What Others are Saying about MOBI

My name is Carolyn and I am a first time mom of a baby girl named Harli Cara. She is currently 4 months old. I do not have any friends (I'm the first to have a baby) or relatives who have breastfed. Therefore I do not have any type of support group rather than a lactation nurse in the area but its nice to have the support of people actually experiencing the same things "now" that I am. I am new to the net and stumbled across this website. Everyone seems so nice and I'm going to share the knowledge of this site with others from my prenatal class. I have been married for 1 year (Harli was born 6 days after our anniversary) so I have undergone a lot of changes in my life. I found this site only yesterday and already I feel some of the stress lifted. Thank you.
Carolyn and Harli
  
I just wanted to thank you for all of the helpful information you've sent my way. I feel good about bfing once again, now that I have a better handle on the situation. I tell you, the situation had me in tears more than once. DH also says thanks - his wife has gone from a screaming lunatic to one able to handle the world and her children a bit more peacefully :-)

In fact, I posted a rave review of MOBI to my feb99 list - and I was surprised to hear from another girl that she's having the same problems with the same symptoms. I passed on some of the information on weighing, thumb-sucking, etc, etc. from the posts that have been so helpful...as well as strong encouragement for her to join the list!

Lori
 
My name is Patricia S. Chandler. I am a lactation counselor, not board certified as of yet but have actively worked with lactating Moms for eight years now. Also, I work closely with a pediatrician and her patients and am a Medela representative. I have been a part of MOBI's support group and know first hand that this is a marvelous place for Moms who have had difficult breastfeeding issues. They are offered understanding and support. Most of these Moms are going through very difficult times. They have longed deeply to have a wonderful breastfeeding experience but for one reason or another, they have not had the ideal situation.

This is a good and reputable organization. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Patricia
  
I'm a mother of a 17 month old. I joined the MOBI list to learn from others, and to share my trials, tribulations, and ultimate "failure" in the breastfeeding relationship with my son.

In my experience with the MOBI list, all the women want to desperately succeed with breastfeeding their child or have a great to desire to do so with the next. I personally feel like I have missed out on the empowerment of both birth and breastfeeding. I certainly did and still believe breastfeeding is optimal; however, a complicated c-section delivery flowed into breastfeeding problems with circumstances that where difficult at the time.

Currently, I'm still trying to build back self-confidence and trust that I have lost through my "failures". The MOBI list has been a special place to be able to grieve the breastfeeding loss in a very positive atmosphere.

There are many individuals with varying problems; however, everyone can be of help without always agreeing with the individual choices. We do want to feel good about being a mother and meeting our babies needs the "best" we could with each given circumstance.

Sincerely,

Rebecca
 
Just a quick note to tell you that I feel MOBI serves a valuable purpose in supporting women who have been unsuccessful with breastfeeding.

Thank You,

Denise G Hewson RN IBCLC
Birth & Beyond
(Lactation Consultant in Private Practice)
Katy, Texas
 
I wanted to update you all on two big successes as a result of my involvement with this group. I had asked for help with my 6 mo. old son Brendan's rash. I visited the dermatologist and it turned out to be sensitive skin and eczema with a surface strep infection under his chin. I now use Desitin under his chin, a steroid cream on his chest, and Eucerin cream all over. He's like a greased pig when I'm done! Thanks to you folks and your tips to use different soaps, etc. I feel that I can help prevent it from happening again.

Success #2 - I joined because I had a tough time keeping up with pumping for my little man while he was in day care and me at work. I tried the fenugreek, drank lots of water, and basked in the glow of your devotion and my supply increased from around 15-18 oz. day to around 26 oz.!! Now I really feel like a cow! Because of hearing of all the problems that can occur, I realize what a gift I have to share with my son. Nothing - and I mean nothing - gets in my way of tending to my pumping at work. I pump in the car in route when necessary and schedule meetings around my 3 pumping sessions a day. I've even stopped long-winded colleagues to say - "Gotta go make milk!" - so that I don't get off schedule or too anxious about time (by the way, this is a great technique to shorten conversations - not too much room for a response!). You ladies have definitely made me keep my priorities straight!

Thanks so much to you all - from me and Brendan!

Anne Margaret
I was unable to breastfeed my first child for more than 6 weeks and I grieved the loss of our breastfeeding relationship. I successfully breastfed my second child for two and a half years and am exclusively nursing my three month old despite tongue-tie and ten weeks of resistant thrush infection. I have gotten nothing but encouragement from these women and professional advice from an IBCLC while on the MOBI email list.

