CIRCLE OF LEADERS ISSUE 2026–1, No. 1
Circle of Leaders Editorial Review Team
Marian Tompson
Co-Founder of La Leche League
I started the first LLL newsletter in 1958 to put mothers in touch with other breastfeeding mothers and introduce their stories. Today, with a confusion of differing opinions as to what babies need, it is easy to forget that it is the baby who teaches us how to be the good mothers that we want to be. That is why it is exciting to me that the International Area Network will now offer a newsletter to support Leaders in a world where they are faced with so many different points of view. I see Circle of Leaders helping Leaders connect to one another while continuing to provide mother-to-mother breastfeeding support with confidence and pleasure. Congratulations to the International Area Network on publishing this newsletter! Thank you to the members of the editorial review team for their hard work.
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History of the International Area Network
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The history of the International Area Network (IAN) begins with the beginning of La Leche League itself, which started innocently with a picnic in a park in the United States. Seven LLL Founders, themselves young mothers, responded to a need in their community, and their concept of providing mother-to-mother support expanded astonishingly to meet a need that resonated with mothers around the world.
Let’s go back to 1956, seventy years ago. Baby formula was the norm, with most women never having seen another woman breastfeeding, except possibly in magazine photos of primitive tribal women. At that time, childbirth meant going to a hospital where you were separated from your husband, isolated from any family support, and made to lie flat on your back. You were then subjected to a series of indignities—an enema, shaving of pubic hair, and an IV with drugs to ease your pain, eliminating your body’s ability to work with contractions or push powerfully at delivery.
When baby was born, he was briefly shown to mother, then taken away to a central nursery. Only later was your baby brought to you for feeding on a rigid schedule of every four hours. Mothers were encouraged to sleep all night while nurses fed babies with bottles of sugar water or formula to keep them quiet.
Babies were given solid foods—little jars of processed fruits and meats and vegetables—as early as 1 month. Physicians “owned” babies and mothers dared not question them. Women physicians were rare in those days. Nutrition for mothers was also dismal. Processed food was the norm, and the label “organic”
was largely unknown. Mothers were advised not to spoil their babies, but to let them cry it out, until the prescribed feeding scheduled hours elapsed and hungry babies were finally allowed to be fed in crying mothers’ arms. Interestingly, one of our physician Medical Advisors facetiously commented that “Crying is good for the lungs, as bleeding is good for the veins.”
Against the backdrop of this societal norm, LLL Founders ignored these common practices, and instead followed their hearts. Gathered around a kitchen table, they reached out to support mothers who wanted to breastfeed their babies but often had failed. Word spread as friend told friend. Mothers in other states, hearing about LLL from a relative or friend, clamored to gain and share this new knowledge and support.
A British obstetrician, Dr Grantly Dick-Read, had written a controversial but popular book, Childbirth Without Fear, advocating natural childbirth. Coincidentally, in 1977 he was coming to the USA on a speaking tour, including the Chicago area. The Founders wrote to ask him to speak to them, got a positive reply, but were initially stymied at how they could possibly raise his fee of $700! They printed flyers, set an admission price, and prayed. More than 1250 women came to the overflowing local high school auditorium, eager for information. LLL made enough money that they were able to print their first course- by-mail, The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding.
Marian Tompson pinpoints 1963 as the year that interest in LLL exploded worldwide. A magazine, Readers Digest, published in multiple languages, printed an article by Karen Pryor about La Leche League, called “They Teach the Joys of Breastfeeding.”
The setting for our beginnings was before computers, cell phones, WhatsApp, Zoom or automatic translation apps like Deep L. How did we function? Leaders corresponded by postal mail, with weeks elapsing between communications. Nearby states in the USA were the first source of expansion. However, an LLL Directory issued in 1969 identifies Leaders under a separate category, “Foreign,” which includes LLL Groups in Kenya, Africa, and in Bogota, Columbia. Why those places?
