New Murray Leaders

Two new leaders have joined in working full with the LLL of Murray Group. These two leaders are both Utah natives, and both have worked as leaders with the Salt Lake City group for the past few years. Time of day and meeting location is working better for them and their families, so they both recently asked to make the move to work with the Murray group, which I happily accepted. We've been working together on meeting ideas as well as thoughts on expanding our meeting locations/times, etc. There will be some fun and exciting additions in the New Year. For now, I am excited that there are FOUR leaders currently working with the Murray LLL group.

Welcome Laurel (who has been regularly attending with our group since it's beginning in January 09)

And Katherine

Visual Aids Meeting 1 Series 2

From an awesome resource, lent to me when I first became a leader, called "100 Best Meetings Ever," the leaders of the Murray LLL group have now decided on a set of 4 meetings based around "Visual Aids." We'd like to pick one theme/series for at least a year. This really helps with inspiration for meeting planning and allows us some extra creativity and ideas for covering and bringing new discussion points to "the same old topics."

Timbra lead our first meeting on this theme, though we began the series with Meeting 2. We'll be sure to cover all four Series topics under this theme (through January 2012). This month's meeting focused on "Baby Arrives" and the Visual Aids were photos of common baby items that we all think we NEED before we ever become mothers. Each mother was asked to draw 2 or 3 items from a bag and then talk about why they thought they needed that item before becoming a mother, but also lead into why some of these items have become "must-haves" for their families, or possibly "never been used" items in their homes.

It was fun to hear how one family thought an item was indespensible, while another had no use for the very same item, or had never discovered a use. One item, in particular, the "carseat tent" to me, it seems like another way to say "children should be neither seen nor heard" while another mom said that her daughter stayed asleep in the carseat as an infant and it was an easy way to keep nosey strangers from poking around and waking her up, if she just wasn't in view. Another mentioned that it's a good thing for cold & flu season (when a baby is sleeping). This wasn't to say that as a group we thought leaving a baby in a "bucket" was an acceptable practice, but to say, on the occasions when a newborn is sleeping "NEVER WAKE A SLEEPING CHILD :)."

Other items that were discussed were, of course, bottles and pacifiers. Sometimes we get the feeling that these items are disdainful, but they can have their place as well. One mother talked about how her son would get so fussy in public, that he refused to nurse, but would take a bottle from her husband, so she'd pump for such occasions. Other mothers in the group work full time. We discussed thoughts on holding off for these items until 4-6 weeks or until breastfeeding is well established. Often times one will find that a baby won't willingly accept a pacifier after this period of time, others desparately wish their babies WOULD. But we want to be sure the information is out there, that often times a mother is experiencing pain because of a poor latch, therefore using the pacifier or bottle more, which is actually the cause of the vicious cycle of the continued poor latch when baby IS at breast. As far as the items in question, these need to be left to each family to decide on uses.

There were no wrong or right answers. Where one family loved their mei tai, another couldn't live without their ring sling. Most moms agreed that their beautiful, expensive, nursery centerpieces (aka cribs) made really great laundry baskets for YEARS, not all, but most. It was a really great exchange of ideas on common items that the general public seems to believe we need in order to raise a child (or have a baby).

What about you. . . . look at the items below, is there anything you bought and have absolutely no use for? Or find indispensible for your family now? Maybe there are items missing that you just LOVE and couldn't live without. Or items that worked amazingly with one baby and were never used with another. This topic took a little bit to get started, but it turned out to be such a great discussion.

Food For Thought

July: Weaning and Nutrition

La Leche League Concept:Good nutrition means eating a well-balanced and varied diet of foods in as close to their natural state as possible.

What do you expect a meal to provide for your family? Or what does a "successful" mealtime mean to you?

Ritual
Rainbow
Togetherness
Variety
Nutrition
Sustenance
An ability to adapt to your child's food needs at various stages

I think many of us assume a meal will provide energy and hopefully nutrition for ourselves and our little people, but some of these answers really add dimension to what "mealtime" provides. Just like breastfeeding, for the first year, and sometimes longer, provides the nutrition and sustenance our babies need to survive, the nursing relationship also provides SO much more, closeness, togetherness, reset, and has immeasurable emotional value for our children and ourselves. Breastfeeding your baby creates a cornerstone for family mealtime, for expectations on what mealtimes provide and understanding how to adapt to our family's needs as time passes.

Though one LLL concept, of the 10, stands out more than the rest when we discuss food, consider how almost ALL of the concepts have something to do with "mealtime," whatever stage or phase of your life you might be in.

*Mother and baby need to be together early and often to establish a satisfying relationship and an adequate milk supply.

*In the early years the baby has an intense need to be with his mother which is as basic as his need for food.

*Breast milk is the superior infant food.

*For the healthy full-term baby, breast milk is the only food necessary until baby shows signs of needing solids, about the middle of the first year after birth.

*Ideally the breastfeeding relationship will continue until the baby outgrows the need.

*From infancy on, children need loving guidance which reflects acceptance of their capabilities and sensitivity to their feelings. (even and especially surrounding food)

What do YOU expect a meal to provide your family?

