Breastfeeding....My new career?!

When I was pregnant with Kameron I had all these grand plans for how my labor and delivery would go. I took the time to write a detailed birth plan and I daydreamed of how perfect it would all go. My perfect plan turned out to not be so perfect. I ended up having a horrible experience with labor (not progressing), horrible c-section (epidural quit working and I had to be put to sleep), horrible recovery (ended up with a spinal headache that required a blood patch). Since everything that I had planned turned in to disaster, I was determined to make breastfeeding work. This was something I felt that I had some control over and I would succeed at it if at all possible. So I pushed through the 2 weeks of torture, I pushed through the engorgement and sore nipples; and lo and behold I succeeded! So much so that I breastfed her until she was almost 18 months old. My original goal had been 6 months, that quickly changed to a year; however, when that year came up I wasn't quite ready to quit. Even after 18 months of breastfeeding, Kameron nor I were quite ready to quit, but due to my reoccurring migraines that required medication, I had to stop. It was definitely a sad time in my life, but I was also so proud of what I had accomplished.

After breastfeeding for so long I had definitely gained some knowledge that the books don't always tell you. Like breastfeeding shouldn't hurt. hahaha. Really? Have you ever had a baby latched to your boob constantly? It is going to hurt, but eventually the pain gets better and goes away. Certain friends knew that I had breastfed for an extended amount of time, and they when they got pregnant or had their baby began to ask me for advice. I gladly shared what advice I had with hopes that they too would be successful in breastfeeding. It was amazing to me that just sharing the experiences and knowledge I had brought me so much happiness.

When I had Landon there was no question in my mind , I knew I would be breastfeeding him as well. I have plans to do extended breastfeeding with him too. The second time breastfeeding was so much easier than the first time. After 5 days there was no more discomfort. I was never engorged. It was awesome. Sure there were and are still some latching issues, but we are working through them.

Through my recent experiences providing advice and help for fellow breastfeeding friends, and through my experiences and joy of breastfeeding, I began to really think about becoming a lactation consultant. Now, I am currently attending school to get my bachelor's in psychology, so wouldn't that just be a waste of my time? No, actually it is a benefit to me if I decide to pursue this career path. I know that if I pursue this career it will be something that I will enjoy and is a passion of mine. I think breastfeeding is wonderful, but I also know that it isn't always possible for everyone. I would love to be able to help people who are struggling with it, to become successful with it. Oh I could just go on and on about it. I just have such a passion for it and for helping people.

So....now the question is....to become a consultant or not?