La Leche League of South Bend

At our next meeting we'll share our ideas about dealing with the holidays as parents of littles. Do you have tips for fielding family questions/opinions about parenting and breastfeeding choices? Traveling with babies and children? Keeping ourselves and our kids healthy in the midst of cookies and germs?  Trying to maintain some semblance of routine amongst the craziness? Of course we will always have time for concerns you might have and insights you'd like to share, along with general chatting, support, and  library perusal. We're looking forward to seeing you at  10am Tuesday, November 17 Sunnyside Presbyterian Church 115 S. Frances St. South Bend, IN 46617 ***And save the date for the following week's meeting at Harris Branch Library about The Importance of Breastfeeding!*** Here are some traveling tricks & tips: http://www.llli.org/faq/travel.html In case you find yourself fielding questions about bene...

 At our next meeting we're going to explore our feelings about the intense transition to becoming a Mother. This new role can surprise us, rock us to our cores, and bore us silly, all in the space of an hour. How do we reconcile the popular image of the SuperMom with our own daily realities? And how about caring for ourselves in ways that don't disregard the needs of our babies and toddlers? What are some successes you've found for safe ways to exercise, eat well, sleep enough, and bring baby along for the ride? Come ready to seek comfort in those who understand, and share ideas and strategies. And we always make space for any other breastfeeding concerns or questions you may have! See you  Tuesday, July 22 at10am Women's Care Center 360 N. Notre Dame Ave. South Bend, Indiana 46617 **Don't forget about the St. Joseph County Breastfeeding Coalition World Breastfeeding Week Picnic**

No matter what our lives looked like before kids, we all know our perspectives are vastly different after. And whether we go back to work after 6 weeks, 12 weeks, full-time, part-time, not at all, SAHM, WAHM, free-lancer, mompreneur, etc., we all struggle with balance and how to Make It Work.  At the next LLL morning meeting we'll share ideas of how we have done this and issues we haven't yet solved. How do you fit breastfeeding and/or pumping into your new lifestyle? (Or how do you adapt your lifestyle to breastfeeding?!) How do you fill those long hours with baby? How do you divvy up household chores? Child care? How do you make sure you get the help you need? When do you take on new duties? How do you structure your days in a way that works for you and your child(ren)? We'll delve into all of this and more.  And of course, we will have room for your breastfeeding questions, concerns, and successes. See you on: Tuesday, April 22 at 10am Wo...

"The baby is so fussy, you're  probably not making enough milk." "Give the baby cereal before bed and she'll sleep all night."  "Why don't you take a break--I'll give the baby a bottle for you." I'm sure we've all seen breastfeeding used as the scapegoat for many issues in our babies and children--how do we stay strong in the face of doubts? Many breastfeeding mothers are surprised by how needy/fussy/colicky our babies are...until we compare notes with other families!  At next week's meeting we'll talk about how our babies might not match our (or society's) expectations. We'll discuss what kind of myths and misconceptions are floating around about babies and breastfeeding, and how to remain confident in our parenting choices. We'll also share techniques we've found to help our babies and ourselves move through some of the tougher times. There will also be time to share breastfeeding questio...

No matter what our lives looked like before kids, we all know our perspectives are vastly different after. And whether we go back to work after 6 weeks, 12 weeks, full-time, part-time, not at all, SAHM, WAHM, free-lancer, mompreneur, etc., we all struggle with balance and how to Make It Work.  At the next LLL morning meeting we'll share ideas of how we have done this and issues we haven't yet solved. How do you fit breastfeeding into your new lifestyle? (Or how do you adapt your lifestyle to breastfeeding?!) How do you fill those long hours with baby? How do you divvy up household chores? Child care? How do you make sure you get the help you need? When do you take on new duties? How do you structure your days in a way that works for you and your child(ren)? We'll delve into all of this and more.  And of course, we will have room for your breastfeeding questions, concerns, and successes. See you on: Sunnyside Presbyterian Church 115 S. Frances...

At our next meeting we're going to explore our feelings about the intense transition to becoming a Mother. This new role can surprise us, rock us to our cores, and bore us silly, all in the space of an hour. How do we reconcile the popular image of the Super Mom with our own daily realities? And how about caring for ourselves in ways that don't disregard the needs of our babies and toddlers? What are some successes you've found for safe ways to exercise, eat well, sleep enough, and bring baby along for the ride? Come ready to seek comfort in those who understand, and share ideas and strategies to share. (Even how to get that elusive shower!) How has this transition to motherhood been for you? What has helped you through it? How have you structured your time and home to fit your changing self and growing family? Join us on Tuesday to share these thoughts and others. And we always make space for any other breastfeeding concerns or questions you may have! ...

