I am the middle child, and still remember my Mother breastfeeding my younger brother. My older sister still recalls “yours truly” being breastfed well into her toddler years. Being apart of a family that breastfeeds and supports breastfeeding is incredibly telling, and my firm understanding of infant nutrition and behavior from an early age was extremely beneficial in leading me to my future career…

I recognized the dire need for more International Board Certified Lactation Consultants in my community. I decided to pursue the pathway towards obtaining my IBCLC to normalize breastfeeding, educate mothers and their families, and hopefully help them achieve their goals.  Most importantly, I want to tip the scales in favor of every mother who wants to breastfeed, giving them a fighting chance at success.

So a few years ago, I enrolled in one of the few universities that offers a Maternal and Child Health major with a special emphasis in Lactation Consulting. I traveled the country, from Colorado to Illinois to New York attending Breastfeeding workshops and conventions. I interned for over 12 months in New York City, assisting some of the most at-risk clientele with breastfeeding during their maternity stays. I have over 1,000+ hours of breastfeeding counsel with mothers in prenatal and postpartum settings (which includes Labor and Delivery, Recovery Room, NICU, ICU, In-home visits).  I have another 1000+ hours working in tandem with other IBCLC’s, pediatric and labor and delivery nurses, pediatricians, neonatologists, and obstetricians.  I have co-hosted hospital staff in-services, and taught breastfeeding awareness and education to new hires and first year residents.  I also participated in teaching breastfeeding courses at WIC offices for staff and patients, hosting a plethora of breastfeeding support groups in prenatal and WIC clinics.

I graduated with high honors from Union Institute and University (UIU) in May of 2014 with my Bachelors of Science degree in Maternal and Child Health with an emphasis in Lactation Consulting. I became credentialed in October of 2014, officially designated as an IBCLC. I also hold certifications as a CLC (Certified Lactation Counselor) & ALC (Advanced Lactation Consultant).  Additionally, I am also certified in basic life support and CPR for infants and adults.  In 2014, I founded my private practice lactation consulting business, SweetTeat. In 2015, I decided to go back to UIU and start my graduate degree. In 2016, I became credentialed as a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES). In 2017, I received my MA degree in Health & Wellness with an emphasis in Health Education and Promotion involving Maternal and Child Health and Lactation.

To all of you reading this, breastfeeding, like achieving your goal weight or that coveted Christmas bonus, isn’t free or guaranteed; it requires sustained time and effort on your part. I am the first one to give you this disclaimer. But my hope is that through private breastfeeding counseling  or breastfeeding classes, I can get you excited about giving breastfeeding a try and help you through your breastfeeding journey.

And with that, I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes on breastfeeding,

Breastfeeding is a behavior that cannot be imposed but must be chosen” (Guerrero et al., 1999).

-Jena Hallmark IBCLC, CHES, MA.