IBCLC VS LC: What’s the Difference?
Historically, women would look to their mom, sister, aunt, friend or grandma for support through pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding and child rearing. Since formula made its debut in the mid to late 1800s, less and less women have been breastfeeding. By the 1970’s only 1 in 5 women were attempting to breastfeed. Sadly, those who did breastfeed were outcast by their peers and doctors. These mothers would hide their parenting style as if it were a “bad” thing to do. Finally, a feminist group in Chicago, Illinois noticed the need to support mothers who wish to breastfeed in 1956. The seven founders began private meetings for mother to mother support, open to anyone who wished for breastfeeding information. This group is still in existence today and is called La Leche League; named after a Spanish lactating shrine in Florida. These women pioneered a movement to teach “The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding “at a time where you couldn’t turn to your doctor, family or friends. They affiliate with medical professionals who provide breastfeeding advice for the trickier problems. La Leche League has grown into an international organization, whose primary focus is to share information and encouragement while building confidence in new mothers who want to breastfeed. Albeit hoping this would eventually bring generations back full circle. So, if we have La Leche League, Breastfeeding USA, Nursing Mothers Advisory Counsel, online groups, breastfeeding cafes and various other free monthly meetings for women in need of breastfeeding support, why then should someone pay for private help? Remember the saying “it takes a village to raise a child”, well the same can be said for raising a mother. She will always benefit from complementary support. Seek out your tribe well before delivery if possible and embrace the different mentoring styles. There is a myriad of ways to learn and you will find which classification you fit in. It is a benefit to go to support group meetings. They are free, informal and many lifetime friendships are formed, for you and your children. Not to mention how gratifying it is that someday you will be the confident mom who gives the breastfeeding advice to a newbie. Every now and again, you may need a one on one clinical team for more intricate problems. See below to help navigate the labyrinth to professional lactation support. Unfortunately, in today’s world of hormonal imbalances it is not always a simple ride through pregnancy, birth and beyond so it’s not surprising that some moms and babies may need a more experienced voice. For example; if you have a thyroid problem wouldn’t you want an endocrinologist on your team? Choosing whom to reach out to can feel overwhelming and expensive, consequently making you want to stop breastfeeding instead (which is another expense). Since formula companies would have you believe that human milk and their products are equal, why bother to breastfeed? Sure, we know it’s healthier for babies, but as I pointed out, many generations have not had any human milk and survived. Or did they? To what expense? Before I review the assorted differences in education and experience amongst those with breastfeeding credentials, I want to be clear that they all have the same goals in mind: to give accurate information to the best of their knowledge at the time. I’ve broken these experts down into groups, for ease. If there is a specific credential you are looking for and you aren’t seeing it, I’m sure it’s in one of these categories. Reach out to me for more detailed info. As I said in the beginning, women have been helping women navigate parenthood through experience, since humans roamed the earth. When breastfeeding became “unfashionable” in the 1860’s and women stopped breastfeeding, the techniques that had been passed on for generations fell by the wayside. Since the 1980’s, the limelight has been shed on breastfeeding once again. Public health experts across the world have agreed to educate women about the necessity to use human milk for human babies for healthier generations to come. History does repeat itself, although this time women were unable to look through the lineage of their ancestors for support, thus creating a new way to share the “art” of breastfeeding. Forming generations of curious women who want to help each other with limited experience compelled a new subject in education. Today, with the countless pathways a person chooses to gain education in lactation, a mother will have no problem finding someone to help her pilot her breastfeeding journey. From an experienced stranger online to a friend or family member with some confidence we are on the road back to ancient times. Credentials will tell you the extent of the persons education, not the experience unless he/she is an IBCLC. Only this credential has education and experience. When reaching out for help, ask for the training and background of that person. Would you want someone who finished an online course in endocrinology but has never examined a patient before? Credentials matter when you and your baby are struggling. Remember it takes a village! If you’d like to become a lactation expert, reach out to me and I will help guide you. Happy parenting!
How to Find Your Mom Tribe
Every woman should have a mom tribe. Even if you’re not pregnant yet, start gathering information to use later when the time is right. Finding a mom tribe is integral to your well being! Here’s a possible scenario: You’re a few days late with your period and decide to pick up an at home pregnancy test. Once in the store, you’re overwhelmed with the options available. Is the price predictive of a more accurate reading? Which one has better reviews? Is one stick easier to pee on than the other? Will you be able to understand the process and how to interpret? With so many questions you may turn to Siri, google, YouTube etc. instead of a friend or family member because you want it to be a secret. Once you buy one and use it, you will likely have many other questions, regardless of the outcome. If the stick shows negative, you may wonder why you’re NOT pregnant. Is something wrong with you- why is your period late- how you dodged the bullet etc. On the other hand, if it’s positive, picking a pregnancy test from the store will seem effortless. Life is about a series of puzzles to figure out. Always looking for the right answers behind each door. So, navigating the labyrinth of pregnancy, labor, birth, postpartum and breastfeeding can be rather complex on your own. Hiring the right professionals with the appropriate education, knowledge, experience and passion for your birth should be of paramount importance. Like building a house or managing a sport team: you hire each team player or worker with a special skill set. In those instances, you would make sure the pitcher was pitching- not the short stop or the electrician did the lighting- not the plumber. That’s why an expertly picked team is needed when that pee stick is positive. Deciding where to birth your baby, with whom as the professional, which classes to take, who will be your rock through labor, what labor looks like to you, how your partner fits in and how private the event will be, can be all encompassing. It’s a fallacy to think that you only need to find the right obstetrician or midwife and everything else will fall into place. By taking the time to hand pick the best worker bees during your perinatal period, you will likely reduce most of the anxiety surrounding this exceptional time of your life. Take the Time Now to Gather Your Mom Tribe So, when your period is late and you feel overwhelmed with all the decisions: STOP, take a deep breath and relax. Retreat into your cocoon to sift through the garbage information in your brain and seek quality material relevant to your concerns. Find one confidant (besides your partner) to share your news so you don’t explode. Ask for referrals for a doula from reliable, experienced friends that have similar philosophies. This doula will guide you to finding the physician, midwife, hospital, birth center, birth classes, prenatal exercise classes and alternative birth workers (chiropractor, massage therapist, acupuncture etc). In most cases she will help you with pregnancy related questions as well as where to buy cost effective maternity clothes or supplies. Think of her as your tangible, reliable, educated, experienced, trained “google” for the perinatal period. Once you have the doula in place you can sit back and enjoy the pregnancy ride. Happy Parenting to be!