One thing we all know is that no matter what your life looked like before kids, it's vastly different after. And whether you go back to work after 6 weeks, 12 weeks, full-time, part-time, not at all, SAHM, WAHM, free-lancer, mompreneur, etc., we all struggle with balance and how to Make It Work.  At the next LLL morning meeting we'll share ideas of how we have done this and issues we haven't yet solved. How do you fit it all in? How do you fill those long hours with baby? How do you divvy up household chores? Child care? How do you make sure you get the help you need? When do you step up and take on new duties? How do you structure your days in a way that works for you and your child(ren)? How do you fit breastfeeding into your new lifestyle? (Or how do you adapt your lifestyle to breastfeeding!) We'll delve into all of this and more.  And of course, we will have room for your breastfeeding questions, concerns, and successes. See you on: Tuesday, April ...

Our monthly playgroup is coming up next week--please join us on Tuesday at the Main Library in downtown South Bend--we have the Humphreys room in the basement reserved where there is plenty of room for crawlers to crawl, big kids to play, and mamas and babies to cuddle, nurse, and chat. Our intrepid playgroup host Olivia (mama to Victoria and Dagny) will be on hand so that you'll know you're in the right spot! Feel free to bring toys to share or pop upstairs to borrow books and toys. And those of you with tiny babes or babes still in utero, please know that this playgroup is for you too! Support among mothers is what we're all about:) Tuesday, March 5 between 10 and noon 304 South Main Street  South Bend, Indiana 46601  http://www.sjcpl.org/main/ Humphreys Multimedia Room:  http://www.sjcpl.org/meetingrooms/

This week we are going to talk about Birth and early days with baby. How did your birth experience(s) affect breastfeeding? What would you change if you could? What would you recommend to other mothers? And what about the early days after your baby was born--what surprised you? What do wish you would have known? How can we advocate for the best kind of support for our new families? Bring ideas of local resources, supportive ears, and open minds as we come together to share our perspectives on these powerful topics. As always, we will have room for  your breastfeeding questions, concerns, and successes! 10am Tuesday, January 22 Women's Care Center 360 N. Notre Dame Ave. (where it intersects with La Salle Ave.) South Bend, Indiana 46617

Believe it or not, December begins tomorrow, so our monthly playgroup is coming up next week! Please join us on Tuesday at the Main Library in downtown South Bend--we have reserved the Humphreys room in the basement where there is plenty of room for crawlers to crawl, big kids to play, and mamas and babies to cuddle, nurse, and chat. The lovely and friendly Olivia (mama to Victoria and Dagny) has agreed to act as host so that you'll know you're in the right spot! Feel free to bring toys to share or pop upstairs to borrow books and toys. And those of you with tiny babes or babes still in utero, please know that this playgroup is for you too! Support from other mothers is what we're all about:) Tuesday, December 4 between 10 and noon 304 South Main Street  South Bend, Indiana 46601  http://www.sjcpl.org/main/ Humphreys Multimedia Room:  http://www.sjcpl.org/meetingrooms/

Winter seems to be upon us, and so we will move our monthly 1st Tuesday playgroup inside until spring! Please join us on Tuesday at the Main Library in downtown South Bend--we have reserved the Humphreys room in the basement where there is plenty of room for crawlers to crawl, big kids to play, and mamas and babies to cuddle, nurse, and chat. Feel free to bring toys to share or pop upstairs to borrow books and toys for the morning! And those of you with tiny babes or babes still in utero, please know that this playgroup is for you too! Support from other mothers is what we're all about:) See you Tuesday, November 6 between 10 and noon 304 South Main Street  South Bend, Indiana 46601  http://www.sjcpl.org/main/ Humphreys Multimedia Room: http://www.sjcpl.org/meetingrooms/

At the next La Leche League meeting we'll have an opportunity to think about and share our pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, and mothering stories. As you know, every meeting lends itself to opportunities to listen and learn from each other, as often accompanied by tears as laughter. One of our former LLL Leaders, Krista Bailey, is involved in Michiana Monologues at IUSB ( http://www.michianamonologues.org/ ), and in hearing so many women's stories as a part of this production was reminded of the wonderful perspectives in the LLL community. She will be visiting with us this week to help us to think about the healing and enjoyable process of forming our own experiences as stories. She will also be happy to discuss the possibility of submitting a story to the monologues with anyone who is interested ( http://www.michianamonologues.org/informationsheet.html ).  As always, we will have room for your breastfeeding questions, concerns, and successes. See you on: Tuesday, Octo...

  At the next meeting we're going to explore our feelings about the intense transition to becoming a Mother. This new role can surprise us, rock us to our cores, and bore us silly, all in the space of an hour. Much of popular culture tells us that we should have an immaculate house with projects and recipes from Martha Stewart or Pinterest, a child who sleeps all night, weekly date nights, monthly girls' weekends, etc.etc.etc. But as we know, the reality is so very different. It takes a lot of energy just to do the mundane parts of life as a mother to a baby or young child. What we have left for ourselves, our partners, our friends...well, it's not always much! And then there's the endless questioning of whether we made the right decision to stay home, to work part time or full-time, to work from home...the guilt over all the parenting mistakes we're probably making. As breastfeeding mothers it can be difficult to find a way to accept support from well-meaning fr...