La Leche League provides support in Strathmore
Adelle Ellis
Times Reporter
La Leche League Canada is a national organization with trained volunteer leaders to provide experienced mother-to-mother breastfeeding support through a variety of programs.
A Strathmore La Leche League Canada (LLLC) group was formed over a year ago, to provide support and help new mothers in the area.
“We don’t give any actual medical advice but we do provide evidence-based information to support the mothers so they can make their own decisions and take that information to their doctors to discuss as well,” said Strathmore LLLC leader, Angela Meyer.
Meyer started the group in Strathmore because after she had her first son, she had to travel to Chestermere to attend a LLLC group.
“I regularly attended meetings there and got most of my training through the leaders at that group,” she noted. “But I wanted to bring the help and support of La Leche League further out to reach more mothers in the Strathmore and surrounding area.”
La Leche League is for new and expectant mothers.
“I think that the support that mothers receive through the group and being able to talk to other mothers who have experienced similar things … that support goes a long way with a mother who is having some difficulties,” said Meyer.
She added that there are a lot of common problems, myths and misinformation about breastfeeding that the group can help mothers sort through to ensure they receive the right information and support.
LLLC Strathmore meetings take place on the fourth Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the Strathmore Parent Link Centre. Each meeting has a general topic, but questions posed from mothers are the main focus of each meeting. There is no pre-registration or registration required, mothers and expectant mothers can simply drop in to a meeting.
“It is important to note that these meetings are not a breastfeeding class, but rather a support group where mothers can find solutions to their breastfeeding questions and share their experiences or ideas of things that have worked for them,” said Meyer.
The La Leche League International (LLLI) group was originally founded in 1956 in Illinois at a time when breastfeeding was uncommon and the word breastfeeding was unacceptable in the media. Due to this the founders called the group La Leche, which translates into “the milk” in Spanish. La Leche League moved into Canada in 1961.
Visit La Leche League Canada Strathmore group online, at lllc.ca/lllc-strathmore or on Facebook at facebook.com/lllcstrathmore/.