Why I Became a Lactation Consultant

I remember babysitting my younger cousins every summer when I was in high school.  Every year my aunt would be sitting on the couch breastfeeding the newest baby while I watched the rest of the kids.  It seemed so natural and easy.  She could direct the play and work of the rest of us from her seat.

When I had my own baby my mother, always the practical one, said “that’s what they’re there for”.   And she helped me through those first weeks when the formula discharge bag was sitting there so handy.  So I went on to breastfeed each of my children for several years.

Years later, when I returned to work as a pediatric nurse, I was always assigned to the babies on the unit, especially the breastfeeding babies.  I wasn’t afraid to care for them as many of the younger nurses without children were.   And some I could actually help.  I transferred to the Milk Bank and then my interest in everything to do with lactation, breastmilk and breastfeeding really took off.  I took the IBLCE certification exam in 1985, the first year it was available, and have been working in the field (devotedly) ever since.

Vergie Hughes RN MS IBCLC FILCA

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I know you all have great stories about your experiences being or working toward becoming a lactation consultant. Well now we have created a forum for you to share your stories with others. We invite you to write a maximum 100-word essay on who or what influenced you and what experiences encouraged you to enter the rewarding field of lactation consulting. To submit your essay, click on this link -https://lactationtraining.formstack.com/forms/ler_blog_submission.

Why I Became a Lactation Consultant