Power Surge

 

I wrote this a few years ago:

When I went to my first La Leche League meeting with my four-month-old, I wasn’t sure what to expect.  I was given the blue copy of the Womanly Art of Breastfeeding when I was pregnant.   I devoured the book.  I felt at home with everything I read.  The friend who gave the book to me told me that if I didn’t have any bottles in the house, I would not be tempted to use them.

My daughter was born in Bangkok, where we were posted to the US Embassy.  I really didn’t have anyone to talk to about breastfeeding.  There were no La leche League Groups there at that time.

As soon as I went into that first meeting I knew I was “home”.    Seeing babies with teeth and shoes who were still nursing was new to me, but I learned about all the various ways we mother our babies.

I started to work on becoming a LLL Leader as soon as I was able to.  In fact, I received my Leader card in the mail at my in-law’s house as we were about to leave for another overseas posting.

I never knew back then that I would “still” be in La Leche League.   But here I am.  Over forty years later I am still an active Leader.

We lived in Poland under communism, and I was not permitted to form a group or hold any kind of meetings.  In fact, while we were there it was even illegal to have a printing press.   So I did my work by correspondence with La Leche League International.  I got my husband’s Polish secretary to help translate basic breastfeeding information into Polish.  I then mailed  the Polish language information to LLLI in, Illinois.  My understand is that most of the requests for the Polish language breastfeeding information were ordered by Polish Americans and they mailed it back to Poland.

I have many more overseas La Leche League tales to tell.  But now I want to write about the wonderful group that grew out of being a La Leche League Leader.

In 1996 we were just starting to write, send and receive email.  My family and I were again overseas.  This time in Western Australia.   I was active with a LLL Group there, but was missing my friends back home.  Plus, as much as I love working with mothers and babies, I was entering a new stage of parenting.  Teens.  Kids leaving home.  Aging parents.  And hot flashes!

There was an online email listserv for La Leche League Leaders.  It was so good to connect.  But several of us were in the same boat.  We didn’t need support with potty training or night nursing.

Norma Ritter started a group just for “us”.  We decided on the name “Power Surge”, or PS.  We capped membership at a little over 40 members.

In the last 20+ years we have remained a cohesive group.   We have been though some members becoming widows, losing parents, losing children and grandchildren.  A few of the members of this group have died as well.   

The first time a large number of actually met in person was at the La leche League International Conference in Washington, DC in 1997.  I have pictures and memories of that time that I will cherish.

One member of the group had an idea.  She suggested a we all a bead that we felt represented each our own unique personality.  Then we each contributed enough beads for each member to make their own necklace from the beads.   When any one of us needs support, prayers and good thoughts we spread out PS Angel wings and wear our beads.

Somewhere I have a list of which bead came from which “PSsister” and why it was chosen.  Some were handmade, some purchased.  Some were even made of rolled up pages from New Beginnings!