Breast milk is the superior infant food, and mothering through breastfeeding is the best way to give babies a healthy start in life. Yet for many complex reasons, many women think they cannot nurse their babies, or they get conflicting or misinformed advice from doctors and friends, or they simply cannot overcome specific hurdles or false alarms about breastfeeding management. I myself was fed formula once my mother could not figure out how to rouse me for nursing. If only La Leche League had been around for her in 1948.
In 1956, seven suburban Chicago women wanted to help mothers understand this healthy start and be more successful nursing their babies. The “Founders” held a meeting that October, and invited their friends and neighbors to learn more about breastfeeding. Over fifty years later, these meetings are held in 60 countries around the world. La Leche League is an international organization that encourages, educates, informs, and supports women who breastfeed.
My own La Leche League story started when I attended a meeting in southeastern New Mexico in 1982 when I was pregnant with my first child. Accredited by mail in 1985, I found La Leche League’s philosophy appealed to my child development background and feeling that mothers are their own best support. I’ve worked for La Leche League as a Leader, writer, editor, administrator, illustrator, and cartoonist. My jobs have included District Advisor; Area Leaders’ Letter Editor in four Areas; US Western Division Area Leaders’ Letter Administrator, Connections Editor and Publications Coordinator; and as the cartoonist for LEAVEN, LLL’s journal for Leaders. I created a coloring book for the US Western Division and six instructional picture books for LLL of Guatemala. I am now Utah’s Area Coordinator of Leaders and lead with the La Leche League of Sandy Group.