Dear Readers

Dear Readers,

Welcome to the first issue of Breastfeeding Today for 2022 and my last one as Managing Editor. I feel sad having to say goodbye to all of you, but I am grateful to have had the opportunity to work with a great team over the last two years.

I would like to thank all past and present members of the Editorial Review Board – Valeria Baena, Marcella Bonanno, Carolyn Driver-Burgess, Nan Jolly, Helen Lloyd, Ellen Mateer, RuthAnna Mather, Anna Restuccia, Lois Rowlands, Alyssa Schnell, and Eva Natali Williams. Special thanks also go to the LLLI Executive Director – Zion Tankard – and the LLLI co-Chairs of the past two years – Devorah Schesch-Wernick, Shevawn O’Connor, Carolyn Driver-Burgess, and Ellen Mateer.
A special thought of gratitude also goes to Karen Williamson, with whom this wonderful adventure had begun.
Last but not least, my final thanks go to all the contributors. You have been the very heart of the magazine and I am grateful to you for sharing all of your experiences with me and BT readers.

Without further ado, let’s open this issue with a special poem in both Spanish and English – Leche Que Fluye (Milk That Flows) by Marta Leticia Sierra Morales: “Leche que nutre, / así como la / Savia lo hace con las plantas, / Leche que espera a que el crío / La ingiera (Milk that nurtures, / as the sap does with the flowers, / milk waiting for the child to ingest it.”

La Leche League Leaders have always worked tirelessly to make information and resources available to as many families as possible, from mother-to-mother/ parent-to-parent. And, sometimes, it’s just the support of another parent that we need. As Michelle F. Creeden learned when she became a mother for the first time: “When she breastfed her children, she felt very alone and noticed no one really talked about it. And when people did talk, it was rainbows and butterflies.” [1] She discovered that humor is the key to getting through tough days and decided to help other parents by writing a book, 101 Boobilicious Moments. Find out more in this special book review.

Receiving support and encouragement is also what can help us find our own way of caring for and loving our children and ourselves too. As Mayra A. Chuil López tells us in her sweet tale, Instinto Materno (Maternal Instinct): “Llegando se dio cuenta que cada quien tiene una forma distinta de demostrar su amor, ya sea con leche materna o fórmula, el amor viene en muchas presentaciones…” (“When she arrived, she realized that everyone has a different way of showing their love, whether it is with breastmilk or formula. Love comes in many presentations…”)

It is especially when you share that you learn how many different ways of being a parent exist. As Esther Schiedel says in her article Learning to Share; Sharing to Learn, sharing with us her experience inside and outside La Leche League: “Leaders share approaches that have worked for many mothers and families. They also share information from research. But they don’t tell mothers what they ought to do. Attendees at a meeting are encouraged to share from their own experiences in a way that respects others. This includes recognizing that different situations may require different solutions and that there is more than one right answer to any challenge.”

In closing, a new special recipe by Penelope Karagouni for you, a delicious variation of a well-known American recipe, Greek Mac & Cheese Casserole (also in Greek). You’re gonna love it!

Enjoy your reading!