I was born and raised in The Netherlands, did a BSc in nursing in The Netherlands, midwifery training in the UK and since October 2013 I am an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). As a midwife, I had learned a lot about breastfeeding and supported breastfeeding mothers. When I was pregnant myself, it wasn’t
Experiences of a Dutch Lactation Consultant/Midwife in China I learned a lot during the first years that I worked with the local hospital to train village and township doctors and visit expecting and new mothers in their homes in the villages. Below a few of these first lessons learned: Chinese Customs Surrounding Child Birth. There
Experiences of a Dutch Lactation Consultant/Midwife in China I learned a lot during the first years that I worked within the local medical system. Last time I wrote about some of the Chinese Customs Surrounding Childbirth. What else did I learn? Family dynamics. Role of mother (-in-law). As a Dutch midwife, I went to the homes in
Experiences of a Dutch Lactation Consultant/Midwife in China I learned a lot during the first years that I worked within the local medical system. I already wrote about Chinese Customs Surrounding Childbirth and Family Dynamics. What else did I learn? People from urban vs rural China. I have taught and helped families both in the city
I worked alongside and trained doctors in the countryside as well as nurses, midwives and doctors in the local hospitals. This was both a privilege as well as a challenge. Teaching medical staff. During my first years in China, I mainly trained village and township level doctors. They’re called doctors, but most haven’t had much
As a newly qualified IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant), I returned to China in November 2013. One of the first things I did was trying to find other lactation consultants in the area or other people who provide breastfeeding support. After all, one of the principals I had learned was to refer the mothers
