Meet SDBFC's Newest IBCLC - Erin Thom
We are so thrilled to introduce you to our newest lactation consultant at SDBFC! Erin joined us on April 3, 2023 and will start seeing her own clients on May 22, 2023! Here is our interview with Erin. We can't wait for you all to meet her!
Erin, tell us about yourself!
I was born in Covina and raised in Whittier, CA. I graduated from La Habra high school, and unsure of what I wanted to do, I decided to attend community college. I struggled to find my path, changed my major what felt like a million times, and went to college off and on throughout my 20s. In between being a student, I fancied myself an avid traveler, and would try to go to one international location a year. I saw beautiful places and had many life experiences by the end of my 20’s. I returned to college full time at the young age of 29 as a nutritional science major and graduated with my bachelor’s in nutritional science from California State University of Los Angeles with honors. While in my bachelor’s program, I served as the President of the Student Health Advisory committee, was an active member of the student dietetics committee and volunteered at several local hospitals as well as a food pantry we had set up on campus. One of my volunteer locations was at St. Mary’s in Long Beach, where I worked with local HIV/AIDs positive members of the community to assist them with their diet plans and ensure they had access to adequate nutrition. After graduating, I had every intention of taking a year off before returning for my master’s degree to become a registered dietitian. As with all best laid plans, life had other plans and I got pregnant 3 months after graduating!
What inspired you to become a lactation consultant?
As stated above, I became pregnant 3 months after graduating with my bachelor’s degree. At the time, I knew very little about motherhood, breastfeeding, and birth plans. I decided to throw myself fully into the pursuit of knowledge of all things prenatal and postpartum. I wanted to feel empowered in my birth, mothering, and breastfeeding journeys. I began reading everything from Ina May to Maya Bolman. I knew early on I wanted to breastfeed and in the midst of it all I decided to switch gears and pursue an education in lactation. Thus, I enrolled at UCSD and became a lactation counselor at 9 months pregnant. I gave birth to my son Wylder with few complications but within a few days, our breastfeeding journey got rocky. Breastfeeding was painful and I did not seek out help because I thought as a lactation counselor, I could manage it internally. I lacked the hands-on knowledge and extensive training that lactation consultants have to be able to navigate the bumps in the road we were encountering. I experienced a lot of pain for the first few months of breastfeeding; however, I managed to persevere and made it to 18 months of breastfeeding. I knew from my experience I wanted to further my education to become a lactation consultant and help moms like me. I returned to UCSD and began taking various medical training courses. Ultimately, I went on to complete my lactation consulting training and passed my board exam in 2021. I am very passionate about empowering and guiding lactating persons on their personal breastfeeding journey.
What are you most excited about working for the SDBFC?
I think most lactation consultants would agree with me when I say, we do not go down this path to get rich; lactation consulting is a career of passion. To put it simply, I love what I do. I am most excited to further my education at SDBFC and continue to grow and refine my skills as a lactation consultant. SDBFC emphasizes and encourages employees to further their education via attendance seminars, participation in classes, etc., to ensure we are always giving the most current and best evidence-based recommendations to our clients. I am eager to learn and ecstatic for the new knowledge I will attain working at SDBFC. I love that SDBFC strives to service families of all socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. I am excited for the diversity and range of clientele I will have the privilege of assisting as a lactation consultant at SDBFC.
What are your top 3 tips for a brand new chest/breastfeeding parent?
Give yourself grace and be kind to yourself. You just created and brought a human being into the world – you are a Rockstar!
Tools are our friends. Tools, like nipple shields, can get a bad rap but they can be really useful in aiding someone in continuing or furthering their chest/breastfeeding journey.
ALL human milk counts! Your chest/breastfeeding journey might not look exactly like you had planned, but remember that every drop of human milk you are able to provide for your baby matters!