La Leche Lifestyle

Nothing could be more natural or basic than mother’s milk, but many moms need a little help, information and emotional support to breastfeed their babies.

That’s what La Leche League is for.  Two local mothers, Tabitha Mason and Charlea Mills, are involved with a new chapter of the national organization.

“We’ve been going for a while now, and have meetings twice a month,” Mason said. “We’re also available for 24-hour support for every mom.”

Both Mason and Mills are nursing mothers, and both were breastfed themselves.

“My mother, Ginger McElwee, was a La Leche League leader here long ago, so I have La Leche League in my blood,” Mason said. “There was never a question that I would breastfeed my children. At first I drove to Springfield, Mo., to a LLL group there, then I transferred to Kansas in order to start a Pittsburg/Frontenac area group. There’s a huge need here, I saw it and decided that was what I needed to be doing.”

The two women got together after McElwee sad Mills nursing her son, Liam, 2 1/2. “My mother said, ‘You’ve got to meet my daughter’,” Mason said.

Both are certified as LLL leaders, and that was a rigorous process, according to Mills.

“We had to do reading, take tests, keep up to date on the latest information on breastfeeding,” she said. “There’s a whole slew of things we get to do. We had to talk to state officers and prove that we can represent La Leche League.”

Mills and Mason stressed that they do not provide medical advice. However, they added that most doctors have not specialized in breastfeeding.

“There are a lot of things doctors learn in medical school, but what a perfect latch looks like is not one of them,” Mason said.

“If you have a crying baby at 10 p.m. who won’t latch on to nurse, that can be very frustrating for both of you,” Mills said.

La Leche League supports extensive research into breastfeeding, and makes that information available.

“We have thick bibliographies of listing good books on subjects related to breastfeeding,” Mills said. “We have information on how various medications can affect breastfeeding, and breastfeeding of children with cleft palates or Down syndrome. Probably 99.9 percent of breastfeeding problems are fixable, it’s just a matter of getting the right information.”

“This is really not just about breastfeeding, but a whole lifestyle about respect for your children,” Mason said. “You need to know your children and follow their cues. Let the child lead the way.”

That includes letting the child determine when it’s time to end breastfeeding.

“Some babies will naturally wean themselves at 18 months, and others are still nursing at 2 or 3,” Mills said.

However, they noted that society doesn’t always approve of nursing toddlers.

“A lot of mothers who are nursing a baby over a year old do it in their closet,” Mason said.

Kansas state law specifies that a mother can legally nurse her baby any place that she has a legal right to be, there are still those who feel uncomfortable at the sight of a mother feeding her child.

“I’ve had family members get up and leave when I nurse Liam,” Mills said. “I don’t want to shock anyone or make anyone uncomfortable. But is it better to hear him screaming after he stubs his toe, or to discretely nurse him? Mother’s milk isn’t just more nutritious, it’s also hugely comforting.”

“You don’t want a 2-year-old pulling your top off at Wal-Mart,” Mason said. “But you can teach them boundaries.”

The La Leche League Chapter meets at Sacred Heart Catholic Church St. Pius X Education Center.

“This is especially nice because it’s a preschool with a lot of toys available for children, and swings outside for older children,” Mason said. “We do welcome children of all ages at our meetings, including unborn children.”

“We’ll also come to the hospital to help new mothers get off to a healthy start with their baby,” Mills said. “It was hard to start Liam out, and if I had known about La Leche League, it would have been a lot easier.”

She added that she and Mason don’t mean to pressure anyone into breastfeeding. “We want to give women enough information so they can make the best choice for themselves and their babies,” Mills said.

In observance of World Breastfeeding Week, the LLL chapter will host a free barbecue at 2 p.m. Aug. 9 at Lincoln Park. The chapter will also start an online auction of breastfeeding items July 15 at http://FrontenacLLL.blogspot.com.

Anyone needing additional information may contact Mason at 620-249-5431 or Mills at 232-3520 or 417-830-8997.