LLL spread outside the USA, not because of any great plan, but because of the efforts of interested women whose husbands were in the military or working for international companies. They became Leaders with the hope of accrediting a native-speaking Leader before they were moved to a new location, helping women who wanted to breastfeed, the universal denominator among mothers.
Mothers became Leaders by answering mailed materials that asked about your childbirth and breastfeeding history, as well as a long questionnaire with more than twenty situations on nutrition, discipline and such. The norm for babies was to begin solids at one month. The idea to breastfeed for one year, while it was noble, was still unusual.
An LLL Directory from 1977 lists four parts of LLL: EUS (Eastern United States), USWD (United States Western Division), Canada, and ATW (Around the World), which included what is now IAN.
From the beginning, the IAN has grown, led by the following past Coordinators who represent our global diversity. In serving order:
Ruth Saneki USA Ethel-Marie Underhill USA Carmen Vandenabeele France.
From the beginning, the IAN has grown, led by the following past Coordinators who represent our global diversity. In serving order:
Ruth Saneki USA Ethel-Marie Underhill USA Carmen Vandenabeele France
The European Area Network (EAN) and the International Area Network (IAN) used to form one entity called International Division (ID). Currently, IAN Leaders live in more than 50 countries around the world.
Elaine Dawson South Africa
Yanet Olivares Dominican Republic Devorah Schesch-Wernick Israel RuthAnna Mather Japan
Currently, the following five Leaders comprise the “IAN Coordinating Team,” which supports the IAN Council:
Waleska Porras Costa Rica
Dunia Guerrero Peru
Toshi Jolliffe Japan
Marcela Jurquiza Argentina
Cecily Harkins USA
The IAN Coordinating Team is supported by two administrators:
Edie Boxman Israel
Priscilla Stothers, USA
Each IAN Leader continues, through LLL volunteer work, to show the world that babies were born to be breastfed, and in doing so, enrich the world.
* Editor’s note: Part 2 of this article will appear in the subsequent issue of Circle of Leaders.
Cecily Harkins is the mother of 8 adult children, 18 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. Cecily was the first Coordinator of Leader Accreditation of LLL Texas and Oklahoma, USA, and she was the first Regional Administrator of Leader Accreditation of this Area, working with Founder Mary Ann Cahill, who created the Leader Accreditation Department in 1976. Cecily conducted grief sessions in the USA, Canada and the International Area Network (IAN), prompted after her first husband died while she was pregnant with her sixth baby. Nine years later, happily she married Alex, who not only adopted all her children but had two more babies with Cecily. She served on the LLLI Board of Directors twice and as the Chair of the Board from 2018 to 2020. Currently, Cecily is a member of the IAN Coordinating Team.
Let’s go back to 1956, seventy years ago. Baby formula was the norm, with most women never having seen another woman breastfeeding, except possibly in magazine photos of primitive tribal women. At that time, childbirth meant going to a hospital where you were separated from your husband, isolated from any family support, and made to lie flat on your back. You were then subjected to a series of indignities—an enema, shaving of pubic hair, and an IV with drugs to ease your pain, eliminating your body’s ability to work with contractions or push powerfully at delivery.
When baby was born, he was briefly shown to mother, then taken away to a central nursery. Only later was your baby brought to you for feeding on a rigid schedule of every four hours. Mothers were encouraged to sleep all night while nurses fed babies with bottles of sugar water or formula to keep them quiet.
Babies were given solid foods—little jars of processed fruits and meats and vegetables—as early as 1 month. Physicians “owned” babies and mothers dared not question them. Women physicians were rare in those days. Nutrition for mothers was also dismal. Processed food was the norm, and the label “organic”
was largely unknown. Mothers were advised not to spoil their babies, but to let them cry it out, until the prescribed feeding scheduled hours elapsed and hungry babies were finally allowed to be fed in crying mothers’ arms. Interestingly, one of our physician Medical Advisors facetiously commented that “Crying is good for the lungs, as bleeding is good for the veins.”
