I breastfed all four of my babies, and each had their own special challenges. My breastfeeding experience with my first, and the lack of help I received, gave me the extra motivation to become a lactation consultant.
Teaching. I love teaching new parents about their babies.
Hospital, NICU, outpatient, breastfeeding support group, prenatal breastfeeding education
My family is my partner Erich and our four kids, Evelyn-10, EJ-7, Josephine-4 and Poppy-2. We also have a dog, cat, gerbil, and two birds and fish.
I love gardening, going to the zoo with my kids, and date nights with my partner.
I am also a registered nurse
Wisconsin
I worked nights and weekends in a postpartum unit, a special care nursery, and the NICU, and we had very little lactation support during those hours. I always felt helpless with my breastfeeding patients if they were struggling. Then, after my breastfeeding experience with my first and the lack of support I received, I was even more compelled to become a lactation consultant.
So that I could better support my breastfeeding patients during my night and weekend shifts.
I would tell all parents that it's more important to research the birthing process and how to care for their newborn in the first 24hrs than to research the more trivial things, such as which breastfeeding pillow they will get.
For example, I found that many patients would consent to be induced at 39 weeks without any medical necessity just because it's what the doctor recommends. I found most parents had no idea what skin-to-skin was unless they took the prenatal breastfeeding class. Many mothers did not research natural coping techniques for labor. They just assumed they would get an epidural and have no pain whatsoever.
Most patients had no idea that Pitocin use was standard and that the OB didn't even need consent to start it, or that walking epidurals were not allowed at our hospital. We all know that the birthing process and the first 24hrs of a baby's life are important for setting the stage for a successful breastfeeding experience. Unfortunately, many parents lack the information on how to get the best outcomes.
