Thank You LC’s and IBCLC’s
On December 23, 2010, I was done with breastfeeding. I had been triple feeding (nursing, then pumping, then supplementing with my expressed milk) in an effort to raise my newborn son’s weight and I was exhausted. I had been doing it since he was born on December 10th, had gone to see two different IBCLCs at their offices, and I couldn’t do it anymore. It had been a difficult two weeks. My husband had never seen me like this; he didn’t know what to do. He called our doula and she sent him names and phone numbers of every IBCLC in our area. He called all of them, but many weren’t able to come because it was so close to Christmas. Luckily one was available and she could come out the same day.
When she came to the house, I was in bed. I grudgingly went to the living room and we started the consultation. The lactation consultant was fantastic. She praised me for my hard work, and she praised my husband and mom for being my support system. She listened to my concerns and never once made me feel like a bad mother for feeling the way I felt. She showed me how to breastfeed in the side lying position in my bed – it was a game changing moment. I was so thankful for her coming in the midst of holiday hustle and bustle. Her single visit helped shape my breastfeeding journey with my oldest and we persevered.
I am grateful to have worked with some very passionate, empathetic, and knowledgeable lactation consultants. Several work directly with mothers and babies, supporting them in their time of need and doubt. Others are working to change the landscape of breastfeeding on a larger scale, through legislation, by ensuring that human milk reaches premature infants, and through advocacy and community support. Each of them has left an impression on me, and the way I plan to work with families in the future. Their advice and teachings come in handy at every appointment. To them I say thank you for helping me to successfully breastfeed two boys, for supporting me with my dreams of becoming an IBCLC, and for sharing your wisdom and kindness.
I am apprenticing under master lactation consultants in my journey to become an IBCLC. With each new mom and baby I meet, I think back to the visit when I wanted to stop breastfeeding. I see women who are vulnerable and raw, exactly where I was nearly 5 years ago. The consultations can be emotional, demanding, and empowering all at once, just like mine had been. My mentors strive to meet them where they are and listen without judgment. I am now on the other side, the breastfeeding professional there to support a mother and baby. I hope I am able to be as helpful and supportive as the lactation consultant was almost 5 years ago.