By Annette Leary, RN, BSN, IBCLC
Are you too tired to go for a walk? Have a lack of desire to socialize with friends or family? Find yourself looking for joy and feeling under appreciated? With the increased need for lactation support in various settings, lactation care providers are feeling split in many directions to provide the best care. Some consultants are limited in the amount of time spent with patients, as well having their skills micromanaged in larger work environments. The lactation care provider in private practice often works independently and can lack intrapersonal relationships with no one to share case reviews, resources, or hard to find answers. The cumulation of these pressures may leave them unsure of how to set personal boundaries to care for self, family and their patients/clients. These challenges have left many feeling alone, defeated, exhausted, and unsure if they can continue. The specialty staffing shortages, competing priorities, and role changes are exacerbating disengagement, causing stress and burnout in the field.
Burnout and fatigue can create physical, mental and emotional symptoms: headaches, weight gain, high blood pressure, ulcers/stomach issues, emotional breakdown, lack of desire in activities, and isolation from activities once enjoyed. These feelings are often fueled by the difficult conflicts that arise when families return to say that their healthcare provider does not agree with the lactation assessment or suggest that the consultant is trying to make money in a disingenuous way. When parents seek several opinions as well as use the internet and social media to find their answers after your assessment, the consultant may question their skills. The accumulation of all these symptoms acts as a catalyst to imposter syndrome, where the consultant is questioning their skills and if they should stay in this field of business.
Reassuring yourself that you practice ethically, keeping your knowledge and skills updated, and prioritizing self-care is your superpower cape! Join us on March 1st, IBCLC Day from 11:00am to 12:00pm ET to learn how to hone in and activate your super-resilient powers On this FREE Webinar, you’ll discover how to prioritize self-care, identify self-worth, and maintain personal and professional growth with resilience and fulfillment. Reserve your FREE Webinar seat here!
About Annette: Annette Leary is a registered nurse with over 33 years of experience working in Maternal Child Health (pediatrics, postpartum, home health care, and level 2 NICU). She became an IBCLC in 1995. Since then, she has owned a private practice providing office and virtual visits to Orlando Lactation and Wellness. She formed a collaborative company Baby BLISS: Central Florida Feeding Collaborative.
