Catholic Nursing Mothers League (CNML) is an excellent organization for supporting breastfeeding mothers. I encourage priests and family life directors to consider having such a chapter in their parish. All it takes is for one mother to come forward and have the desire to help mothers nurse their babies. The President of CNML, Gina Peterson, gives an example below as to what takes place at a CNML meeting. She shows how a chapter can encourage and support breastfeeding and help families in the parish live the faith.
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A CNML Meeting by Gina Peterson
Have you ever thought of combining your passion for breastfeeding with your love of your Catholic faith? Here is a snapshot of what might happen at a CNML meeting. It is a true account based on conversations at two CNML meetings:
The four or five mothers arrive and sign in. Everyone chats a bit and then introduces themselves and their children. The CNML leader reads the CNML disclaimer and official statement and begins with a discussion starter from the CNML Resource Guide or simply waits for the discussion to enfold.
One mom who is pregnant tells everyone that she just weaned her son a few weeks ago and feels sad knowing this is the end of their breastfeeding relationship. The CNML leader offers ideas for ways to “snuggle” with him, empathizes with her, and comments that since her son weaned so easily – without tears – that he must have been ready. Another mother cheerfully notes that soon she will have a new baby to nurse 🙂
One of the mothers mentions that her baby has been spitting up excessively and she believes it is due to a dairy allergy. She changed her diet and the baby’s symptoms have improved. Another mom asks what her baby’s symptoms are and the CNML leader agrees that those are possible signs of food allergy listed in The Baby Book by the Sears family.
A mother asks if she should be giving her baby a certain amount of liquids and possibly cow’s milk now that he is one year old and only nurses a few times per day. The CNML leader lets her know that she will look it up and then sends her a link to an informative online article on the dietary needs of breastfeeding toddlers.
CNML leader and the mothers discuss how wonderful a king-sized bed is for co-sleeping and that it is a great in investment.
One mother, who has spaced her family primarily through breastfeeding, asks where she can learn NFP. The CNML leader offers her a brochure for the parish NFP instructor and shows her NFP International’s manual. Another mother says that her periods returned much sooner than expected even though she was exclusively breastfeeding. However, her son did start sleeping through the night fairly early on. The CNML leader describes the seven standards of ecological breastfeeding and gives her a copy of Breastfeeding and Natural Child Spacing.
A mother shares the story of losing her baby just an hour after birth. She inspires all the mothers with her great faith in God and faith that her sweet baby is in Jesus’ loving arms right now.
One mother mentions how her friend would love to nurse her newborn baby but she has inverted nipples. The CNML leader reads from a breastfeeding book about how pumping will help keep up her supply until she receives assistance from a lactation consultant. Also the book describes how to make a homemade nipple everter. The leader gives the mom her business card to give to her friend, because she is also a volunteer lactation consultant.
A mother asks if there is a certain style of parenting that is uniquely Catholic. The CNML leader recommends the book, Parenting with Grace, by the Popcaks.
At the close of the meeting, the CNML leader hands out gift bags with one decade rosaries and other items, and the mothers pray a decade of the rosary together.
(Gina Peterson, November 26, 2014; CNML website: www.catholicbreastfeeding.org; Gina is also author of Getting Started with Breastfeeding for Catholic Mothers.)