Things at the Lactation Center have been busy! In the first six months of being open we have had 133 lactation consultations, had 14 women attend six breastfeeding or pumping classes and 114 participants in our monthly breastfeeding group, Nurse & Chat. We knew there was a need for outpatient breastfeeding support in our community and it’s wonderful to know that we are filling that need.
More important to me than the numbers are the individual stories and lives that I encounter everyday. The families I have the privilege to work with inspire me. I am amazed by the strength and determination of the women I meet. I am in awe of the lengths that new mothers will go to in order to provide breastmilk for their babies. I am honored to witness the struggles and the joys of each new family I support.
Magical events transpire in our consultation room and the fact that I get to be there when they happen is a dream come true for me. I have the clinical knowledge to help with the lactation part of things and I have the counseling experience to guide the process of breastfeeding, but it is the mothers and babies that are making the magic happen. Our room is so lovely and calm, with a comfortable couch and dim lights. When a mother and a baby are skin-to-skin in this environment is when the magic happens!
Read more from Ann Marie in our summer newsletter.
