Baby Breakfast Groups (+bonus picture!)

I am not crazy about the term "lactation support group."  It sounds very technical and is a mouthful.  So, Kevin and I started calling the groups "Baby Breakfast."  It's morning and the babies are eating, right?  Although, I guess with starting at 10AM, it's really more of a brunch, but Baby Breakfast has stuck for us.

When Abby first went to the group at Upper Chesapeake,  she was only five days old, and one of the smallest babies there.  Everyone fusses over the smallest babies.  I saw moms with these enormous babies, and I gaped at them.  "How old is your baby?" I asked.  I was shocked to hear that these gigantic babies were sometimes only three months old.  It was hard to believe that my brand new little girl would be that big in three short months.

On Tuesday, our friend Sarah took her brand new little girl to Baby Breakfast.  At only two days old , her baby was definitely one of the smallest.  We took a picture of them, along with our other friend Jenny and her six-week old boy, and me and Abby.  Look who has the huge baby, now!

Small, Medium, and Large.  The babies, that is.  Don't worry, we won't let those nicknames stick.

I go to two different groups, and enjoy both of them for different reasons.  Both offer opportunities for weigh-feed-weigh, if you want to see how much your peanut is eating.  If you're in the Baltimore/Harford County area, here is the info for them:

Upper Chesapeake Medical Center - Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10AM - 11:30(ish).  It is basically a big, social breastfeeding hour with two lactation consultants coming around to assist and answer questions.  It's a good way to meet other moms and get one-on-one support.  The upside is that the consultants will sometimes spend a half hour with someone who really needs it; the downside is if you're not that person, you might have to wait awhile to get the help you're looking for.  Usually, though, you can get the help you need.

Mercy Medical Center - Mondays from 10AM - noon(ish). This is run more as a support group, with everyone sitting around a table, introducing themselves and sharing their issues.  The issues are usually feeding related, but are also sometimes about other things, like sleeping or behavior.  These issues are addressed by the consultant who runs the group, Dee Dee.  She has a wealth of information and experience, and is good at acknowledging how new moms feel, which we don't always feel that we can admit. I like hearing everyone else's issues, personally.  Helps me feel less crazy.  :-) Dads are also welcome to this group, but only a few come.

Those are the only two I've been to, but there are many more all across Maryland.  The Maryland Breastfeeding Coalition has a great list if you're looking for one in a different area.