So I have been thinking lately. I want to have a career. Now I don't mean let someone else raise my children kind of thing, and I am not sure I would actively work. But I think I want something to really be able to fall back on.
I have thought and thought and thought, and what I think I would really enjoy is to become a lactation consultant. Now I really love my Scentsy business, and I do not plan on stopping that. But with the military moving us every few years, and it's not like my little bear is going to stay little forever.....So I would like to be able to do something while he is in school someday. And in order to do that I need to get things like schooling and training out of the way now so that I can work when I want to later.
Now I know lots of people opened up a few cans of venom at me when I blogged about women doing nurse-in's. And my opinion still has not changed on the subject. I don't agree with nurse-ins. I think they are a waste of time and spread the wrong kind of feeling and point. Now I do agree that women should be able to nurse in public. And I do think they should be able to do so with a cover. I am not saying they have to cover but with enough creepy people out in the world today. Just cover up that special moment between you and your baby and don't let the perverts and creeps in the world intrude on that moment. I once heard someone say that seeing a woman's fully exposed breast while nursing was like a train wreck they just couldn't not look at it and stare. Now to me that made that person sound like a dork. But none the less that is what I am talking about. I would personally not like that weirdo looking at me. Women should not have to nurse in a bathroom, but man it sure is nice when a business provides a nursing area for Mama's to be able to kick off their shoes, lean back, relax and rest while Baby gets a little snacky snack. Now that is in the world where you only have one child as well. Because little bobby isn't going to allow for some quiet me time while nursing janey. lol Oh the joys of motherhood. ha ha ha ha
But back to the real topic. I want to help the Mama who has a hard time trying to nurse their little. I want to help both Mama and baby get that connection. Or even for the seasoned Mama who nursed all her other kids and for some reason this new little won't latch. I want to be able to help her.
So here is to my journey of figuring out what I need to do, what needs to happen, and getting the ball rolling.
XoXo- Mama Bear
I think that you should definitely do what makes you happy, but it depends on what you want to get out of the experience! I know multiple certified lactation consultants (one who is also a Doula) and the work is very irregular unless you are full time hired somewhere (although you can teach classes at community centers, etc. on a volunteer basis if you are not looking for money out of it.) but I think you will find A LOT of resistance in the lactation consultant community of your peers with many of your views. I think you will have to ask yourself if being liked by your peers is important or not, because I actually don't know a single lactation consultant that advocates for covering, private nursing, or anything other than everywhere and anywhere nursing, and the belief that publicly nursing benefits everyone in a community. If you maintain and talk about how you feel, (although your beliefs are perfectly valid for you) it is very likely you would not be recommended to people by other consultants, and that you would not enjoy some of the backlash you would get from the experience (and Riley's nursing problems would likely become a way for people to make arguments against your experience, regardless of the unkindness of the argument.)
ReplyDeleteNursing is honestly not really sacred bonding time for most women, it is about the health and feeding of a child, and although you may have flashes of staring into your little one's eyes and feeling overjoyed over what you have to offer them, most of the time it's just another thing you are doing in your day, and that is perfectly right and normal. I think elevating nursing onto the alter of sacredness won't connect with the vast majority of nursing women (especially non religious ones) and it really is mostly about being practical and raising your baby to it's greatest potential. Privacy and covering are entirely in the realm of individual conviction, and should not be advocated for by the lactation consultant, so maybe your views would never come up, but since you have SUCH STRONG views, it may be quite difficult to be neutral.
For me personally, I never covered beyond my shirt, my kids didn't like being covered, I didn't like not being able to look down easily at my baby, and I nursed in public out of convenience, (and as an advocate for women.) The US is one of the only cultures in the world who shame women for what their breasts are designed to do, and I honestly feel like I had the obligation to show women's bodies are not for sex and porn. It's not like I was flashing nudity everywhere and anywhere, but if you had wanted to stare long enough to catch a glimpse of something, you probably could have, but since I am not the thought police, it certainly never hurt me or my child if someone was perving on me. (Certainly not anymore than I am hurt anyway in my everyday life; I have large breasts and am fairly thin, I actually get jostled and bumped into, and sexually assaulted, etc. far more as a non-nursing person then I ever did as a public nurser, and that's in completely modest, and never showing cleavage or tight clothing. NOT that my clothing should ever effect whether or not I get assaulted.) Culture has to change, and if I can be part of that though embracing women's bodies as non sexual objects, I feel like it is my responsibility to do so!
As an aside, have you thought about becoming a nutritionist or speech therapist? I think you have a tremendous amount of empathy and understanding with all you have been through trying to get Riley healthy, and happy, and I bet other mothers would love to benefit from that experience since you have walked many miles in those shoes.
Well, I am late coming to this conversation but will comment anyway. I agree and disagree with some of the points made by both the blogger and commenter. And I bring my own opinions and knowledge to the table. It is too lengthy and late to get into all that. The one point I would like to make is that there is plenty of room for all of our views.
ReplyDeleteHurray for us! Hurray for our determination to help other women and their children. Hurray for all the various experiences that have shaped our views. And here is to future growth. I look back at how my views have changed as I have learned and been exposed to other thinking. I am grateful to all those who have been willing to share their differences of opinion in a kind, teaching way. I have benefited greatly, and hopefully I was able to expand their thinking as well.
I would encourage the blogger in her pursuit. Although the commenter describes the view of a segment of lactation specialists and community, she certainly does not have the whole picture. There is more than plenty of room for other types of views and experiences. To the blogger I would say, be prepared to have your views greatly expanded if you indeed decide to pursue a career in lactation.
As for the irregular hours, there are both advantages and disadvantages. For me, the flexibility in hours made it easier when my children were young (most of the time). Only you could decide what is wisdom for your own situation.