I have yet to hear any of the women on the list say they will not choose to breastfeed future children, on the contrary they've stated that they will be determined to nurse their babies next time. The list is not only a place for grieving and for working out issues while nourishing babies with formula; there are many women on the list who are currently working through breastfeeding problems and continuing to nurse despite overwhelming difficulties.

MOBI is still a rare safe place for women who were saddened that they could not nurse but are dealing with the realities of nourishing a child with a bottle, not just sustaining him with it until he can have "real" food.

Sincerely, Leigh
 
I was unable to breastfeed either of my two children. I am contemplating having a third child with my second husband who has no children of his own, and I was desperately  seeking INFORMATION and UNDERSTANDING about what may have gone wrong and what I can do to ensure a good breastfeeding relationship the third and last time. In my short two months on the list I've learned more than any midwife, LaLeche League Leader, Lactation Consultant, Pediatrician, or best breastfeeding friend could have ever told me. Let me count the ways...

  • Learned what a frenulum is; how short ones may cause breastfeeding problems and which Dr. in my area believes in clipping them
  • Learned about the different pumps available and their pros and cons from moms who have used them
  • Learned that not feeling a let down doesn't mean that you don't have one
  • Learned that thrush can cause extremely sore nipples and that sore nipples are not always a sign of incorrect latch
  • Learned about galactogougs (sp?) and fenugreek tea as a milk supply enhancer
  • Learned that I was not a horrid mother for FEEDING my starving child formula after she had lost over 1 1/2 pounds in a week and a half
  • Learned about ICAN and how it changed my mind about scheduling a C-Section with my third child
  • Learned about where to find a Doula, what questions to ask them, and how much they charge
  • Learned how Pitocin for induction can sometimes cause swelling which may pinch off milk ducts causing supply problems
  • Learned that feeling bad about not being able to breastfeed is not denial, it's simply feeling bad about not being able to breastfeed
The best and most important thing I've learned from MOBI is that knowledge and support and comfort from others who have been there is the single most empowering thing in the world.

Leesa Ward
 
JUST A NOTE TO SAY THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING. THE SUPPORT I RECEIVED FROM JUST ONE LETTER WAS OVERWHELMING. I WAS REALLY TOUCHED BY ALL THE SUPPORT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, FOR PROVIDING THESE SERVICES FOR MOTHERS JUST LIKE ME.

DIANA
 
I have been a member of MOBI for over five months now. I came to the group after trying all of the local LC's suggestions, all to no avail. When I subscribed to the list, I was angry and hurt. You see, this is my second child, and both times I have had insufficient milk supply. The women on MOBI were very supportive. They helped me work through my negative emotions by being there for me to talk to. They did not judge my feelings, and this was crucial to the healing process. I never felt dismissed or misunderstood.

On the 30th of January, my daughter and I will celebrate six months of breastfeeding. This was a goal I could not have reached without the support I received from the other women on the list. There were many times during the past six months when I wanted to give up. I've tried an aggressive pumping schedule. I've taken medication, both prescribed and herbal, to try to increase my supply. I've dealt with nursing strikes and biting. I had surgery, and my supply dropped, and I had to struggle to get it back up. This is just a sampling of the problems I have had to contend with during the past six months. Through each and every trial, the group was there for me, to listen and encourage me.

Many of these women have been in the same position I am in. They have exhausted all of the suggestions of there local medical community, and everything they tried failed to produce results. But, the one trait I have found in these women is perseverance. They continue to nurse in spite of their problems. Many, including myself, encourage others to breastfeed as much as they can, as long as they can. Most, if not all, would attempt to nurse again (I did!). In fact, some of the women in our group are pregnant, or have recently given birth, and are attempting to nurse again.

Through MOBI I was also put in contact with a doctor researching breastfeeding problems. I have shared my story with the list, and listened to their stories. We have examined our experiences, as well as those experiences of women we know, such as friends and relatives. As a group we have discussed the current research with a critical eye. There are also members who, individually, have been proactive. I personally have begun to look into creating a lobby for more breastfeeding research and awareness of primary and secondary milk insufficiency, among other problems. One member in the past went so far as to create an outreach program for women with difficulty. We have had members who are active in LLL as lay counselors, as well as LC's, Bradley childbirth educators, authors, doctors, and CBEs. And let's not forget, the site was created by a woman who had difficulty herself, a woman who wanted to help others.

Yours truly, Tara