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Becoming A Lactation Educator & Counselor

August 5, 2012 by Natureal Mom 4 Comments

In celebration of World Breastfeeding Awareness Week I wanted to share why I decided to become a Certified Lactation Educator & Counselor (CLEC), what it entails and provide information to those who are interested in pursuing this path.

I believe we go through challenges in life to overcome them, learn from them, and use those experiences to help others who are going through a similar process. Breastfeeding doesn’t always come naturally. I thought because I read a breastfeeding book while I was pregnant and took a childbirth class; it meant that I was fully prepared. I learned that proper preparation includes breastfeeding education, such as taking a breastfeeding class from a qualified Lactation professional, and lining up a good support system. These two things are essential to getting breastfeeding off to a good start.

I experienced many difficulties breastfeeding that lasted for the better part of a year. Although there were times I felt hopeless and wanted to give up, I was determined to carry on. I am grateful to my two wonderful lactation consultants for their support, guidance, compassion and care.

My first lactation consultant came to my house for the first few weeks. She taught me the basics, helped me understand why my babe couldn’t latch-on and worked with us to resolve the issue. I met with my second lactation consultant at her breastfeeding center over the course of several months to work through other obstacles that presented such as recurrent plugged ducts, forceful let-down, oversupply, vasospasm and a very distracted baby who would only feed in the side-lying position!

With their help, along with the love and support of my husband, my babe and I were able to work through these hurdles and go on to enjoy a very rewarding and mutually beneficial breastfeeding relationship. It feels only natural to help other women and families achieve their breastfeeding. And in case you are wondering, I am still happily breastfeeding today!

Image © Natureal Mom 2011
Wearing Mama Pear Designs

What is a Lactation Counselor? CLC’s are hired to help mothers achieve their breastfeeding goals. They observe mother and baby during a feeding session, help facilitate proper positioning and latch, assess milk transfer and intake, address common breastfeeding concerns and refer more complicated cases to a Board Certified Lactation Consultant or health care provider. Lactation Counselors can also be a continuous source of support, guidance and encouragement throughout the breastfeeding journey.

What is a Lactation Educator? CLE’s serve as a resource for accurate, evidence-based information to families, the public and health care providers. They teach families interested in learning about breastfeeding by providing informational, emotional and practical support. Unfortunately, there’s really a limited amount of information given in standard medical and nursing training with regards to breastfeeding. New mothers are not often set up to succeed because they are not armed with the right information or don’t receive enough good information or support.

My friend Lara, CLEC and founder of Mama Pear Designs referred me to an excellent certification program that is offered through UCSD. The program is offered onsite or online which allows the course to be self-paced with the only deadline being at the end of the course and the clinical/internship hours can be completed locally. There are no prerequisites to the course, but it is a prerequisite for UCSD’s IBCLC program. The course is taught by Gini Baker, RN, MPH, IBCLC. She is a well-respected expert in the field of Lactation, with more than two decades of experience working with mothers and babies. The course is made up of lecture, videos, assignments, exams, and clinical hours. The final assignment is writing a comprehensive teaching curriculum which prepares you to get out there and get started. I highly recommend this course to anyone with an interest in Lactation Education and Counseling.

For more information about this program, check out Gini’s website and if you have any questions, feel free to contact me or leave a comment below.

For more information about my services please visit http://naturealmom.com/breastfeeding-education-counseling/

Filed Under: Baby + Kids, Community, Pregnancy + Birth, Resources Tagged With: breastfeeding, breastfeeding awareness week, breastfeeding classes, breastfeeding education, Certified Lactation Educator Counselor, CLEC, lactation counselor, lactation educator, lactivist, nursing, UCSD

Mama to Mama: Words of Wisdom for New Mothers

July 21, 2012 by Natureal Mom 6 Comments

“Absorb” by Katie m. Berggren

A deep heartfelt thank you to all my wonderful mama friends for contributing to this post by sharing your personal experiences and sage advice for new mothers and mothers-to-be ♥

