The truth is that I’m emotional, love those ridiculous reality TV shows that explore the lives of unique people, find myself discovering I’m more of an introvert as I get older, and yet, always want to be where the action is happening.
The core of all of this is that I simply love people.
And the people I love most? New parents.
I fell into this work by accident. I don’t know anyone who wrote on their kindergarten assignment, “I’d like to be a lactation consultant when I grow up.” After struggling with feeding my own kids and slogging through the grip of postpartum depression, I felt strongly that all that pain needed to be for good. I pursued what I initially suspected would be a lovely hobby and turned it into the career I never knew I wanted. It really is a perfect fit for who I am and how my heart beats.
New families are wild, crazy units. They are a wee bit zombie-like and not as rational as they’d like to be. But they are capable and powerful. I like being in their presence.
It is no surprise to anyone that we’ve all got our noses firmly planted in our iPhones these days. The families I love are no exception. In fact, we know from research that new parents INCREASE their time online after the births of their babies. Not to be Captain Obvious here but new parenthood is incredibly isolating…and the internet can be a window to the outside. They are finding support in crazy amazing ways online and I love following that connection. The internet saved my sanity when my kids were babies and I’m firmly on TEAM ONLINE for new parents.
My current gig is with the International Lactation Consultant Assocation. There, I work with an amazing team to market and promote breastfeeding and lactation consultant practice on a global scale. They love what I bring to the table and I’m glad to be part of their team.
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Official Bio:
Amber McCann is an international board certified lactation consultant (IBCLC) whose current interests involve connecting with new families through social media channels and teaching others in her profession to do the same. After maintaining a busy private practice in the Washington DC suburbs and working with an innovative model of care at the Breastfeeding Center of Pittsburgh, she now provides marketing and communications guidance for a number of birth and breastfeeding organizations. When she’s not furiously tweeting or watching terrible reality TV, you can find her eating her way through all of the fantastic restaurants in her hometown of Pittsburgh and snuggling her three children.