Against the backdrop of this societal norm, LLL Founders ignored these common practices, and instead followed their hearts. Gathered around a kitchen table, they reached out to support mothers who wanted to breastfeed their babies but often had failed. Word spread as friend told friend. Mothers in other states, hearing about LLL from a relative or friend, clamored to gain and share this new knowledge and support.
A British obstetrician, Dr Grantly Dick-Read, had written a controversial but popular book, Childbirth Without Fear, advocating natural childbirth. Coincidentally, in 1977 he was coming to the USA on a speaking tour, including the Chicago area. The Founders wrote to ask him to speak to them, got a positive reply, but were initially stymied at how they could possibly raise his fee of $700! They printed flyers, set an admission price, and prayed. More than 1250 women came to the overflowing local high school auditorium, eager for information. LLL made enough money that they were able to print their first course- by-mail, The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding.
Marian Tompson pinpoints 1963 as the year that interest in LLL exploded worldwide. A magazine, Readers Digest, published in multiple languages, printed an article by Karen Pryor about La Leche League, called “They Teach the Joys of Breastfeeding.”
The setting for our beginnings was before computers, cell phones, WhatsApp, Zoom or automatic translation apps like Deep L. How did we function? Leaders corresponded by postal mail, with weeks elapsing between communications. Nearby states in the USA were the first source of expansion. However, an LLL Directory issued in 1969 identifies Leaders under a separate category, “Foreign,” which includes LLL Groups in Kenya, Africa, and in Bogota, Columbia. Why those places?
LLL spread outside the USA, not because of any great plan, but because of the efforts of interested women whose husbands were in the military or working for international companies. They became Leaders with the hope of accrediting a native-speaking Leader before they were moved to a new location, helping women who wanted to breastfeed, the universal denominator among mothers.
Mothers became Leaders by answering mailed materials that asked about your childbirth and breastfeeding history, as well as a long questionnaire with more than twenty situations on nutrition, discipline and such. The norm for babies was to begin solids at one month. The idea to breastfeed for one year, while it was noble, was still unusual.
An LLL Directory from 1977 lists four parts of LLL: EUS (Eastern United States), USWD (United States Western Division), Canada, and ATW (Around the World), which included what is now IAN.
From the beginning, the IAN has grown, led by the following past Coordinators who represent our global diversity. In serving order:
Ruth Saneki USA Ethel-Marie Underhill USA Carmen Vandenabeele France.
From the beginning, the IAN has grown, led by the following past Coordinators who represent our global diversity. In serving order:
Ruth Saneki USA Ethel-Marie Underhill USA Carmen Vandenabeele France
The European Area Network (EAN) and the International Area Network (IAN) used to form one entity called International Division (ID). Currently, IAN Leaders live in more than 50 countries around the world.
Elaine Dawson South Africa
Yanet Olivares Dominican Republic Devorah Schesch-Wernick Israel RuthAnna Mather Japan
Currently, the following five Leaders comprise the “IAN Coordinating Team,” which supports the IAN Council:
Waleska Porras Costa Rica
Dunia Guerrero Peru
Toshi Jolliffe Japan
Marcela Jurquiza Argentina
Cecily Harkins USA
The IAN Coordinating Team is supported by two administrators:
Edie Boxman Israel
Priscilla Stothers, USA
Each IAN Leader continues, through LLL volunteer work, to show the world that babies were born to be breastfed, and in doing so, enrich the world.
* Editor’s note: Part 2 of this article will appear in the subsequent issue of Circle of Leaders.
