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Thursday, July 07, 2011

Looking forward

Anyone who knows me or has read this blog knows that I am passionate about pregnancy, birth, motherhood and all that encompasses these topics. I'm an advocate for pregnancy and birth education and just being informed about all of the options that are available to women and their families. I am an advocate for breastfeeding and think it is the right thing to do but fully recognize it is not for everyone, it doesn't always come naturally, and it doesn't always work.

One thing I'm certain of on my quest to "figure it out" is that I know what my passion is and I'm pretty sure I have discovered my "calling." I want to be involved in the maternal health care/women's health and wellness field. My end goal is to become a midwife. I want to let woman know there are alternatives to doctors and hospitals. That they can have more control over their pregnancy and birth experiences. Or at least fully understand what both worlds have to offer.

I can't just up and quit my job to make this happen. But in small ways and large I can take steps towards making this dream a reality. One way I can start on this journey is to become a lactation consultant. This is no easy feat but will help me to become a very well rounded midwife some day and can serve a purpose to make my life more fulfilling in the mean time.

I spoke with lactation consultant, Amber McCann of Nourish, today and feel energized to do my homework and start working toward becoming a lactation consultant. When I thought about this career path after having Sophia I wasn't told 'no' but that it would be difficult to achieve if I wasn't a nurse or already in the health care field. The conversation today proved this wrong!

She told me there need to be more "peers" in the field and not just clinicians. More young people and not just 60 year old women who can't connect with today's moms. More people who want to reach out to undeserved populations to encourage breastfeeding.

Speaking with her gave me a fresh outlook on where I can take my career and how it can dovetail with my family life. I am so excited at the possibility and opportunity that lies ahead of me!

3 comments:

Erin said...

I LOVE THE IDEA! Don't let anything get in your way. :)

Kristin J said...

That sounds awesome. The lactation consultant I had in the hospital was really good. She got us off to a great start and we're still going 16 months later (my original goal was to just make it to 12 months but why stop a good thing). I really hope this works out for you and that it's way more flexible and better for your family.

k said...

I'm excited to see/read where this takes you!