Ellen,

The way I've tried to avoid burnout is to do something else a few hours a
week that doesn't relate to mothers, babies or breasts. For me this has meant
coaching a swim team or soccer club, serving on the swim club board, my own
competitive swimming, etc. This week I'm attending a Celtic music group and
dusting off my old guitar to join in.

The other strategy is to charge for my services and set (and keep) specific
hours. My business hours are roughly 1-9 pm with some weekend times because
that's when I get the most calls. I use mornings and the lunch hour for
paperwork, errands, dates with my husband, etc. Not exceeding total business
hours per week seems to help more than a rigid schedule.

Linda Smith, BSE, FACCE, IBCLC in private practice in Dayton OH