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Investing in Leader Applicants – Spread the LLLove around the worLLLd
Aimée Readhead, Area Finance Coordinator (AFC)
Investing in future Leader Applicants and those who are working through their Leader Applicant work can be so rewarding and fruitful for all involved. There’s a sweet moment when you see the potential in another person who could become a La Leche League Leader. You may reach out and plant a seed by highlighting the person’s skills and share more about what LLL leadership entails.
Once you have both discussed the pre-application information and everyone feels ready to progress, there’s something so exciting about sending off the Application form, Leader Recommendation form, and Leader Applicant fee.
Then the fun begins as the Applicant starts chipping away at the various pieces of the application for leadership. Time goes by, and somehow you are both amazed that you feel ready to go through that last Preview situation! How did you manage to get through it all?
When sometimes it seems impossible to have a whole conversation or think a complete thought with all that is going on in a full, busy life, completing all of the application work is a huge accomplishment! It’s so exciting to hear from the Leader Accreditation Department that everything is completed and then, hurray, there is a new Leader in town! What a joy and how wonderful for the Group! There’s an exciting period as the realization crystallizes that you really do have a co-Leader who can now help manage and grow the Group.
Perfect…. And then maybe the new Leader has to move away for a new family adventure. SIGH! While this may feel heavy, take heart. The world is as big or as small as we choose to make it. Thankfully, La Leche League is a truly international organization. Think of this newly accredited Leader as a gift for the new community. If the new location is in a larger city or town, there’s bound to be an active Group, or the potential to start one. Process your own disappointment by allowing your DA and Area co-Leaders to commiserate with you. You probably became quite close to your new co-Leader through the application time. Stay positive; the two of you will perhaps stay in touch, your children might become pen pals, you now may have an open invitation to visit a new place, you may be able to support each other from afar, and, perhaps, one day you will get the opportunity to co-lead together in another Area or country! And be hopeful; perhaps another LLL Group from around the world will send you the gift of a Leader one day!
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Leading, Loving, Learning
Heather Gansky, Area Coordinator of Events (ACE)
WHO Code Webinars
The Helen Keller International’s Assessment & Research on Child Feeding (ARCH) webinar series on the WHO Code is available.
The series of three, one-hour webinars is informative, concise, and presented by international experts on the Code and can be viewed free-of-charge at your leisure here: http://archnutrition.org/who-code-webinars/
Helen Keller International is part of the Network for Global Monitoring and Support for Implementation of the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes and subsequent relevant World Health Assembly Resolutions (NetCode). |
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Area Council Notes
Scarlett S. Miles, Area Publications Coordinator (APC)
During the Area Council meeting, we spent a significant amount of time discussing diversity and equity. We considered speakers and topics for upcoming educational events and began the conversation about how the Area can meet the challenge of integrating new equitable language and practices within the existing LLL of NY framework. One of the first steps will be to educate ourselves on diversity and equity. And a good starting point will be to look at our language and vocabulary to see where we can be more inclusive. In some cases changing what we say will be easy, e.g., going from saying spouse to saying, partner. In other cases, it will be more difficult. One thing we can do is explore the new more inclusive vocabulary. Watch for more information on vocabulary coming in the e-Blender and on the LLL NY website.
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The LLLI Board of Directors commissioned the Inclusive Language Work Group (ILWG) “To remove linguistic barriers to inclusivity while upholding the ideals and principles which are the foundation of LLLI beliefs.” The ILWG and the LLLI Board of Directors unanimously approved the following statement that will be displayed on the LLLI homepage:
-We at La Leche League International have all nursed our babies. If you want to do the same, whoever you are, whatever your story is, we’re here to help.
-LLLI is committed to serving everyone inclusive of race, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, physical or mental ability, socio-economic status, political views, gender identity, sexual orientation, family structure, or other protected status.
-LLLI seeks the equitable accreditation of a diverse body of Leaders.
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La Leche League USA (LLL USA) is committed to diversity and inclusion. LLL USA supports all breastfeeding, chest feeding, and human milk feeding families, inclusive of their race, ethnicity, immigration status, national origin, creed, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, family structure, primary language, ability, or socio-economic status. LLL USA fosters diversity among its Leaders so as to incorporate a wide variety of perspectives and responsible decision-making.
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Tandem Nursing Sarah Shapiro
As the mother of three nurslings, a Leader, and an IBCLC, my aim is to convey practical experience, evidence-based information, and a sense of wonder: Tandem nursing can be a remarkable journey. For many of us who have had the awe-inspiring privilege of nurturing two siblings at our breasts, it has been an extraordinary experience. There is nothing quite like the peace of two small beings nestled together, drinking or dozing in quiet companionship. Sometimes there may be small elbows digging into even smaller cheeks, and toes poking noses, but the memory of a dozen of these raucous moments is quickly erased by the timeless sight of two small hands quietly clasped amidst the rhythmic sounds of gulping, followed by the satiated slumber of completely relaxed children.
As a Leader, you may hear from families wondering about tandem nursing… the new book Tandem Nursing, a Pocket Guide can help answer many common questions, such as:
- Can I nurse during pregnancy?
- Is tandem nursing safe?
- How can I deal with nursing aversions?
- How do I manage the competing needs of a newborn and sibling?
- How do I fit two babies on the breast?
- What about bedtime?
Tandem Nursing: A Pocket Guide is a concise introduction written for families. If you need a tandem resource for the Group library, or if you just want to learn more as a Leader to help you support tandeming families, this book can help. The book is available through the TandemNursing.weebly.com website in electronic or hard copy versions, and the print book is also available on Amazon.
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Share your breastfeeding photos- individual or group photos are wecome! Have an idea for an article? Or is there something you would like to see in the newsletter? We are in need of articles for future issues. Please send your ideas or article to Scarlett Miles, APC
1872 State Rt 21, Palmyra, NY 14522 or email to LLLNYPublications@gmail.com
Articles selected for publication may be edited for length, clarity, and adherence to LLL publishing guidelines.
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La Leche League is an international, nonprofit, nonsectarian organization dedicated to providing education, information, and encouragement to women who want to breastfeed. BLENDER and e-BLENDER are publications of La Leche League of New York, 125 Curtis Hill Rd E., Nassau, NY 12062 and are devoted to the enrichment and inspiration of Leaders and Leader Applicants.
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