Husband, Jim, bought some roses to celebrate all the ladies of the world who took the International Lactation Consultant Exam today. (Since 1985, 30,000 individuals worldwide have been awarded this certification.) I was one of the gals hoping that months of flash cards, study groups, and late night textbooking did the trick!
For months now I have been hard at work studying the anatomy and physiology of lactation, how babies develop in their abilites to suckle, what milk is made of, how we care for babies who struggle to nurse, and why breastfeeding saves the lives of millions every day! Some days I would wonder how something so "natural" could be so complicated!
Though I have worked with breastfeeding families for three decades, I was amazed at how "handy" this new level of information has become for me. The high incidence of c-section, obesity, gestational diabetes, and lack of family support makes lactation a challenge for many moms that I see at UNC. I look forward to continuing to translate book learning into real-life problem solving.
Everybody who studied hard for the exam today can celebrate all that we learned and that we will share with those we serve--and hope that the universe rewards us with a "pass" in October!