Are You at Risk for Burnout?
Just like a computer, sometimes your brain needs a reboot. If you keep adding input without taking something out (making room or some of you might remember GIGO? – I’m aging myself) you can burn out the “machine.” Your body is a delicate symbiotic system that needs a chance to catch up (like the computer’s spinning circle of death). We can’t possibly expect to have our machines working at their best if we don’t give it a little rest, discard the garbage, update it or shut down completely for a while. The same can be said for the body builder. If she never gives her muscles a chance to repair, those muscles will be in jeopardy of falling apart and not grow. Defeating the purpose. While anyone can be on overload, there are certain people that absorb more energy around them and could find themselves at a higher risk for system breakdowns: Empaths: this is an integral part of your being, since you absorb all the feelings and situations around you, not finding a balance can lead to your own mental breakdown. Moms and dads: there’s the yin and yang of a relationship- the short version is that one of you will be the logical one and one the nurturing one. That doesn’t mean you can’t both have a logical and nurturing brain. It just means one of you has more of the nurturing side and that’s usually the person who takes on the bulk of family and children matters. Relax, I’m not insulting anyone. These are facts. Men were made to plant their seed, protect and sustain the family while women were bred to procreate and sustain an infant, so humans didn’t run dry. It makes perfect sense. So, the logical one takes on the stressors of things that don’t usually require feeling (money, work, repairs etc.) and the emotional one is FEELING everything while taking on the other responsibilities (kids, school, health, pets etc.). The balance tips sometimes and each can get a taste of the other side but usually it tips back, and you get that perfect balance once again. Adrenaline junkies: always looking for the next rush can put anyone at risk for a lot of things but shutting down is integral for your wellbeing. Find a good balance to offset that extra energy. Some professions you might find this type working in: Doctors, lawyers: these professionals almost always start out wanting to help fix something or someone. They see the need to take part in healing or saving. Easy to overdo and take this stress home. Writers, Musicians, Artists: as you may have thought, this group of individuals are the “feeling” type. Refer to empaths. Teachers, of any type, clergy: always trying to help, teach or save someone can leave you feeling depleted. Social workers, legal aid, mental health experts, healthcare workers, rehabilitation workers: these superheroes are much like the doctor and lawyer, but they make much less money for the work they do. They can’t take on these jobs without truly feeling what is going on through their client. Even the most conditioned professional will need to find an outlet before his or her own breakdown. And many more! How Can We Offset This Burnout? It’s the little things that count in your everyday ritual. These can literally take a few minutes a few times per day and still give you a renewed feeling. Start by using any mindfulness approach that works for you. Your welcome to use mine: Breathe– No really Breathe!! Slow, deep and controlled with a pause. Concentrate on elongating your exhale. Try it- it’s not that easy. Stretch– When was the last time you fully stretched out your body? Or touched your toes (good blood flow to the brain)? Notice– Stop right now and look around. Now look again and find something you missed before. Pick something in your area that has beauty or curiosity and really think about it. Listen– Close your eyes for a few seconds while you’re practicing that breathing, then relax and listen to everything around you. Isolate the feel-good sounds and enjoy. Acknowledge– Have you ever thought about life and where you fit into the universe? Or what role you play in your family-work-school-friends etc.? Take a moment to acknowledge the positive! Besides the obvious: take a vacation, time off work, babysitter for the kids, friends’ night out, date night etc., these tips can be implemented in your daily routine with a little creative planning! Steal a few minutes by detaching from your tasks: Make a quiet drive home in solitude about you; turn up the music-dance (safely) in your seat-pretend no one is watching-listen to a book or podcast you’ve been trying to get to or connect with your bestie on that deeper level you never have time for. Don’t forget to drive slowly. Take the long way home: Your family will survive without you. Drive (or walk) to a walking path-coffee shop-ice cream parlor-gym- store-nature overlook-friend’s-house etc. the objective is to decompress before taking on the next responsible task. Relax, it doesn’t have to be long, even 20 minutes can revive you. Turn up the music in the bathroom and have someone else on duty for kids -preferably, out of the house-, so you can take a bath-ALONE! Bring whatever oils, candles, bath bombs, gadgets and gizmos in and lock the door. Set a timer for at least 30 minutes and clear your head. Read a book: When everyone else is on their devices, sit with them reading a book. Whatever rules you have about devices, set a time that you all sit together and share something about your day and then when it’s ok to watch or use a device- you read! No chores! While this list can go on and on, the biggest take away you need to hear is that you shouldn’t feel guilty about refreshing yourself. After all, when mom and dad are happy everyone is happy!
