The blog expresses my personal opinion.
Strange – I thought I had a good idea of what I want to say and then when I sat down to write….nothing.
I tried a few sentences, but found them not to my liking……
Then I started wondering what people mean when they use the word ‘community’ and looked up the definition of the word – there are quite a number of different definitions, depending on the context the word is used in.
For me community is the area I live in and the services and support I can access there.
What does community mean for you?
….and then you have the online community you can access day and night for support….built out of people with a common interest.
Both communities – the real and the virtual – can offer you information which actually supports and it also offers information/advice which is undermining or destructive.
So – maybe when choosing where to go for breastfeeding support, it is not the locality that is important, but the attitude and intend with which support is given.
There will be problems where you will need to meet up with someone to work out what is going on and it might be helpful to you if someone in the virtual community goes: “I really think you would benefit to have someone have a look at that.” – because it e.g. validates what you think or points something out you hadn’t thought of and there will be problems/moments where ‘all’ you need is for someone to say: “You are doing a brilliant job.”
So – after a lot of mulling over this – maybe sometimes it is not the ‘where’, but the ‘what kind’ of support can you get, that will decide to where you go to ask your questions.
Please feel free to add your thoughts and comments 🙂
Petra
Lactation Consultant IBCLC and La Leche League Breastfeeding Counsellor
Gestalt Counsellor
Other websites you might find interesting:
Dispelling breastfeeding myth: http://www.mythnomore.blogspot.co.uk/
The secret life of Kate: http://www.thesecretlifeofkate.blogspot.co.uk/
Ponderings of a Doula: http://www.betterbirthing.blog.com/
Smiling like sunshine: http://www.smilinglikesunshine1.blogspot.co.uk