Listen, and look into the eyes of your child. He or she will tell you what they need.
Consider joining a new mothers group and/or breastfeeding support group like La Leche League. It is a place to find understanding, sisterhood, knowledge and support. Together you can problem-solve and share the wisdom that you collectively have as mothers of newborns.
You may not bond with your baby immediately, but it’s okay.
Your mood affects your baby’s mood. If you’re feeling anxious, stressed or overwhelmed, take a few minutes to breathe and reset your energy.
Nobody knows your child the way you do. Trust yourself always & your instincts.
When my babe has a meltdown, stepping outside for some fresh air makes everything alright in his world.
Breastfeeding can be a learned art and doesn’t always just happen. It may take some effort but is mutually beneficial in so many ways. The bonding time is absolutely priceless, and truly a moment to treasure. If it is something you desire, don’t give up without getting help and support.
Have fun with your kids, laugh with them, make memories. Children remember having fun more than they remember having things. When they’re older, they will look back and remember fun things you did together, not the expensive parties, designer clothes or fancy toys they had.
You WILL mess up. It’s OK. There is no such thing as the perfect parent.
Don’t be too dogmatic towards any one direction. I learned the most important thing is being open and going with the flow.
Take a ton of pictures. They really, truly grow up way too fast & you’ll be so happy with all the seemingly redundant, interesting-to-no-one-else-but-you pictures.
Above all else, you and your baby are the most important concern ~ be together, sleep together, look at each other, snuggle skin to skin, enjoy each other.
Be okay with saying “this is what works for us” when folks give their advice on how you should change or do things their way. Listen to all the advice but only do what you feel is best for your family.
Ask for help and accept it when it’s offered – whatever it is, lactation consultant, asking for someone to bring meals (check out Meal Baby), letting messes pile up, hiring someone if you can, etc. It’s okay not to be able to do it all. When they say it takes a village, sometimes it literally does.
I learned not to be judgmental of other mom’s parenting choices and not letting judgy moms affect my choices.
Take photos, get their feet and hand printed and make notes in a book for your babe ~ little letters are good. Don’t stress over having a perfect scrap book, something is better than nothing.
Find a special song to sing to your little one.
When something seems fishy, don’t necessarily Google it! You might be freaked out more than necessary.
If you have a partner, it’s so important to get them involved straight away. It’s easy to feel left out and insignificant at this stage. Get them to help with bathing, changing diapers, swaddling, and feeding if that applies. Make a point of encouraging them – tell them they’re doing a great job, even if you might have done a better job with the diaper!
I had post-partum depression, and I had no idea. I wish I had been better informed about what needs attention. The women in my community encouraged me to get help and I went to a wonderful homeopath and could not believe how much better I was after she began to treat me.
It’s easy to really let yourself go and difficult for a lot of women to “get your mojo back.” Don’t be so hard on yourself. There must be forgiveness and balance with all of it.
Just when you think you got your kids figured out, they move on to the next thing. I mastered diapers and now my daughter is onto pull-ups. Or I found the right way to swaddle and now my son is rolling over and can’t be swaddled anymore.
Everyone says this one for a reason… sleep when the baby sleeps!
To keep your relationship strong when two become three, I would say this: Be gentle with each other. Be patient. Recognize that parenting really is a full-time job, and work out between you how you can work together and share the load.
Take care of yourself. We get so busy taking care of our tiny, precious one that we sometimes forget about ourselves. Make sure you are eating well and drinking enough water.
It’s okay to not get everything done in one day like you used to prior to having baby. Chores and errands can wait.
Do something nice for yourself every single day.
Be the person you want your children to be…because they are always watching.
Don’t be too hard on yourself. You are doing the best you can.
Kiss & hug them as much as you can. Savor every single moment possible. It goes by far too fast.

Do you have some words of wisdom to share? Please add to the list by commenting below!

Filed Under: Baby + Kids, Community, Connecting, Parenting, Pregnancy + Birth, Uncategorized Tagged With: baby blues, balance, bonding with baby, breastfeeding, intuition, life lessons, memories, motherhood, Parenting, post-partum depression, unconditional love, wisdom

Your Own Song

July 19, 2012 by Natureal Mom Comments

A woman in my local Holistic Mom’s Network chapter shared a beautiful story about how a certain African tribe comes together and uses song to remind us of who we really are. Touching my heart with inspiring words of wisdom, I share this story with you.

There is a tribe in Africa where the birth date of a child is not counted on the day of his birth or when he was conceived, but on the day he was a thought in his mother’s mind.

She would go out into the wilderness and sit under a tree and listen until she heard the song of the child, for every soul has its own vibration that expresses its unique purpose. She would then return to the tribe and teach it to the midwives and older women in the village who would also sing the child’s song.

When the child is born, the community gathers and sings the child’s song to him or her. Later, when the child enters education, the village gathers and chants the child’s song. When the child passes through the initiation to adulthood, the people again come together and sing. At the time of marriage, the union hears their song. Finally, when the his or her soul is about to pass from this world, the community gathers again, just as they did at his or her birth, to sing the soul into the next life.

There is one other occasion upon which the village would sing to the child. If at any time during his or her life, the person commits a crime or aberrant act, the individual is called to the center of the village and the people in the community form a circle around him or her and sing the song.

The tribe recognizes that the correction for negative behavior is not punishment, but rather love and the remembrance of identity. When you recognize your own song, you have no desire to do anything that would hurt yourself or another.

We all have times in our life when we get off course and lose sight of who we are. The essence of who we truly are is often hidden by our perceived limitations, mistakes, insecurities and fears. We all have a unique melody that we came into this world to express, and when we’ve forgotten the words to our song, our friends, family and community are there to sing it back to us!