Recently, comic artist Emma took the internet by storm with her comic strip illustrations of the mental load carried by women. I looked at her work knowingly, nodding, feeling empathy for so many women in similar positions to me, who have to know and remember everything. This is the part of being … [Read more...] about Twelve Months of Mothering: Carrying the Load
Breastfeeding Matters
LLLGB members receive a bi-monthly publication in the post or via email. Here are a selection of articles from recent issues of the magazine.
Life with a new baby across the world
I have always been a keen reader, and in the sleepy haze of my first baby's earliest weeks, I was delighted to discover that I could get plenty of reading done during our long breastfeeding sessions. I found my tastes had changed a bit, though; I really struggled to enjoy almost any fiction, as I … [Read more...] about Life with a new baby across the world
Dear Mama
Dear Mama, I’m coming soon, to be with you, and there are some things I wish you knew, about feeding me, and how we can be together. I come hard-wired to feed, and usually, you won’t need to do very much but follow my cues, you’ll need to learn those, watch and see my rose-budded lips … [Read more...] about Dear Mama
Finding the right support
My second child has recently turned one and I find myself once again breastfeeding a wriggling, giggling, distractible toddler. I have been either pregnant or breastfeeding for the best part of four years, which is incredible when I think how hard it was to establish breastfeeding with my … [Read more...] about Finding the right support
My breastfeeding journey
I never for a moment doubted that I would breastfeed, it had never even crossed my mind that I might not be able to breastfeed; unless you count the times I imagined what would happen if I died or became hospitalised and wasn’t allowed access to my baby. During pregnancy, I couldn’t really think … [Read more...] about My breastfeeding journey
Moving heaven and earth
Before my first baby was born, I fully expected that I would happily return to the teaching work which I loved, and that in most ways my life would carry on as before. My husband and I had just bought a house with a mortgage that depended on our two salaries. I had accepted the terms of my … [Read more...] about Moving heaven and earth
Mothering through special care
Rebecca’s second son was born early, and spent several weeks in Special Care. Here she writes of that difficult early time, and of learning to balance her fragile newborn’s needs with those of her older child. Throughout my first pregnancy I felt like some sort of earth goddess woman – strong and … [Read more...] about Mothering through special care
Finding my people
Vicky had a lot of troubles when she started breastfeeding her son: she turned to LLL for practical advice, and stayed for the emotional support that comes from being surrounded by like-minded mothers. 'I'll give breastfeeding a go but I'm not going to martyr myself or my baby doing it'. So I … [Read more...] about Finding my people
Russian dolls
Laura reflects on how she came to be breastfeeding a toddler I never planned to feed a toddler. Like many mothers to be, I wasn't prepared on what it meant to breastfeed my baby. We wait later to have our children, we grow up, and move away from home. Many professional friends choose not to have … [Read more...] about Russian dolls
So what do you do?
Karem explains her answer to this question that so many mothers are asked A few days ago my husband’s friend came for dinner and, as one does to be polite, sought to make conversation with me. Awkwardly unsure of how to phrase the question, he looked at me, stay at home mother of two toddlers and … [Read more...] about So what do you do?