Cecily Harkins is the mother of 8 adult children, 18 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. Cecily was the first Coordinator of Leader Accreditation of LLL Texas and Oklahoma, USA, and she was the first Regional Administrator of Leader Accreditation of this Area, working with Founder Mary Ann Cahill, who created the Leader Accreditation Department in 1976. Cecily conducted grief sessions in the USA, Canada and the International Area Network (IAN), prompted after her first husband died while she was pregnant with her sixth baby. Nine years later, happily she married Alex, who not only adopted all her children but had two more babies with Cecily. She served on the LLLI Board of Directors twice and as the Chair of the Board from 2018 to 2020. Currently, Cecily is a member of the IAN Coordinating Team.
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Introducing the LLLI Press Release:
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In March 2026 LLLI published a statement countering the recommendation to feed cow’s milk formula routinely to breastfed babies as a means to prevent cow’s milk allergy.
Allergy prevention guidelines have changed considerably over the last few decades, creating understandable confusion for both mothers and LLL Leaders. Even the healthcare community struggles to keep pace with the latest recommendations. To put things into perspective, true allergies are relatively rare; infant fussiness is extremely common, and unfortunately too often misinterpreted as related to something in the breastfeeding mother’s diet. Cow’s milk allergy affects less than 7.5% of infants. (For more info on allergies in the breastfed baby refer to this article https://laleche.org.uk/allergies/)
Allergies affect a small percentage of the population, whereas breastfeeding impacts the whole of humanity—babies, their mothers, their future health and the health of future generations.
If, for whatever reason, a baby has received some commercial formula milk feeds, that does not mean that the baby must continue to receive formula milk to prevent cow’s milk allergy. The goal should be to get the baby to transition to exclusive breastfeeding.
Cow’s milk supplementation, even as little as 10 ml a day (as suggested in some studies), will negatively impact:
1 Gut microbiome: An ecosystem formed by microorganisms—such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa—present in the gut.
Allergy prevention guidelines have changed considerably over the last few decades, creating understandable confusion for both mothers and LLL Leaders. Even the healthcare community struggles to keep pace with the latest recommendations. To put things into perspective, true allergies are relatively rare; infant fussiness is extremely common, and unfortunately too often misinterpreted as related to something in the breastfeeding mother’s diet. Cow’s milk allergy affects less than 7.5% of infants. (For more info on allergies in the breastfed baby refer to this article https://laleche.org.uk/allergies/)
Allergies affect a small percentage of the population, whereas breastfeeding impacts the whole of humanity—babies, their mothers, their future health and the health of future generations.
If, for whatever reason, a baby has received some commercial formula milk feeds, that does not mean that the baby must continue to receive formula milk to prevent cow’s milk allergy. The goal should be to get the baby to transition to exclusive breastfeeding.
Cow’s milk supplementation, even as little as 10 ml a day (as suggested in some studies), will negatively impact:
- the duration of breastfeeding
- vulnerability to infections including HIV 1
- the gut microbiome1
- future health
1 Gut microbiome: An ecosystem formed by microorganisms—such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa—present in the gut.
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Rahmat Bagus is the mother of four breastfed young people. She is a general practitioner with a private practice focused on primary care paediatrics in a low-to-middle-income area. Rahmat wrote the International Board Certified Lactation Consultant exam because she was so frustrated with lactation consultants in South Africa undermining the work of Leaders. She finds breastfeeding work and empowering mothers to be the most fulfilling work that she does. Rahmat is the Area Professional Liaison for La Leche League South Africa, and serves on the Global Professional Liaison Network and the Medical Advisory Team for LLL International.
