A Quick Guide to Seeking and Providing Mother-to-Mother Support
January 14, 2019
Hosted by Marie Biancuzzo, RN MS IBCLC
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Guest Information
Episode Description
There are many ways to seek support, and many ways to provide support. One type of support, mother-to-mother support, has been repeatedly shown to help breastfeeding mothers meet their goals. That’s a great result. But what’s the experience when seeking or providing such support? Join Marie and her guest, Rebecca Ruhlen, PhD, IBCLC, an anthropology professor at Davidson University, and a member of the Board of Directors of Breastfeeding USA, as they discuss breastfeeding support from a sociocultural perspective. Maybe you’ve asked yourself: What is a mother-to-mother support meeting? What if I don’t like meetings? Are there any online meetings? What if I don’t identify as a mother—is there are place for me in such groups? Might a different time, a different location, or a different leader be more helpful for me? What’s the difference between La Leche League and Breastfeeding USA? Can volunteers give quality support? Get the answers to these questions and more in this episode.
Born to be Breastfed
New shows weekly on VoiceAmerica Health and Wellness Channel
Every new mother hears that breast is best. Many decide to breastfeed so their baby has the best. But soon after birth, the days are often fraught with sleep deprivation and conflicting messages from peers, family members, and health care professionals. Later, negative messages from the media and critical comments from family members and others may trigger mothers to question their decision. Feelings of inadequacy, intimidation and societal pressure to wean can cause mothers to give up breastfeeding before meeting their goals.
The aim of this show is to empower parents to overcome the barriers that keep them from beginning or continuing to breastfeed. Through discussion of hospital practices, milk supply, medications, returning to work, milk storage options, and more, this show will provide an informed and supportive voice for new families and established families, so that they can take charge of their breastfeeding experience from conception through weaning.
Marie Biancuzzo, RN MS IBCLC
Marie Biancuzzo started helping mothers, babies and families to succeed at breastfeeding more than thirty years ago. Fondly remembered for decades by mothers, she earned their trust by helping them to cut through the misinformation, bust the myths, and believe in themselves. Among her peers, Marie has received international recognition as a clinical expert, book author, and national-level change agent. She was a founding member of the United States Breastfeeding Committee, the past president of Baby-Friendly USA, and the founding editor of Nursing for Women's Health.
Marie has both depth and breadth of expertise from having worked in community and teaching hospitals, with mothers and health care providers, in nearly all subspecialties of maternal infant health. From the mother’s hospital bedside to the university classroom, Marie has honed her skills at helping people be good consumers of health care information.
A native of the Rochester, New York area, Marie now resides in the Washington DC area but crisscrosses the country as Director of Breastfeeding Outlook, the education company she founded in 1998. Through her courses and seminars, Marie works to help nurses and other professionals learn how to help families with breastfeeding and related perinatal topics. Recognized for her warmth and personable teaching style, Marie continues to provide direct assistance to mothers, as well.
Marie writes weekly for her blog, The Gold Standard Line.
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