From the pain and trials of my first breastfeeding experience, I was bound and determined to learn all that I could about breastfeeding, so that I could help the many women I worked with avoid going through what I had gone through myself. Fortunately, I found myself in the perfect setting to learn, I worked at a large hospital in Stockholm, Sweden, which had over 3,000 births a year. As a midwife, one worked not only on labor & delivery, but also on the post-partum floors, much like a nurse, yet with more responsibility and decision-making capabilities.
By the birth of my second child, this hospital had opened a special breastfeeding clinic with midwife - lactation consultants who shared a wealth of experience. I took advantage of being in their presence and learned all that I could from them, much like an apprentice passionately learning a new trade - which is exactly what I did. My years of experience gave me the foundation of what I needed to become an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant, IBCLC.
On my own, during the trials of my first breastfeeding experience, I had found an ad for LANA (now called LANACare) woolen nursing pads. Founded by a nurse in Denmark, this company was in its infant stages at the time. Living under the cloud of blurred exhaustion you can often experience as a new parent, I have no idea how many weeks old my daughter was when I discovered these wonderful pads. But I do remember feeling that they were so soothing and helpful that I had to tell every breastfeeding woman I knew about them.
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