Suzanne Sanders here, IBCLC on mission to become an extraordinary lactation consultant.

I want to improve my ability to read and interpret lactation research. I want to shadow and learn from great lactation consultants around the world. I want a better understanding of what concepts in the field of lactation are evidence based with hard research to back it up vs. expert opinion vs. age old wisdom that has been passed down from generation to generation.

A little bit about me.

In 2018 I started off as a breastfeeding technician at a breastfeeding center located at a pediatric clinic. There were multiple lactation consultants working at the same office, which was a phenomenal learning opportunity. While working there, I earned my IBCLC and shadowed IBCLCs with different perspectives and different backgrounds. I also shadowed pediatricians who had their IBCLCs.

Since becoming a lactation consultant, I’ve worked with patients in an outpatient setting right along side pediatricians and I’ve worked with patients in a hospital setting literally minutes after delivery. I’ve taught prenatal classes. I was on the education committee in the hospital for both the postpartum and labor and delivery units.

Prior to all of this, I had a degree in elementary education and worked a myriad of different jobs in my 20’s while I searched for a career that I loved. Turns out, being a lactation consultant is my dream job.

I am currently in the throws of young motherhood, with a toddler and a newborn permanently fixed to my side. I decided it was best for me to step away from seeing patients to focus on caring for these babies during this season of life.

While at home, I am taking a season to develop a wealth of knowledge in my pursuit to becoming an extraordinary lactation consultant … I do NOT have a phD or an MD or anything like that, so I am on a journey to learn how to read research, I am on a journey to learn more about anything in this world of lactation that piques my interest. So I will come at this with a lot of questions and a lot of curiosity. Jump in to learn with me, we’ll hit the interesting parts of the lactation world and ask some really good questions.

To learn more about my background and my journey to becoming an IBCLC, listen to episode 1 ‘How I Became an IBCLC: Pathway 3’ on my podcast For Lactation Professionals.

Let’s learn together.

Suzanne Sanders, IBCLC