Help with seeing the whole picture.
AG’s husband had lost his job during her pregnancy. Shortly after AG went home with her baby, they were evicted from their apartment as they were unable to afford the rent. They had purchased a shell of a house to fix up, but at the time of her delivery, it lacked electricity, heat and plumbing.
Her family of 5 had their food stamps cut by more than half, because they owned a house, even though it was not habitable.
Mr. G. was living in the house, working around the clock. AG and her 3 children were staying with friends and relatives, changing locations every few days,. Her postpartum healing was prolonged by this stress.
While Mr. G was still employed, they were able to pay back taxes on their house. But the water company would not turn the water on until they paid at least half of the $3,000 bill run up by the previous owners. Welfare would not give them any money towards living expenses until they submitted a budget plan from all the utilities. But the water company would not make them a budget until they had paid part of the debt which they couldn’t get the money to pay until they submitted a budget to welfare. They were living a bureaucratic vicious cycle.
AG wanted to wean because she was overwhelmed. Her baby wanted to nurse “all the time” and refused to take a bottle. After a few days of breastfeeding support, AG could see that her baby was reacting to the stress as much as anybody, and that nursing kept the baby contented. When she took her baby back for a routine check-up, she was proud and surprised to learn that her baby had gained 3 pounds in just 3 weeks.
Breastfeeding is vital during crises, disasters and emergencies. How could this mother feed formula safely when she lacked electricity, money and water?
In the Breastfeeding Foundations for Your Community 20-hour basic breastfeeding course, you will see how you can give practical, evidence-based advice and encouragement to help mothers and their babies weather a crisis while maintaining optimum health.
