I am about to take the ILCA exam for the 4th time! This all started with
me always wanting to do the most natural thing. Like bake my own bread,
grow a garden, be independent of pressure from culture to do things which
did not seem natural to me. Before I was pregnant, my two sisters both had
a child, and breastfed, tho they are in MA, and I was in NJ where I was an
international airline hostess.flying out of Kennedy Airport. They told me
our mother breastfed us, so they thought it was a good thing to do. This
was late '60s.
So when i got pregnant, i told my OB that I was going to bf, and he had
no comment. When the baby arrived, the nurse handed me the baby after the
first 12 hours of his life (remember, they had to make sure they could
swallow and suck so they gave them formula!), I had a 3 hr labor, due to
walking 3-5 miles a day throughout my pregnancy, but was "put under" for
the actual delivery, and have NO memory of what happened til I woke in my
room alone, except for my roommate who was a nurse in that hospital who
also had just delivered.
Needless to say, she was not bf, and no one helped me, or asked any
questions. I went home in 48 hr, from admit, and I remember some anxiety
about what to do with this 6# 10oz little guy when I got home. Nurse q 4
hr, let him cry if it's not time to feed, get your rest: That was my advice
from hospital.
Needless to say, things did not go well. But they had given me formula
so if he cried after a breastfeeding, I gave him formula. I struggled thru
6 weeks, lots of frustration, I had more tears than he did, and no one in
my neighborhood had any experience with bf. Sigh.
Fast forward 11 years, and I had just finished my community nutrition
degree and got a job with WIC. They gave tacit support to BF but my heart
was going out to these moms who struggled. I read what I could, shared my
LLL book, went to all the trainings I could, etc. Finally in 1989, I took
the UCLA course in Buffalo, NY and the following summer, took the exam. I
became the BF Coordinator and leader of the peer counselors, and after 4
years moved to NH where I got a similar job with WIC, and was one of the
founding "mothers" of the NH Breastfeeding Task Force in 1996. We became a
501c3 in 2010? and I served as treasurer for an eternity! Finally left
that position in 2017 but remain on the Task Force which has amazing
leadership, and is known around the US.
In 2001, I got a job in a pediatric practice, and this was my dream job!
I could round with the pediatricians, then come back to the office and
phone or see mother/baby dyads.The physicians nearly all gave me great
support, and I earned their respect as an LC. At age 72 I was able to
retire by leaving the practice in the hands of another LC/RD who was in her
30s. Perfect replacement!
I loved sharing the first hours of a baby's life and the experience of
postpartum glow with mothers/families. It was a great honor, and i learned
constantly,and tried to become the best LC I could be. I am sure all of
you have been somewhere when a mother will stop you to say, remember 'joey'
and his first days/weeks of breastfeeding! Most of the ones who remember
you are the ones who had problems! And you helped them along. Best job
ever.
--
Michelle Scott, MA, RD/LD, IBCLC
Pediatric Dietitian/Lactation Consultant
[log in to unmask]
603 801-9140
*Joy doesn't betray but sustains activism. And when you face a politics
that aspires to make you fearful, alienated and isolated, joy is a fine act
of insurrection. **Rebecca Solnit*
Confidentiality Notice: This email message, including any attachments, is
for the sole use of the intended recipient and may contain confidential and
privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or
distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please
contact the sender by email, and destroy all copies of the original message.
***********************************************
Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]
Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask]
COMMANDS:
1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail
2. To start it again: set lactnet mail
3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome
|
