Graduation

My course started Monday morning.  Sunday lunchtime 'flu hit the household.  I couldn't believe that I was going miss my first day of the course.  Despite feeling like absolute death and being dosed up on every potion possible, I went in for my first day.  I don't remember too much as I really was quite poorly...a jumble of faces, babies crawling around the room, little ones in arms, two or three tutors introducing themselves and handing out forms.

The 'flu lasted three horrible weeks, but I didn't miss a class.  Suddenly one morning I was there without being full of lemsip and ibuprofen, spring was round the corner, and I was making new friends and learning some wonderful stuff.

There were low points again...the course was aimed at young mums, and was quite disparaging us oldies and 'our' outdated ideas.  I did chuckle when I thought about the giants' shoulders upon which we were standing; the likes of Ina May Gaskin and Michel Odent, both well into their 70's and 80's, but it made me feel out of place and I wondered  if I would fit in at the clinics.  This notion was quickly dispelled by my doula colleagues who assured me that the clinics would be heaving with mums who just needed support, and may even like the fact that I was a bit more mature.

We graduated amid a party of our friends and families, full of hope and excitement for the future.  I was interested to see if my expectations of how it would feel in clinic would be accurate.  I still couldn't really imagine it being anything other than tears, pain, difficulty, frustration.

In just under six weeks' time, I would find out. If you want to find out, click here

These helplines are available if you need to speak to a breastfeeding counsellor in the UK:

ABM 0300 330 5453

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NCT  0300 3300 771

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