Skittleblue
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jun 25, 2012
- Messages
- 369
- Reaction score
- 0
This is a thought that has been in the back of my mind for a while. I struggled so much in the beginning and have learned so much the hard way. I've also been lucky enough to have had a ton of support from my mom and mil and have found this forum and gotten help several times. I nearly gave up a couple of times early on, and had it not been for that support, I probably would have because I wouldn't have known it gets better.
And the thing is, there's crap for LC or even LLL help in my area. You get whatever help in the hospital, but after that nothing unless you are free during the regular workday. Everything is m-f, 8-5. Every time I broke down a sobbing mess, it was on a weekend and she wouldn't latch. I think of all these women where I live who explain, without me asking, their reasons for ff, and I think there must be an enormous amount of guilt for them to feel the need to explain to me. And I think of my conversations with the LC who runs the bf support group at the local hospital. I told her how frustrated I was that I could never ask questions in the evening or weekend, and when you have a crying, hungry baby on Saturday morning, Monday morning is too far away to wait for help. And I told her how frustrating it was that when I went back to work, I couldn't even make it to any support meetings because theirs and the LLL meetings were both during my workday, but I needed tons of help because pumping did not go well for me. She shrugged and said moms are busy in the evenings and wouldn't come. So there's still no local resource (even by phone, that I'm aware of) during those times.
And that's the thing. I want to be able to somehow help the women in my city who are where I was, because obviously there's a need and nobody else will step up and do it. But I have no medical background, work a full time job (as a teacher) and don't know where to start. Do you think it's worth even pursuing?
And the thing is, there's crap for LC or even LLL help in my area. You get whatever help in the hospital, but after that nothing unless you are free during the regular workday. Everything is m-f, 8-5. Every time I broke down a sobbing mess, it was on a weekend and she wouldn't latch. I think of all these women where I live who explain, without me asking, their reasons for ff, and I think there must be an enormous amount of guilt for them to feel the need to explain to me. And I think of my conversations with the LC who runs the bf support group at the local hospital. I told her how frustrated I was that I could never ask questions in the evening or weekend, and when you have a crying, hungry baby on Saturday morning, Monday morning is too far away to wait for help. And I told her how frustrating it was that when I went back to work, I couldn't even make it to any support meetings because theirs and the LLL meetings were both during my workday, but I needed tons of help because pumping did not go well for me. She shrugged and said moms are busy in the evenings and wouldn't come. So there's still no local resource (even by phone, that I'm aware of) during those times.
And that's the thing. I want to be able to somehow help the women in my city who are where I was, because obviously there's a need and nobody else will step up and do it. But I have no medical background, work a full time job (as a teacher) and don't know where to start. Do you think it's worth even pursuing?