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Editor’s note: The LLLI Position Statement on Supplementing Cow’s Milk Formula to Prevent Cow’s Milk Allergy is available in a few languages. The selected language is provided through machine translation and may not be fully accurate. Official translations will be indicated when available:
English:
LLLI Position Statement on supplementing cow’s milk formula to prevent cow’s milk allergy - La Leche League International
https://llli.org/news/cow-milk-formula-allergy-position/
German:
Stellungnahme von LLLI zur Gabe von Kuhmilchnahrung zur Vorbeugung einer Kuhmilchallergie - La Leche League https://llli.org/news/de-cow-milk-formula-allergy-position/
French:
Déclaration de LLLI à propos de la supplémentation systématique des bébés allaités avec des préparations à base de lait de vache en prévention d’allergies - La Leche League International https://llli.org/news/fr-cow-milk-formula-allergy-position/
Spanish:
Declaración de LLLI sobre el uso de fórmula a base de leche de vaca como complemento para prevenir la alergia a la leche de vaca - La Leche League International https://llli.org/news/es-cow-milk-formula-allergy-position/
Simplified Chinese: LLLI关于为母乳喂养婴儿补充牛乳配方奶粉以预防牛乳蛋白过敏的立场声明 - La Leche League International https://llli.org/news/zh-simp-cow-milk-formula-allergy-position/
Traditional Chinese: LLLI關於母乳餵哺嬰兒以牛補充乳配方奶粉以預防牛乳蛋白過敏的立場聲明 - La Leche League International
https://llli.org/news/zh-trad-cow-milk-formula-allergy-position/
Japanese:
牛乳アレルギー予防目的での乳児用ミルク補足に対するLLLIの公式見解 - La Leche League International
https://llli.org/news/ja-cow-milk-formula-allergy-position/
Arabic:
LLLI بیان موقف منظمة - La Leche League International https://llli.org/news/ar-cow-milk-formula-allergy-position/
English:
LLLI Position Statement on supplementing cow’s milk formula to prevent cow’s milk allergy - La Leche League International
https://llli.org/news/cow-milk-formula-allergy-position/
German:
Stellungnahme von LLLI zur Gabe von Kuhmilchnahrung zur Vorbeugung einer Kuhmilchallergie - La Leche League https://llli.org/news/de-cow-milk-formula-allergy-position/
French:
Déclaration de LLLI à propos de la supplémentation systématique des bébés allaités avec des préparations à base de lait de vache en prévention d’allergies - La Leche League International https://llli.org/news/fr-cow-milk-formula-allergy-position/
Spanish:
Declaración de LLLI sobre el uso de fórmula a base de leche de vaca como complemento para prevenir la alergia a la leche de vaca - La Leche League International https://llli.org/news/es-cow-milk-formula-allergy-position/
Simplified Chinese: LLLI关于为母乳喂养婴儿补充牛乳配方奶粉以预防牛乳蛋白过敏的立场声明 - La Leche League International https://llli.org/news/zh-simp-cow-milk-formula-allergy-position/
Traditional Chinese: LLLI關於母乳餵哺嬰兒以牛補充乳配方奶粉以預防牛乳蛋白過敏的立場聲明 - La Leche League International
https://llli.org/news/zh-trad-cow-milk-formula-allergy-position/
Japanese:
牛乳アレルギー予防目的での乳児用ミルク補足に対するLLLIの公式見解 - La Leche League International
https://llli.org/news/ja-cow-milk-formula-allergy-position/
Arabic:
LLLI بیان موقف منظمة - La Leche League International https://llli.org/news/ar-cow-milk-formula-allergy-position/
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What Keeps a Leader Going
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I had a heavy heart at the start of my day; things had been difficult at work and I was anticipating more complexity. Coincidentally, it was also the day a colleague returned to work from maternity leave. I had supported her during her pregnancy in preparation for breastfeeding, and the last contact I had was when I checked in with her after her baby was born. I had chatted with her about the importance of breastfeeding and the power of mother/baby skin-to-skin contact. I had invited her to our La Leche League South Africa (LLLSA) Facebook group and tagged her in helpful threads to help her prepare while pregnant. She had a sister who was breastfeeding her two-year-old, and I hoped that would provide a good support system for her. Shortly after the birth, her name popped up on a different Facebook parenting group, asking about sleep training. I kept myself in check, stopped myself from making contact, told myself to know my boundaries and not overstep, although I was burning to reach out. She didn’t contact me again, and I didn’t want to make a nuisance of myself by initiating contact every time.
