Dear Readers

Dear Readers,

A new year has just begun and I feel so honored to share this first issue of 2021 with you.

Starting with a special book review kindly written by Eden Anderson of Naomi Stadlen’s third book “What Mothers Learn – Without Being Taught”: “Mothers bringing up their children to understand our shared humanity, to be humane and sensible adults surely must be of extraordinary worth.” Eden will guide you through the pages of Naomi’s book that unfold the value of mothering through the words of mothers recorded during discussion groups in London.

Nowadays, these discussion groups can only be held online, as Ellen Mateer tells us in her article “La Leche League Support in Social Media Groups”. Although social media has been part of our lives for a long time now, it is not so obvious to see them as a safe place where you can find support and help. Ellen will show us how “La Leche League (LLL) Leaders have responded wonderfully by increasing the already comprehensive support they offer to include more online meetings and more and busier social media groups.”

This has been possible also thanks to the legacy that LLL has built over the years and passed on from one generation of Leaders to another. As Diane Wiessinger reminds us in her article “The Sisters of Mercy”: “It’s about women who gather around people who are at their lowest and loneliest, who have lost control and the comfort of family, to reassure and support them.”

Support and comfort are also important components of the next story, an intense experience that Jessica had the courage to share with us: “The Birth of a Mother: My Experience with Postnatal Anxiety and Depression”. “Do not suffer in silence. You matter, and my own experience has taught me that things can get better. Those dark clouds will lift letting the light in and illuminating the beautiful joy that is motherhood.”

Becoming a parent is an exciting but equally overwhelming experience and how it all begins can make a big difference, as Elizabeth Smith tells us in her article “Bridging Birth and Breastfeeding”, highlighting how pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding are deeply connected. “Choices, decisions, and medical needs can all have an impact on early lactation. It is important to understand this complex and yet biologically normal progression from fetal environment to extrauterine life.”

Wherever you’re in the world, I hope that you will find something special in these pages that can brighten the first few weeks of the new year.

Enjoy your reading!