Dear all,
My name is Dina Ovando-Brown and I have been an RN for 12 years and
done a wide variety of work-such as Maternal/Child, Emergency
Medicine, trauma during that time.  When I have my daughter 4 1/2
years ago my world changed forever...I was not prepared for the
intensity of the bond nor the fierceness of my mother-love.  I had
some mild problems with breastfeeding and contacted an IBCLC and it
has been a wild ride since then. I stayed home for the 4-5 months
then was drafted by my LC to start working at an obstetrical clinic
as a peer counselor for experience, got my CLE and will be taking the
IBCLE this July after chipping away at the clinical hours for the
last 4 years. FINALLY!!!
Enough about me.  I have been lurking on LACNET for about a year and
am responding to Kathy D.'s post and am in total agreement.  I
took my daughter with me to the clinic with the support of my LC from
the time she was 4-5 months part time.  She is now 4 1/2.  I am now
taking my 8 month old son and
have been since he was 4 months old.  I have so many reactions-"You
bring him to work with you?"  "He is so happy and healthy" "You don't
mind?" They see that I can work and breastfeed.  He goes to staff
meeting, consultations and childbirth classes with me.  More of the
women in the office are intermittently bringing their children.  Our
children are a reality in our lives as is our careers and interests,
why do we try to divide one from the other? When
isolated at home with no other support, is it a wonder that we have
such high postpartum depression?  Our clients at the clinic are
lower socioeconomic clients and many have never seen functional
parenting or breastfeeding past 6 weeks or at all.  My son serves as
a role model.  I have had many women come to me and tell me that they
breastfed longer because they saw me breastfeeding my daughter for
sooo long.
When I was leaving on maternity leave with my son everyone was
anxious about my return date my answer was "if I can bring my son in
4 months, without him at least a year."  He is at work with me now.
We MUST DEMAND better conditions as women, mothers and workers in our
society and improve the situations for ourselves and our children-we
deserve it.

Dina Ovando-Brown BSN, CCE, CLE
Long Beach, CA


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