For a community said to have about 400 babies and counting, it seemed odd to Kimberly Daniels that there wasn’t a La Leche League in Squamish, so she decided to form one.
Daniels will be the first leader of the Squamish chapter of La Leche League Canada.
“I don’t know why it took so long, “ said Daniels, mom to Lilian, 4 and Sampson, 2.
Previously, Squamish mothers travelled to the North Shore if they wanted to be part of the not-for-profit breastfeeding support group.
“The reason why it was important to me is because when I was pregnant with my second and still breastfeeding my daughter, I didn’t know how to navigate breastfeeding two, and I wasn’t even sure that was something I wanted to do,” Daniels said. “I wasn’t quite sure how to fit both of them on.”
Daniels said she went to the North Shore La Leche League to learn firsthand about the practice of breastfeeding both a younger and older child. The leader of that group was tandem-nursing her two children and advised Daniels.
“Her guidance was really gentle,” Daniels said.
The group was made up of mostly like-minded moms who built their own community, a resource that could be helpful to Squamish mothers, she said.
“There are a lot of families in Squamish who are away from their extended families, they move here because they want the outdoor adventure, but they don’t necessarily come with their entire family,” she said.
Becoming a leader is no small task.
“It is almost like an apprenticeship with the current leaders, and you work through with the accreditation department. You have your own specific guide that you work with,” Daniels said.
Perspective leaders have to align with the 10 beliefs of the group.
Some of the beliefs include that for most babies, breast milk is the only food necessary until the baby is about six months old, and that ideally breastfeeding will continue until the baby outgrows the need for it. Mothers can discuss the various philosophies.
“Basically it is mother-to-mother support, but you have to be able to guide the discussion and know what is the most current research, “ Daniels said. “The most important thing is that [mothers] know what the information says, what their options are, instead of just getting a ton of misinformation from Google.”
Squamish mom Erica Kuepfer can’t wait for the group to get started.
“It has been one of my dreams to see a group get going here in Squamish,” said Kuepfer, who moved to Squamish about 18 months ago and has a two-year-old daughter and is pregnant with her second child, due in May.
“You think maybe that [breastfeeding] is something that you will just do for a little bit, but then as the relationship goes on, so many other questions come up and having that support is just so awesome,” she said.
Kuepfer said Squamish is very welcoming for breastfeeding moms.
“There are just so many parents here that people are just used to it,” she said
Daniels said the idea of the Squamish La Leche League is to support moms in their breastfeeding journey, but there will be no judgment attached. If a mom feels she needs to supplement with a bottle of breast milk, or pump exclusively, there will be no pressure to do otherwise, she said.
“The main disclaimer that is spoken at the start of most of the meetings is: ‘Take what works for you and leave the rest,’” Daniels said.
La Leche was founded in the United States in 1956 and came to Canada in the early 1960s. The name means “the milk” in Spanish.
The first meeting will be held at the Squamish Academy of Music on Thursday, March 12 starting at 10:30 a.m. For more information on the Squamish group, go to www.lllc.ca/lllc-squamish.
