Want to Become a Postpartum Doula/Lactation Consultant

I'd say go for it!

My milk never came in and my daughter was readmitted to the hospital for dehydration two days after coming home. I luckily did have a VERY supportive lactation consultant. I honestly don't even know if she had her own kids or not and it didn't matter to me. She worked with me to try everything we could to make it work, and was supportive of my decision when I decided to call it quits and switch to bottles only. She had the knowledge from training and working with other moms to give me advice, but made it clear it was my decision to keep trying or not and especially after all I had been through shouldn't feel guilty if I switched to exclusive bottle feeding.

You've been there and I would have loved to have someone like you who's actually been through a challenging process first hand. I couldn't believe how many people in general gave me a hard time for "giving up". On top of the stress of the whole process, that was the last thing I needed to hear. (My general family doctor was actually one of them who pretty much said I could have made it work if I really wanted to. I didn't feel bad switching to another doctor when we moved after that!)

I think it would make you an even better consultant considering the lengths you tried to breast feed. You now know what other women experience. There is so much guilt associated with not being able to breast feed. You can a positive influence in that. I know many moms who saw a lactation consultant only to leave discouraged and feeling bad about themselves. Sometimes a LC passion on breast feeding makes other moms feel like they are not enough if they can't breast feed their children. You have the passion but the experience of wanting and not being about to. Which I think would make you a great LC.

I absolutely do not. Doing something (even doing it VERY well) and teaching or helping someone else to do it are not AT ALL the same. If you are a good teacher, then you will do great--period. My favorite OB nurse (I had her for several births) never had children. But she was SUPER during labor. She just learned from working with moms what they needed and was so smooth at providing it.

My only concern would be that it may be even harder for you than for most consultants to deal with the moms who really don't want to try that hard to make it happen. That is a difficult thing for me (I am not a consultant, just an over-motivated helpful friend) and I know it is part of these types of callings. You have a lot of drive, and it may even be augmented by the grief from not being able to BF. I only say that because I am still grieving my loss and my baby is nearly 2. But I also think that you could find some healing from working with moms and seeing them find success. I know it is so healing for me to be with a friend as she nurses her baby.

I am a birth and postpartum doula in the twin cities and I would definitely support your choice to become a postpartum doula. No one has personal experience in every breastfeeding circumstance. There are doulas who are not mothers let alone haven't breastfed their children. Your choice to help women is wonderful and with all the classes and information out there you should have no problem becoming a benefit to families that need your assistance!

You would be awesome! You just need the heart and passion. I'm a birth doula in training right now, too! Like someone else said, some doulas don't have children. When I had my first son, my hired doula had never had (and still doesn't have) children.

No. I think you may be welcome to those that are fighting to do it just like you did. I think you could be more encouraging to them than someone who had an easy time of it.

Absolutely not. Everyone has their own experiences with these things and I think, with your experience you will be able to give a perspective that is very non-judgmental and accepting. I think sometimes Lactation consultants can be very enthusiastic about breastfeeding, but if it doesn't work for someone, they need to be kind and reassuring.
I also could hardly breast feed due to things out of my control and it would have been really nice to have heard from someone that it's okay and that sometimes, it just doesn't work.
So, I say, go for it. If you are passionate about what you want to do and are kind, you will be a really wonderful doula and lactation consultant.
A.

I have had a lot of problems trying to breastfeed as well. I think that I would trust you even MORE because you yourself had problems and researched how to overcome them. Breastfeeding is soo hard!! At least you did the best you could instead og giving up! I would expect that you are expert on it by now whether or not you actually succeeded yourself. Good luck!

Of course! When I worked with my consultants, the question of whether she herself breastfed or her experiences didn't come up. If any mom ever did ask, "Was it this difficult for you?" you can talk about other moms who had trouble but succeeded in the end. Go for it! :-)

Best of luck with your career choice. I am a PP doula and lactation counselor and I can honestly say whether I breastfed or not never comes up. Moms just need help and support from someone who has the education to help, not necessarily actual experience. Your background would help you be more sympathetic to Moms having issues.

One question for you R....there are a lot of really great male OB/GYN doctors out there.......how many of them have actually given birth? I believe that if you get and stay educated and your heart is really in this, why WOULDN'T you be a great doula/lactation consultant?

Good luck R.!

I say GO FOR IT! There are women out there who are doulas/LCs who don't even have children. If I were personally looking for a doula or LC, it wouldn't matter whether or not they personally went through the experience. The important thing is that you can reach out and help other women through postpartum. I too have looked into becoming a doula to help coach women through labor naturally... though I personally chose to have an epidural with all 3 of my pregnancies. Good luck!

R., I think you will be the BEST candidate for being both a doula and LC. You know how hard it was to breastfeed and can help other women.
I had a nightmare trying to breastfeed due to lack of supply. My son was so dehydrated that we had to supplement. I was subjected to horrible people who belittled me for not producing enough milk. I would have LOVED to have someone who struggled like I did help me through that difficult time.

Do what you feel you are meant to do. You have not only been there, but you have gone the hard road yourself and you will be an encouragement and a blessing to more women than you ever thought possible.