Q about teaching clients about bfing and your own expierence.

Luv2bemommy · 01-08-2006, 11:16 PM

Hi!

I am kind of worried when it comes to this part of helping my client.. I have tried to breastfeed all 3 of my children and it just never worked out for me, I always managed to get sore, bleeding, cracked nipples and never could build up my supply no matter what I done.. Anyways, I do know alot about breastfeeding and would have LOVED to sticked with it. So here comes my question. Wouldnt that be kinda odd to help a mother to breastfeed when I failed myself at it? What do you all think? This really bothers me cause I don't want to have a client and then she think, well if my doula can't breastfeed, then how does she expect me to do it and stay with it? Anyone know where I'm comming from?

moncton doula · 01-09-2006, 07:39 AM

well, unless you were asked directly if and how long you breastfed, you could use the phrase "some mothers find....blah blah blah" instead of "well when i nursed ....etc". That way you wouldn't be referring to yourself directly and she wouldn't know if the experience you were talking about was yours or someone else's. Does that make sense? But yes, I do know what your talking about...I did end up nursing quite a while for my boys but I had lots of bumps in the road and I can sympathise with a lot of the problems some of my clients have and I always try to be careful of what I say so they don't think that i'm giving them excuses to stop. Sometimes a hard line to walk...I find it really hard not to bring my own personal experiences into pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding...but I don't want them to think that since I did or didn't do it...it's ok or not for them. I hope that makes sense to you...sometimes my brain and fingers don't connect really well when typing.

Tiffany · 01-09-2006, 09:53 AM

Candice I am exactly in your shoes. I tried to no avail, to breastfeed both my daughters. It was a devistating thing both times. The second time, I thought I was doing everything right because I had been a doula for years and even had a midwife. There is truly something up with my anatomy. I never got the sensation of milk coming in, never got a "full" sensation, or "let down". I tried Fenugreek and everything but nothing worked. The baby kept losing weight and it was getting scary. I will try again with my third child.

As far as being a doula goes, and teaching moms to breastfeed, I've had many successes despite my own personal failures. I've helped many moms breastfeed and my last client from September is still successfully breastfeeding her child. I'm so happy it worked out for them. So don't worry!

Need2read · 01-09-2006, 10:18 AM

I just wanted to point out that when you are encouraging other women the breastfeed, or just educating her you would never see mom as a failure if she ended up having many problems, or just decided that bf was not for her. Because you encountered many obstacles does not make you a failure either.

I think in many ways the first step to helping others is first taking your own advice. (this applies in many ways generally but especially in our doula work)

You would not consider it strange for a doula who had a cesarean birth to be helping mom through a vaginal birth, right? It is all about the care you are providing, the support, resources, and reassurances.

In your case you have experience of what may or may not happen, this may help you to understand on a different level than say myself (i have no children, and have not bf). In both our cases we would offer a listening ear and provide her with what we know.

I hope that helped. Goodluck, and know that you will be great.

Luv2bemommy · 01-09-2006, 09:34 PM

Thanks everyone for your great replies..

I still have alot of issues with myself about not being able to breastfeed my children longer but I would never think of anyone else as a failure if they stopped.Courtney, what you said made alot of sense, and I hope my future clients feel the same way if they ever find out about my past expierences with breastfeeding. Tiffany I am sorry you too had such a hard time breastfeeding, I hope that with your next child you will be able to do it for longer. {{huggss}} Liz, it made perfect sense, thats one thing I will have to work on too, wanting to compare my pregnancy/birth with hers and giving a personal opinion when I know I shouldnt.

Stacie · 01-10-2006, 02:30 AM

Luv2bemommy · 01-10-2006, 03:41 AM

Thanks Stacie!!! That was awesome! And I will look into that video!

Luv2bemommy · 01-10-2006, 05:23 PM

Thanks for your reply!! How do you become a Lactation educator??? I looked on the LLL website last night about becoming one through them and they require that you have breastfed for at least 9 months.. Is there a way to become certified without having to had breastfed that long? I did get 6 weeks of breastfeeding in, thats better then nothing!

Luv2bemommy · 01-10-2006, 07:40 PM

Thanks so much! How long will it take you to become certified? I wonder if you can be a certified doula through one organization and then a lactation edu at another? I will check CAPPA out, thanks!

DL · 01-10-2006, 11:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by My2girlsmama

I have until Sept 07 to complete my certification for CLE. Yes you can go with whichever organization you wish for differing things...doula for one, CLE for another.......many do. I simply like CAPPA and agree with its policies for me personally. Check all of them out and find which one suits you.
CAPPA, ALACE, DONA, CBE etc.........

Good luck!

tlcdoula is one example of one of alldoulas members who has quite a few certifications. She has several in CAPPA and DONA simultaneously....along with some other orgs. too.

Here's a tip: If anyone wants a good place to view several organizations, take a peek at the new Resources page that Tiffany made. It's not exhaustive, but you can easily click on links to several orgs from there if you'd like (ALACE, Birthworks, CAPPA, DONA, and Chilbirth International are presently listed). You can also submit links for other orgs. that you know of if you'd like. Using 'Resources' could save you from having to do an Internet search!

Luv2bemommy · 01-11-2006, 01:20 AM

Thanks Lori!! You know I checked DONA,ALACE and CBI and I can't find any other organizations that offer lactation education certification??? Am I missing another one?

Stacie · 01-11-2006, 01:50 AM

CAPPA bought the rights to "Certified Lactation Educator" when ILCA (International Lactation Consultants Association) decided only the IBLCE is authorized to certify lactation professionals, that is why you won't find "CLE" under any other organization's name, because they don't have the rights to use it.

There are equivilant programs but they are under a different name.

Stacie · 01-11-2006, 01:51 AM

P.S., that was one of the features I liked about DONA, that they specialize in ONLY training and certifying birth and post partum doulas.

But I may get CBE certification through CAPPA (or Lamaze, not sure yet).

Luv2bemommy · 01-11-2006, 01:55 AM

Thanks for clearing that up!! Now all I need to do is to deciede which one I want to do now and which one should I do later. lol

Luv2bemommy · 01-11-2006, 02:50 PM

April, you are meaning for the doula cert right? I didn't see anyone on the dona site that said anything about becoming a lactation educator?

As far as becoming a cert doula, thats where I am stuck at.. DONA sounds awesome but they want you to attend this required workshop, where CBI doesn't.. But then again I NEED to be out and attend something since I am the shy, quiet type.. I need the expierence!! Travel is an issue too though!