There is hope for "young mothers"

[CryPixie83]

I hear a lot of the time about being young as an excuse for not breastfeeding.... Anyway I wanted to share this with everyone

My little sister is 17 (almost 18) and is due with her first baby in July. She was there for my dd's birth and was around a lot over this past summer, so she's seen me nurse quite a bit and we've talked about it alot. So the last time we spoke on the phone I had two important questions for her: had she quit smoking yet? Yep, she sure has! and most importantly is she going to nurse the baby when it comes? She didn't miss a beat "Of course, what kind of a silly question is that?" I my sister. We'll be traveling to her state when it's time for the baby to come so I can help her out the first week or so. I'm so proud of her!

[kiahnsmum]

Great Story! My sister and I both had our first babies at 19 and we both breastfed them, I lost count of the time older mums, health professionals etc almost fell over with shock when they knew I was breastfeeding!
It is so easy for young mums not to feed when there is the expectation that they won't.

[Childishgoth]

now all we need to do is make sure that every expecting mother has a good bf influance around her.... humm.. sounds so easy till you think about it.

ohh hehe i forgot. ya ya ya .. for your sis!!!

[Ruthla]

Yay for your sis and her baby-to-be!

I think that most "young moms" are more vulnerable than "older moms" and need more support, which they don't always get.

[CryPixie83]

Originally Posted by Ruthla

Yay for your sis and her baby-to-be!

I think that most "young moms" are more vulnerable than "older moms" and need more support, which they don't always get.

That's exactly why I was always so adamant and positive about breastfeeding. I knew she'd have babies young (my entire family does lol) so I made sure to educate her well!

[wende]

That's great! It always makes me so happy when I hear of young moms defying the "norm" and doing what they know is right for their babies.

When I had my first, at 15, I didn't know anyone who breastfed. Health care professionals (doctors, wic, etc) were all shocked when I nursed my daughter. I later met another mom at school who had twins at 16 years old and tandem nursed!

[Viola]

Yay, that is wonderful!

My niece had a baby last year when she was 18 and she only breastfed for a little while. She had some problems and ended up using formula and seemed to prefer doing that. I was going to visit her and I took my breast pump to her because she asked me for it several times, but I'm not sure she ever used it. Her baby cried constantly for the first few months, and one time I was visiting her and I noticed her stomach was really bloated and hard as a rock. I told my niece that that did not seem normal to me and urged her to bring it up again to the baby's ped. Her baby did end up being put on Nutramigen formula which seemed to help.

I found out this summer that my niece is expecting again and her baby is going to be born on 12/8. I was going to buy her a LLL membership so she could get the New Beginnings, but I never did. I normally don't ask women if they are going to breastfeed, but I finally broke down and asked my sis, who seemed annoyed and said that she didn't know. So I'm not sure if there is anything I can do to help her this time, but I wish I had gotten her the LLL membership.

[Siana]

Yay for your sister

Viola

[becca011906]

I am or was a young mama too. I had my first at 16, and nursed him for 14 months. through high school... then had my dd1 at 18 and nused her for only 6 months due to bad medical advice (wisdom teeth removal)... I'm now still nursing my dd2 who's 15 months old and plan on CLW, but we'll see as we go... i plan to nurse a minum of 2 years so we have a while still!

[Shaunam]

That's wonderful!

It makes a huge difference when young mothers have a positive bf'ing role model. I know if I had gotten pregnant as a teen, I would've nursed. I don't think my mom would have let me give formula! I should rephrase that. Actually, I knew from a very young age that I would nurse my kids. My mom would not have let me give up. At least not without a fight. Having my mom as a role model did two things.

1) She put it in my head that bf'ing is the normal (and optimal) thing to do.

2) She provided me with information and support.

Thankfully, I was married and 21 when I had DS, but it was still nice to have her around. She would have been 100x more supportive if I was a teen mom.

[orangebird]

I love teen moms That is so cool she has chosen to breastfeed. I wish more teen moms would see how wonderful it can be for them. I really want to work in some capacity to influence more teen moms. I don't get to help that many and the ones I do help right now have a tough enough time as it is (I work in the NICU, so they aren't typical new moms). I would love to work in the teen mom clinic at my hospital but I haven't gone down there laterly and seen if they need anyone.

Good for her, and all you other once teen moms.

[merrick]

That's great! My sister had her first at 18, just after she graduated high school. She didn't seem the type to bf, and my mom sure didn't support her much. I mean, she wanted her to bf, but she just didn't think she would so she made a lot of unnecessary comments. But I totally supported her and she's still nursing her dd who is 2 now! I like to think I had something to do with that, as none of her friends with kids bf and certainly not after 1 year.

[angelpie545]

What good stories! I had my first baby when I was 18 and my second when I was 21. I breastfed, co-slept, didn't vax, gave organic foods, and pretty much went my own very AP way while a lot of my friends vaxed, formula fed, let their babies cry themsevles to sleep, .

I think I mostly followed my mom's lead with breastfeeding; she breast fed all of us, and with her, there was no other way. There was no question as to whether or not I was going to breasfeed, in fact, I was so surprised at the amount of women the choose to formula feed! It was so natural for me, I gave birth to my babies in the birth center in a hot tub, and brought them to the breast immediately. It just felt so right.

I think that given the right direction and nudging, a mother of any age can tap into the natural instincts that lead us to care and love for our babies as our bodies intended.