La Leche League to the Rescue

by Ana Hotaling

I'd always envisioned my first Mother's Day to be a joyous celebration of motherhood, celebrated with my baby and my mother, who'd be enjoying her first Mother's Day as a grandmother. We did spend that special day together, but unfortunately it was anything but joyous.

Delirious with fever, I was rushed to the local hospital, where the emergency room's attending physician promptly diagnosed me with acute mastitis. Once my fever was down and I was somewhat lucid, the doctor explained that breastfeeding my 8-week-old son had caused this condition, that my milk ducts had become plugged and infected, and that I had to immediately stop nursing.

Exhausted and in pain, not to mention inexperienced, I never thought to obtain a second opinion. I took the doctor at his word and immediately weaned my baby.

Michael did not take readily to formula. He suffered hives and various allergic reactions before we finally found a formula that he could drink. I was grateful when he switched to sippy cups, as I truly abhorred cleaning the bottles, nipples, and rings.

When I learned that I was pregnant again, I was thrilled but also apprehensive. The last thing I wanted was to experience the hot, sore redness and worse, the fever, that I'd gone through before.

I'd attended a breastfeeding class. I'd read books. I'd seen other mothers nursing. Why couldn't I? One of the nurse-midwives at my obstetrician's office suggested that I contact the local La Leche League for assistance.

I was a bit reticent at first, the instructor at my breastfeeding class had taught us how to nurse by demonstrating with her 3-year-old daughter, and I wasn't sure if a whole room of nursing moms was going to teach me any better.

However, I decided I didn't have anything to lose, so when I was 6 months pregnant I went to my first La Leche League meeting.  It was one of the best decisions I've ever made. I learned that, with mastitis, one of the worst things to do is stop nursing. Continued breastfeeding helps prevent further clogging of the milk ducts. I learned about how hot and cold compresses can help relieve the pain, about using cabbage leaves for engorgement, and about trying different nursing positions.

Most importantly, I discovered that my nipples were both extremely inverted, which may have prevented Michael from latching on correctly, a factor which may have significantly contributed to that memorable Mother's Day several years earlier. I began wearing nipple shells during my last two months in an effort to draw out my nipples in preparation for nursing.

For the duration of my pregnancy, I continued attending LLL meetings, reading everything I could get my hands on regarding breastfeeding, and sharing stories with nursing moms.

When it was finally time to give birth, I was induced due to pubic syphilitics. I felt I could handle anything.

As baby Nicholas grew from a red, wrinkly newborn to a chubby baby to a sturdy toddler, I watched the tables turn as moms-to-be and moms newer than me were turning to me, of all people, for advice on nursing. It was as if I'd come full circle.

Nicholas, a happy, eager nurser, weaned himself when he was 2 1/2 years old, and I sadly missed our close nursing relationship, something I recaptured with my third son. Jaeson, was an athletic and energetic 3 year old who self weaned himself two months shy of his third birthday.

As both of my long-term-nursing boys grew, I couldn't help but notice that neither Nicholas nor Jaeson were plagued with ear infections, while poor Michael, weaned so abruptly at such a young age, had so many that by age10 months, he needed surgery to have drainage tubes placed in both ears.

I am now nursing 8-month-old Bryce, another eager nurser who prefers nursing to solids and who seems to be following in his older brothers' extended nursing footsteps.

I don't know how long Bryce will nurse. I do know, however, that if it weren't for La Leche League and the many nursing moms who lent me their support and advice, the beautiful experience of nursing would never have been mine, and for this I'm forever grateful.