Dear Readers
Dear Readers,
Spring will have just begun to blossom in the Northern Hemisphere when you will read this letter. Everything awakens to celebrate nature being reborn. It is like a symphony playing its first notes, shyly but with the desire to soon sparkle with all its beauty!
Unexpectedly, no matter where you are now in the world, you may only be able to enjoy nature’s beauty from your window. Many cities and towns appear empty, with the exception of heroic workers who fulfill an essential need — such as those who are fighting to save lives in hospitals or those who are allowing us to have food every day. The spread of this terrible coronavirus has caught us unprepared, and the adoption of strict measures has become almost immediately necessary all over the world.
A mother shared in her story Living in China During the Outbreak of COVID-19, being faced with quarantine overnight, in the country most affected by COVID-19, wasn’t easy at all. It is precisely in times of emergency that breastfeeding support becomes even more fundamental. Thanks to technology, she managed to provide online breastfeeding help for help mothers, babies and families. Even if only for a few hours, she made them feel less lonely. Remembering that we’re not alone and supporting each other can make all the difference.
This is even more important when you’re a parent because many other challenges await us every day.
Sabrina Woosaree-Hazlett shares with us her experience of overcoming challenges as the mother of a very special child with Down syndrome who has brought infinite joy into her life.
When we become parents for the first time, every milestone has so much meaning. The first feeding, the first smile, the first sleepless night, the first step… The time will run so fast that only years later will we realize how much the baby we once cradled in our arms has grown. Will we be ready for that moment? Maddi Munzer’s sweet story of her daughter’s gentle weaning will tell us more about that.
Before wishing you a pleasant reading, I would like to honor the mothers who are reading this, as we are currently nearing “Mother’s Day” — celebrated in many countries this May (while other countries celebrate mothers earlier or later in the year). Here is one of my favorite quotations from The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding:
“Becoming a mother is kind of like learning to swim. At some point, you take a little deeper breath, let go of the edge, start to paddle… and realize you’re doing it. Some of it is what you’ve learned, some of it is making the effort, and some of it is having faith in yourself. […] Someday soon you’ll realize that you love swimming… and you’re good at it!”. [1]
Warmly,
Valentina Attanasio
Associate Editor
Reference
- La Leche League International. The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding. 8th revised edition. Edited by Diane Wiessinger, Diana West and Teresa Pitman. New York, USA: Random House/Ballantine Books. 2010; 103.