World Breastfeeding Week 2011

Breastfeeding Cafe

“Mothers See! Mothers Do!” August 1-15
Become a Volunteer reneeyeoman@gmail.com
Interested in being part of a flash mob? mctimbra@hotmail.com

Be part of this year's blog carnival
Visit Cafe Blog for more information

World Breastfeeding Week Fundraiser
For a second year, “Mini Breastfeeding Portrait Sessions” will be held August 3rd, 4th and 5th

Cost:

$20 minimum donation for a 20 minute portrait session, includes 3 full resolution images

(all $20 goes to group funds)

For an additional fee a CD of images may be purchased, 10% of this fee will stay with group

3 locations
Murray Park, Private Sandy Home, Liberty Park (respectively)

visit photographer's site for follow-up information

REMEMBER: Being part of the Breastfeeding Cafe and taking part in the WBW fundraiser get you extra raffle tickets in our end of summer drawing!!!

Summer Family Events

Summer Meetings?
La Leche League of Murray will be holding a full Set of Series Meetings throughout the summer, please consider attending one or ALL of these meetings. These meetings are FAMILY meetings, yes, that means fathers (and maybe grandfathers) too. The format will include a small mother's circle for those with questions, but this will be an informal setting for breastfeeding families to gather together through the summer.

All meetings will be held at 6pm and are Thursday evenings
Meetings are planned for the backyard of the same Murray meeting place
Please note that each meeting has a different “menu” schedule

~June 16 PICNIC (bring your OWN picnic dinner and a dessert to share, please list ALL ingredients on your dessert)
~July 14 POTLUCK dinner (again, please list ALL ingredients in your dish)
~August 11 TBD
~September 15 End of Summer BBQ (more information to come) and RAFFLE drawing!!!

Don't forget. . . . attending these summer meetings gives you additional raffle tickets for our end of summer drawing!!!!

NEW: Membership Information

Memberships $40
100% of your New Member fee now stays in THIS group!!!!

If La Leche League has meant something your life, if a leader has helped shape your breastfeeding relationship, if being with other breastfeeding mothers has empowered you in your breastfeeding relationship, if La Leche League online articles have given you necessary information, or if you just love your local La Leche League group, consider becoming a member TODAY!!! These donations will be used to further support La Leche League volunteers in their ability to share breastfeeding information with other women, just like you!

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The Perks
Purchasing a La Leche League membership through your local Murray group not only helps others to receive the same benefits from La Leche League that you have, but RIGHT NOW it will enter you in an “end of summer” raffle.
The prizes will be AWESOME!!!!

New Memberships Purchased May 2-Sept 6: 10 tickets with YOUR name on them
Attend a meeting as a member: 2 tickets (non members: 1 ticket)
Bring a friend: 2 tickets (friend: 1 ticket, non-members: 1 ticket)
Attend a Summer evening meeting: 3 tickets (non-members: 1 bring a friend: 1 more ticket, bring your partner: 2 more tickets)
Support World Breastfeeding Week: 3 tickets (non-members: 1)
Volunteer with the Breastfeeding Cafe: 3 tickets (non-members: 1)

IRS Decision Reversal

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 10, 2011
CONTACT: Mike Westling (Merkley) – 202-224-7871
Justine Sessions (Harkin) – 202-224-7977
Josh Drobnyk (Levin) – 202-225-4961
Jon Houston (Maloney) – 202-225-7944

IRS Decision a Victory for Nursing Mothers Everywhere

Breastfeeding Equipment to be Allowed as Medical Tax Deduction and Reimbursed by Flexible Health Spending Accounts

Washington, D.C. – In response to a request from Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Tom Harkin (D-IA), and Representatives Sander Levin (D-MI) and Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced they will reverse a ruling that denies equipment used to help women breast feed from being covered as a health care expense. The previous ruling excluded breast pumps from coverage under flexible health spending accounts and made them non-deductible on tax returns.

Merkley, Harkin, Levin, and Maloney wrote to IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman in November to call for the decision to be reversed. Senators Merkley and Harkin were joined by 9 other Senators; 32 other House members joined Reps. Levin and Maloney.

In response to today’s decision, Senators Merkley and Harkin and Reps. Levin and Maloney released the following statement:

“Today’s decision is a huge victory for nursing mothers everywhere. Modern medicine has documented numerous health benefits linked to breastfeeding, including a reduced risk of illness in infants and a reduced risk of cancer in mothers. And because breastfeeding is so effective in preventing disease, it also happens to save billions in health care costs. We thank the IRS for their careful consideration and quick response.”

Additional Background

A tax ruling by the IRS last year disallowed breast pumps and other breastfeeding supplies as medical deductions, thus also excluding them as permissible expenses under flexible health spending accounts.

Rep. Maloney and Sen. Merkley secured a provision in health care reforms passed earlier this year that employers of hourly workers are be required to provide breastfeeding employees with “reasonable break time” and a private, non-bathroom place to express breast milk during the workday, up until the child’s first birthday.

Breastfeeding is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization for all children under six months.

Twenty-four states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have laws related to breastfeeding in the workplace; fully 43 states and the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands have laws which allow women to breastfeed in any public or private location.

View the list and more at the National Conference of State Legislatures: http://www.ncsl.org/IssuesResearch/Health/BreastfeedingLaws/tabid/14389/Default.aspx