Monday, May 11, 2009

La Leche League in Tokyo

We have a wonderful resource in Tokyo in La Leche League,a volunteer organization which offers up-to-date resources and information on breastfeeding, with trained Leaders (experienced breastfeeding mothers themselves) who hold monthly discussion meetings and offer free individual breastfeeding assistance via email and telephone. We have meetings in English, Japanese and French available for women in Tokyo in several different locations each month.

La Leche League has been very active in Tokyo for almost 30 years, and each group has a library for members of fantastic and up-to-date books on birth, breastfeeding, parenting in general, fertility, losing weight after baby, starting solid foods, mothering twins, premature babies, sleep solutions, fussy babies and much more! We have access to breastfeeding information in many languages, and one Tokyo group even has materials in Hebrew!
To find your nearest group, please see http://www.llli.org/Japan.html

Many wonder why anyone would have a meeting about breastfeeding. They may ask, "Who goes to these meetings and what do they talk about?"
At Group meetings La Leche League Leaders and other mothers share experiences, give suggestions and offer support and encouragement. LLL meetings are ideal for learning from and making friends with other mothers. These meetings provide time for mother-to-mother sharing in a friendly and accepting atmosphere. The informal meetings are attended by expectant, new and experienced mothers and their babies. Most Groups rotate through a series of breastfeeding topics, however every meeting is different and the questions of the attendees are always given top priority.

Why LLL meetings? In generations past, many mothers had plenty of support for breastfeeding their babies because their mothers, grandmothers and sisters had breastfed. Now many of us live far away from our families and most likely, they didn't breastfed. Breastfeeding is natural, but it is a learned art. Attending an LLL meeting and seeing other mothers breastfeed their babies helps new and expectant mothers learn how to nurture their babies too.

Who attends LLL meetings? Women interested in breastfeeding are welcome to attend LLL meetings. Women are encouraged to begin attending meetings as soon as they know they are pregnant or before, if they are interested! Attending early in a pregnancy gives mothers plenty of time to learn as much as possible about the womanly art of breastfeeding. Most Groups have an extensive lending library of books especially for breastfeeding families on the topics of breastfeeding, nutrition, parenting and childbirth. The LLL comprehensive guidebook, THE WOMANLY ART OF BREASTFEEDING is offered for sale by most Groups. More here: http://www.llli.org/FAQ/LLL.html
Or contact one of the Leaders in Tokyo listed here http://www.llli.org/Japan.html

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