfeeding
The top support organizations are:
- La Leche League
- WIC
- Breastfeeding USA
- Baby Café
- Chocolate Milk Cafe
Mostly, there are local individuals providing breastfeeding education and support.
In the Hudson Valley, one of those individuals is Donna Bruschi, IBCLC.
Donna’s adventures in breastfeeding started with her three babies, including twins. She breastfed them, but THAT would not have happened without education and support provided by her mother and husband, several lactation consultants and several La Leche League Leaders and many, many support groups. She feels gratitude to each and every person and works to pay it forward, so others can experience the richness of mothering through breastfeeding.
Donna became a La Leche League (LLL) Leader in 1998 -- supporting mothers ever since.
Donna participated in three years of mentoring, counseling and the specific lactation and counseling education required to become a LLL Leader.
She educates and mothers and babies in breastfeeding through La Leche League (LLL) of New Paltz. She has facilitated monthly meetings in New Paltz every month for more than 25 years. She provides in-person, and over-the-phone breastfeeding counseling and support for the thousands of families in Ulster County. The first babies she helped, now have babies of their own.
Donna also taught Communications Skills to LLL Leaders and members for LLL of NY for many years. She taught 4 classes per year which helped mothers improve their ability to communicate calmly, clearly and effectively with their children and partners, and at work.
As the internet and social media grew, education and support models changed. Women started relying on web-based education and support rather than participating in in-person groups and classes. Information is so much easier to access now, and, it’s also overwhelming and confusing.
It turns out, we still need teachers and classes.
Donna provides prenatal breastfeeding classes so moms and dads can prepare for the intense needs of their newborn. The first few days are crucial to breastfeeding succeeding. If parents can’t live in a breastfeeding culture, at least they can learn about breastfeeding.
Mothers collect colostrum. Parents prepare for the Golden Hour after birth, the sleepy suckling of the first day, the intense hunger of the second day, transitioning from the hospital, tracking poops and feeds, monitoring weight and jaundice. They study this baby’s individual personality and ask their families, doulas and community for support and care.
Donna provides support for breastfeeding families in the Hudson Valley, NY
Support happens through frequent contact, regular home visits, two-way communication with questions and answers. She monitors feeds, weight, diapers, mother’s mood and pain level, baby’s needs, and family needs.
Donna provides contacts for additional support resources like doulas, meals, therapy, pediatricians, friends, overnight care, etc. If your family needs anything, she is likely to know someone in your community who can help you.