Later that morning she came to greet us in the office. Again, I reminded myself not to bring up breastfeeding immediately; also, I was apprehensive of the answer should the topic come up. So, we chatted about the baby and about her husband and their new roles as parents. And then she turned to me and said: “You must come with me now.” “Where to?” I asked. “I need you to open the door for me.” She wanted me to grant her access to our lactation room. And with those words, I felt as though the sun came out and the dark clouds from earlier that morning disappeared. She was still breastfeeding!
My colleague went on to share with me that she had been following the posts and reading the comments on the LLLSA group by the other mommies. She had read the articles and learned so much about breastfeeding by simply following the information shared. She said she discovered that her expressed milk would smell sour after only one day in the fridge, but she thought it should be fine for five or more days. Through the group she discovered that lipase was changing the smell of her breast milk, and she could scald her milk after expressing. Although scalding expressed breast milk is not recommended2, the conversation through the group helped this mother, and her baby was happy to drink her breast milk.
My colleague shared that she considered sleep training, in exhausted desperation. But she decided not to take that path, guided by other moms who advised against it. I heard her telling a colleague that it gets less tiring as the baby grows older; that things are going much better now. I looked at this confident, glowing first-time mom and my heart burst with pride for her.
If I am honest, I didn’t think she would still be breastfeeding. I imagined the conversation going along the lines of her saying she didn’t have enough milk and her baby was on formula, her milk having dried up. I took the difficulties and lack of contact in the early days as indications of her moving away from breastfeeding. And yet, here she was proving me wrong. This mother’s story was so encouraging.
Often, as Leaders, we never hear again from a mother with whom we have been in contact. We trust that the information we shared will be used and that mothers will be strong enough to trust in themselves and their motherly instincts. I am scared of overwhelming mothers with my passion for breastfeeding and pushing them away with my enthusiasm. But those who want the help will use it. My trust in the support offered by LLLSA’s Facebook group has been reaffirmed. My breastfeeding support for mothers and what I do is not in vain. I feel motivated that my work as an LLL leader is helping mothers and babies to breastfeed. And it was just what I needed that day, to keep me doing what I am doing to help mothers reach their breastfeeding goals, one mother at a time.
Later that morning she came to greet us in the office. Again, I reminded myself not to bring up breastfeeding immediately; also, I was apprehensive of the answer should the topic come up. So, we chatted about the baby and about her husband and their new roles as parents. And then she turned to me and said: “You must come with me now.” “Where to?” I asked. “I need you to open the door for me.” She wanted me to grant her access to our lactation room. And with those words, I felt as though the sun came out and the dark clouds from earlier that morning disappeared. She was still breastfeeding!
My colleague went on to share with me that she had been following the posts and reading the comments on the LLLSA group by the other mommies. She had read the articles and learned so much about breastfeeding by simply following the information shared. She said she discovered that her expressed milk would smell sour after only one day in the fridge, but she thought it should be fine for five or more days. Through the group she discovered that lipase was changing the smell of her breast milk, and she could scald her milk after expressing. Although scalding expressed breast milk is not recommended2, the conversation through the group helped this mother, and her baby was happy to drink her breast milk.
My colleague shared that she considered sleep training, in exhausted desperation. But she decided not to take that path, guided by other moms who advised against it. I heard her telling a colleague that it gets less tiring as the baby grows older; that things are going much better now. I looked at this confident, glowing first-time mom and my heart burst with pride for her.
If I am honest, I didn’t think she would still be breastfeeding. I imagined the conversation going along the lines of her saying she didn’t have enough milk and her baby was on formula, her milk having dried up. I took the difficulties and lack of contact in the early days as indications of her moving away from breastfeeding. And yet, here she was proving me wrong. This mother’s story was so encouraging.
