Being a Lactation Consultant is a Blessing
This week I am excited to introduce guest writer, Glenni Lorick! Glenni is one of the sweetest, most encouraging, knowledgeable, and overall loving women I have ever met. Many in the Huntsville and Madison areas know her as the owner of A Nurturing Moment in South Huntsville. She is also a very talented lactation consultant who has helped thousands of women over the course of her career all over the world. I am very excited for you to get to know Glenni a bit more! She has many fantastic stories to tell, but here are a couple:
When I was a new mother with my first baby nearly 29 years ago, my lactation consultant at Brookwood Medical Center in Birmingham literally changed my life. She was so warm and encouraging, even giving me her home phone number (this was in the days before cell phones). She guided me through jaundice, mastitis, plugged ducts and sore nipples into an amazing breastfeeding relationship that endured well over 2 years. She is actually the reason I became an IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant). I decided I would much rather teach young moms who were right where I had been than continue teaching high school English and grading papers until 1:00 am! For the last 26 years I have had the privilege of working with mothers and babies. I began teaching breastfeeding classes for the Gadsden County WIC department when I was pregnant with my second child. Then I actually studied lactation and became first a Certified Lactation Counselor and finally an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant 20 years ago. I’ve been blessed to meet some amazing mothers and babies over the years both here and abroad. When we lived in Peru I remember getting a call from a friend at the missionary kids’ school my children attended. A young missionary wife had a new baby who kept losing weight, and her nipples were just torn to pieces. My friend wondered if maybe I could help her. As soon as I saw her baby, who at 6 weeks had barely regained birth weight, I saw his very obvious anterior tongue tie. My search to find somebody who would fix it led me to a doctor who became a dear friend. In fact, when we brought the international board exam for lactation consultants to Peru the following year, she was one of the first three Peruvians to certify as an IBCLC. As soon as she clipped the baby’s frenulum, he began gaining weight and the mama’s nipples healed up beautifully!
Another mother who stands out in my mind came into A Nurturing Moment for the first time about six years ago. She had just experienced a truly traumatic birth, and breastfeeding was not going very well for her. She struggled with PCOS (like so many mothers I’ve worked with), and she was pumping and nursing as much as possible, but still found herself unable to make the milk her baby needed. I supported her and encouraged her, but despite all our best efforts, she still wasn’t able to make a full supply. Nevertheless, she persevered because she was determined to provide her daughter breast milk as long as her body would produce it. Over the years I have helped mothers who have later ended up becoming good friends. Such was the case of the mother whose baby was born in late April of 2011. The morning of April 27 she called me at 6:00 am because she knew the tornado sirens would have already awakened me. I dressed quickly and headed to her house, arriving around 8:00 am. She was experiencing severe engorgement, and we worked together to alleviate it and help her baby nurse. I left her house to run to the store and grab a hospital-grade breast pump for her. As I returned, the wind had picked up and the sky was growing darker by the minute. Her husband hurried me into the interior hallway where we waited out the first round of tornadoes that day. I have learned so much from the mothers I have worked with. They have helped me hone my skills as a lactation consultant. They have also given me a deep appreciation for a wide variety of cultures, lifestyles and world views. I have seen again and again that the depth of a mother’s love for her baby transcends all the many barriers that so often divide us. As a result, I have a perspective that is far richer and much broader than I might have had otherwise. I am so incredibly blessed by and so deeply thankful for this amazing journey with mothers and babies!
Glenni Lorick, IBCLC
Thank you again Glenni for being a guest writer on my blog. I look forward to having you again in the future! I would like to put a reminder on here that Mommy and Me Mini sessions are available for booking now. These slots are very limited and are expected to sell out so please get them while you can. You cam read more about them and book here: Click here for more info on Mommy and Me Mini Sessions
