Is anyone a member of LLL? Is it worth joining?

[TheBlonde]

Is anyone a member of LLL? Is it worth joining?

I'm still breastfeeding my 13 mth old and everyone else I know in RL gave up months ago
Feeling a bit lonely!

You could always join us at the ABM (Association of Breastfeeding Mothers)! We are a nice lot really :) www.abm.me.uk

Yes, definitely worth a look. The attendees tend to be real hardcore lentil weavers in my local group, but it is so refreshing to be sitting in a room where it is completely normal to be breastfeeding a toddler. I also find the Leaders very inspiring and supportive on all aspects on parenting not just breastfeeding.

I hardly ever go these days but it is nice just knowing the group is there, and it was very important to me when ds was the age your child is and I was getting over that hurdle of doing 'extended breastfeeding'.

ABM don't have any meetings in my area unfortunately

Sorry, in case it wasn't clear, my post was in answer to your title question and was about LLL, not ABM.

You dont have to be a member to go to LLL meetings btw.

Nice to be a member though - you get to support a fab bf charity plus get a lovely little magazine type thing every couple of months - something really nice about curling up on the sofa when you have a quiet moment to read it cover to cover

I went from when ds was 3 months and around half the people I knew had given up bfing to ds being around 2 when work started getting in the way. It was nice to be normal - in my group there wasn't a single lentil knitter - they were just people who for one reason or another had found themselves bfing a toddler.

I went once to my local group. DD1 was about 6 months old, and I didn't know anyone who was still bfing a baby of that age .

The leader was really nice on the phone, but I didn't enjoy the actual meeting that much. They were talking about sleeping that week, and I was made to feel very uncomfortable because my dd slept in a cot, rather than co-sleeping (I felt like the only person in existance who could successfully combine bfing with having a baby sleep in a cot ! - and not only that, but also in her own room!). They were also very anti-NCT, which again made me feel a bit uncomfortable, because I have made a lot of friends through the NCT.

I've since moved house, so I would have a different local group now. I have sometimes wondered about going again, to see whether another group might be different. Thing is, I would like to go to some sort of support group, beacuse dd2 is already approaching the age (4.5 months)where some people are starting to insinuate that bfing is 'inappropriate'.

I'll watch this thread with interest.

I've been going to our local group. To start with I found the following of a certain "theme" each month a bit strange and too American (esp. the one about hurricane Katrina, although it was themed something like "BF in emergencies or natural disasters") but I got used to this now. On a couple of occasions the theme of the month was followed only loosely as there was a more interesting discussion going on. There's plenty of time for spontaneous discussion and private discussion too.

I found the other women nice & friendly but can't say I've made any friends one year later as many only attend occasionally or for short periods, while the need is there. Overall, a positive experience. If you're a member you can borrow books too and I found the cooking boooks v helpful.

TheBlonde - yes defo. worth joining if only to get your Gold or Platinum membership of the Cult !

The group I attended had all sorts, newborns to 3 year olds. Not all the mothers were lentil knitting sorts...esp. not me !

The conversations vary, most of it wasn't even about bf, but about food, sleep, parenting in general.

LucyJu - people you know insinuate that bf a 4.5 month old is inappropriate ??

Tell them they were weaned too early hence the "boob angst" they seem to be suffering from.

Christina - You don't have to be a member to borrow books from a group library either.

Sahzig - you do at our local group, maybe it varies with groups or leaders.

I go to my local LLL meeting each month and love it. I was nervous the first time and thought it wouldn't be 'my sort of thing' but I went because the local leader had been really helpful when I got into bf problems with ds2. He was 6 months when I started going - now 1yr. The Mums are quite varied but all are friendly and welcoming. I have ds2 in a cot and noone's made me feel strange! I find there are always several new people each month, so it's not at cliquey.

I love the discussion bit (although don't always contribute) and I find myself thinking about the things others or I have said and what I wished I'd said for several days afterwards, which is good, nice to feel my brain cells are still ticking over.

I would give meetings a try, what've you got to lose?!. And I love the newsletter to, worth subscription fee.