"Gimme this baby!" laughed Monica Washington as she threw her arms wide to hug Edwin, age 1, and his mother, Jasmine Kidd.
As Edwin joined the other giggling infants on the playroom floor of the Mother Nurture Project breastfeeding support group at Detroit's St. John Hospital and Medical Center, Washington and Kidd reminisced about the trouble he'd had with nursing.
"It took him three months to latch on," said Kidd, a frown crossing her dimpled face. "But Monica, my peer counselor, coaxed me through my frustration, texting me with helpful advice and taking my calls late at night."
Listening attentively was newcomer Ethel Hart, who had delivered her fourth child at St. John six days earlier. Hart had just joined this group at the urging of a lactation counselor she met at the hospital.
"Though I gave formula to my other kids, I've decided to breastfeed little Michaela," she said, reaching down to caress her sleeping infant's face. "It will prevent her from getting sick. And already, it's helping me bounce back and feel healthier than I did right after my other pregnancies."
Hart leaned forward and tuned in as Kidd finished her story about the "eureka" moment when Edwin latched on. Cheers erupted from the half dozen other black mothers who were sharing sandwiches and snacks at this regular Tuesday afternoon meeting. They were celebrating Edwin's victory--and that of their own children--in beating the odds and breastfeeding for better health.
[For more of this story, written by Molly M Ginty, go to http://womensenews.org/story/h...mp;mc_eid=24028e2469]
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