Hello all Lactnetters!

I am happy to tell you that I have started a new career as a RN at a Nursery 
in University Hospital. I have been working as a volunteer breastfeeding 
counsellor and support group leader for over 8 years but now at last I was 
able to shift into a more professional career. I have a lot to learn about 
nursing new born babies and premies, but I know I can help mothers with 
bonding with their babies and parenting and of course breastfeeding already. 
Some of you might remember that I have had a reason to read about low 
birthweight babies and breastfeeding during these years since I have 
breastfed a very SGA baby myself 9 years ago. I have been helping mothers of 
the premies as a volunteer bf counsellor.

The highlight of this first week was when a 35 week premie (born at 33 week) 
took the breast for a first time and nursed stunning 5 mls. His mother was 
very happy and I was happy for them, too. I am telling me to take baby steps 
and while I am learning and studying more I am trying to do my best for one 
baby and mother at a time.

The head nurse told the other nurses at my ward that I have experience in 
breastfeeding counselling and some staff is positive and some are 
suspicious. I have already started to hear my co-workers own personal 
breastfeeding stories and also prejudice...

In Finland there are no LCs at the hospitals so I am one of the pioneers, 
hopefully, in pediatric nursing. I am working as a nurse, but maybe the time 
is closer for some nurses to start to work more as LCs. We do have our first 
midwife IBCLC and three more took The Test this summer. I am working toward 
my own Test in a couple of years, I hope.

Best wishes,
Pia Ruohotie, RN, breastfeeding counsellor
from Helsinki, Finland, Europe 

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