In other news, I'm excited to announce that I have officially completed my training to become a lactation educator/counselor! This means I can start teaching breastfeeding classes and offering breastfeeding support to new and expecting moms.
Right now, my biggest desire is to get out into the field and gain some practical experience in this area. I'm not sure if I want to eventually take the lactation consultant exam (which would also require more coursework) but that possibility is definitely on my radar. At this point, I mostly just want to start working directly with new moms. I've definitely been bitten by the "birth bug", as they say, as I am finding myself more and more passionate and interested in all things relating to pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. When I think about helping and guiding women as they make the beautiful, yet delicate and often challenging, transition into motherhood, I am overcome with feelings of excitement and fulfillment, so that must mean something, right?!
As of right now, I am working on becoming certified as a postpartum doula so that I can begin providing breastfeeding support as well as support in other areas of the postpartum period to new moms. I have plans to volunteer as a doula at San Francisco General Hospital, but the process for working in a hospital is long and bureaucratic, so it will probably take a couple of months for me to get started.
I am loving my time at home with my baby girl. Some days are tough, of course, but overall it has been an amazing experience to be home with her and I am so glad I've been able to dedicate myself fully to her, especially while she is still so small and dependent on me. I know someday I'll return to the paid working world, but for now, I am enjoying this precious time with my little one and learning a lot from her as well. Our days are repetitive--and yes, sometimes boring--but they are also usually calm, happy, stress-free, and punctuated with little magical moments that I wouldn't trade for anything else in the world. Though being a stay-at-home mom is hard work (I totally understand now why people say it's the toughest job in the world!) and can sometimes be quite isolating, it is also one of the most selfless things I have done in my life and I take great pride in that.
I've also found that I have enjoyed being home with E more and more as she's gotten older. I love our little routines and seeing her face light up every time I go into her room to get her after a nap. When I feel bored (which is rare because there really isn't much time to feel bored in my day!), all I have to do is get down on the floor with her, play with her, watch her a bit, and then I realize that nothing is boring to her--she's constantly analyzing, learning, examining. She reminds me every day that the world has so much to offer and that, as adults, many of us have lost our sense of wonder and adventure. Life feels dull and boring because we let it become that way.
So babies have a lot to teach us really. And I find myself turning to my daughter when I yearn to experience some of life's simplest pleasures. She's taught me so much already.
Here's my new certificate! (which unfortunately got crumpled in the mail...ugh)
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