Often, as Leaders, we never hear again from a mother with whom we have been in contact. We trust that the information we shared will be used and that mothers will be strong enough to trust in themselves and their motherly instincts. I am scared of overwhelming mothers with my passion for breastfeeding and pushing them away with my enthusiasm. But those who want the help will use it. My trust in the support offered by LLLSA’s Facebook group has been reaffirmed. My breastfeeding support for mothers and what I do is not in vain. I feel motivated that my work as an LLL leader is helping mothers and babies to breastfeed. And it was just what I needed that day, to keep me doing what I am doing to help mothers reach their breastfeeding goals, one mother at a time.
Gwynneth and her work colleagues are celebrating World Breastfeeding Week 2019. Gwynneth with glasses is standing fourth from right.
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Gwynneth Jacobs is a Leader for La Leche League South Africa (SA). She is also a full-time employed mother of two beautiful boys. She discovered the LLLSA Facebook group with her first child and loved reading everyone’s posts and information about breastfeeding. In time she trained as a breastfeeding peer counsellor and later as a Leader. She describes how she encourages mothers in her work environment to maintain breastfeeding after returning from maternity leave. |
2 Updated information on smelly milk is available at: https://www.lllsa.org/milk-issues
Satoko Nyudo
Japan
My name is Satoko Nyudo, a Japanese Leader. I was accredited in July 2006, and I am amazed that this year marks 20 years since I began my journey as a Leader.
I have a husband (55) who dreams of early retirement, a sweet and dependable daughter (24), and a son (21) who has turned out to be more reliable than I ever expected. I first discovered La Leche League when I was pregnant with my daughter. After the birth of my son, I started my application for leadership.
La Leche League Leaders—who always accepted me as I was—encouraged me and shared trustworthy breastfeeding information whenever I needed it. I gradually found myself wanting to support others in the same way. That desire inspired me to become a Leader.
La Leche League has brought many wonderful people into my life. In addition to the mothers who attend our meetings, I have built connections with Leaders throughout Japan. When my husband’s work took our family overseas, I was able to connect with local Leaders in Jakarta, Indonesia, and now in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Whenever I reached out, they welcomed me and made time to meet with me.
Living in an unfamiliar place can seem isolating, but hearing, “Feel free to ask me anything” from local Leaders was incredibly reassuring. Although I became a Leader because I wanted to help others, I have come to realize that, just as before I became a Leader, I am still the one who is continually being supported by those around me. For that, I am deeply grateful.
I hope that, for many years to come, I will continue building connections with Leaders around the world and keep supporting and encouraging mothers who wish to breastfeed.
I have a husband (55) who dreams of early retirement, a sweet and dependable daughter (24), and a son (21) who has turned out to be more reliable than I ever expected. I first discovered La Leche League when I was pregnant with my daughter. After the birth of my son, I started my application for leadership.
La Leche League Leaders—who always accepted me as I was—encouraged me and shared trustworthy breastfeeding information whenever I needed it. I gradually found myself wanting to support others in the same way. That desire inspired me to become a Leader.
La Leche League has brought many wonderful people into my life. In addition to the mothers who attend our meetings, I have built connections with Leaders throughout Japan. When my husband’s work took our family overseas, I was able to connect with local Leaders in Jakarta, Indonesia, and now in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Whenever I reached out, they welcomed me and made time to meet with me.
Living in an unfamiliar place can seem isolating, but hearing, “Feel free to ask me anything” from local Leaders was incredibly reassuring. Although I became a Leader because I wanted to help others, I have come to realize that, just as before I became a Leader, I am still the one who is continually being supported by those around me. For that, I am deeply grateful.
I hope that, for many years to come, I will continue building connections with Leaders around the world and keep supporting and encouraging mothers who wish to breastfeed.
Lillian Klasen Hanoi, Vietnam
Hi! My name is Lillian, and I am a new La Leche League Leader hosting virtual meetings in Hanoi, Vietnam. I also chat with mothers across the whole of Vietnam. I recently relocated from Hanoi, where I lived for five years, to the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, USA with my husband and my two-and-a-half- year-old daughter who is still happily nursing. We love hiking, reading and music.
