Meeting #2 In order to get the meetings back on track we did meeting #2 again The Family and the Breastfed Baby. We brainstormed on how far the mothers have come, what they have learned so far about breastfeeding, parenting, ect, and to help them sort through what they think is most important about those things.
First I asked the mothers to think about the time before their first was born and what they did in preparation for that event. The mothers mentioned things like Birth plan, reading, resting, baby’s room, and meal prep, ect.
Second I asked what shocked or surprised them about after baby was born. They mentioned things like how often babies need to nurse, how there was not much time to even shower or go to the bathroom, total amount of work and attention, all engulfing ect.
Third I asked of those with more than one child what was different? Many said guilt over wanting to spend more time with the baby because the baby was so helpless. Tried to have some personal one on one time with the older sibling. Hard to balance 2 nursings while tandem nursing both children.
Lastly I asked how they prepared the older sibling for the new baby? The moms said, books, talked about it, continued nursing, visited a friend with a baby, gave the first a job to do or assignment with the baby such as to play peek a boo to make the baby happy ect.
The mothers said they feel confident in what they have done so far and a happy well adjusted child is proof of a good job done.
It was a good meeting and inspired a lot of questions.