I first recognized the importance of breastfeeding from a public health perspective: breastfeeding makes good sense for maternal and child health, economics, and environment. I was already convinced that breastfeeding could change the world. I then found La Leche League while I was pregnant with my now toddler and understood that breastfeeding was beyond nutrition. It is about connection and comfort as well as nourishment. I was ready to shout its praises from the rooftops.
I love that La Leche League is mother-to-mother, peer support. I love that it makes this ancestral wisdom accessible to anyone, anywhere around the world, at a time when we aren’t growing up in a village in close proximity to parents and community members who are breastfeeding and raising their babies. I especially love the community and mentorship I have received from other LLL Leaders who have been doing this most important work for years or decades.
I first recognized the importance of breastfeeding from a public health perspective: breastfeeding makes good sense for maternal and child health, economics, and environment. I was already convinced that breastfeeding could change the world. I then found La Leche League while I was pregnant with my now toddler and understood that breastfeeding was beyond nutrition. It is about connection and comfort as well as nourishment. I was ready to shout its praises from the rooftops.
I love that La Leche League is mother-to-mother, peer support. I love that it makes this ancestral wisdom accessible to anyone, anywhere around the world, at a time when we aren’t growing up in a village in close proximity to parents and community members who are breastfeeding and raising their babies. I especially love the community and mentorship I have received from other LLL Leaders who have been doing this most important work for years or decades.
Lillian and her daughter, Corina (2)
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Anabel Párraga Co-Chair of LLLI Board of Directors (Board)
Conchita Toledo ACL, LLL Mexico
Katherine Ascarrunz Co-ACL, LLL Future Areas in Latin America (FAiLA)
Leonora Roman Co-ACL, LLL FAiLA
Naty Clermont Professional Liaison Coordinator Assistant (PLCA) for IAN
Robin Jones Professional Liaison Coordinator (PLC) for IAN
RuthAnna Mather LLLI Board representative for IAN, LLLI Board Secretary
Silvina Bellucini ACL, LLL Argentina
Conchita Toledo ACL, LLL Mexico
Katherine Ascarrunz Co-ACL, LLL Future Areas in Latin America (FAiLA)
Leonora Roman Co-ACL, LLL FAiLA
Naty Clermont Professional Liaison Coordinator Assistant (PLCA) for IAN
Robin Jones Professional Liaison Coordinator (PLC) for IAN
RuthAnna Mather LLLI Board representative for IAN, LLLI Board Secretary
Silvina Bellucini ACL, LLL Argentina
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An entity needs to be stable and function smoothly in order to produce a periodical because it involves time and energy of many people. Leaders and administrators plan a publication, discuss the drafts, and provide translations. Just as Marian Tompson was excited when the Founders first published a newsletter, the members of the Circle of Leaders Editorial Review Team are proud that we now regularly publish a newsletter for International Area Network (IAN) Leaders. Circle of Leaders is a publication by the International Area Network for Leaders and administrators, to offer them a place to share information and experiences. Please feel free to contact the members below with your idea for an article or your draft.
Circle of Leaders Editorial Review Team
Departments Contributing Editors
Finance Edie Boxman
Communication Skills Waleska Porras
Leader Accreditation Vicky Reynell
Professional Liaison Rahmat Bagus
Greetings from IAN Leaders Dunia Guerrero (Spanish)
Alison Stanton (English)
Photo letters Waleska Porras
Reminders Cecily Harkins
Appointments Linda King Gaboriaud
Other Members
Layout Editor Lesley Robinson
Web Manager Dunia Guerrero
Translation Marcela Jurquiza (Spanish)
Toshi Jolliffe (Japanese)
Reviewers Marie Beam
Vicky Reynell (English)
Priscilla Stothers (Spanish)
Managing Editor
Toshi Jolliffe
2026 August © International Area Network
