Michelle Fassell talks with Kiara Aponte, lactation consulting intern, about what led her to pursue this internship. Kiara is already a licensed pediatric Occupational Therapist and loves working with young children. Kiara’s passion shines through when she talks about helping babies and new parents, especially in her new role as intern. I can’t wait for you to meet Kiara in your next lactation consultation!
Michelle Fassell (00:01):
Hi, welcome to Your Milk Story’s interview with Kiara Aponte, my lactation intern. Hi, I’m Michelle Fassell, IBCLC, founder of Your Milk Story, and I’m here with Kiara. I’m excited to have you here. I wanted to ask you first what it’s like to be an intern and why are you pursuing the IBCLC certification [International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant]?
Kiara Aponte (00:30):
Sure. So, I am an intern because I am pursuing the full IBCLC certification. And so, as you know, I’m going through Pathway 3 with you as my mentor. I’m very lucky to have Michelle as my mentor. What got me into lactation is that I am a pediatric occupational therapist, and I have all my experience in pediatrics. I really enjoy pediatrics, I love kids, and I love babies. And what do babies do for the most part? I mean, what is their biggest occupation for the most part? It is feeding, sleeping, and toileting! I am really interested in those things about babies. I have a big passion for women’s health and equity. It just seemed natural for me to pivot into the lactation sphere where I can work with those mother-baby dyads on their goals.
Michelle Fassell (01:47):
I love that. And I see that with you in the consults as well.
Kiara Aponte (01:51):
Thank you.
Michelle Fassell (01:52):
You’re welcome! I love how you’re looking at the baby and you’re looking at the parents, the mom, the family, and trying to see how they all fit together. It really is important to see how moms, the babies, and the families are bonding and linking together.
Kiara Aponte (02:14):
I’m happy to be in this space. It feels not necessarily as if it were ‘meant to be’, but more like it is a place that I’ve been wanting to get to. For an OT, it’s a new space to be – this maternal health space. Early intervention is a common way Occupational Therapists work, but working with both the newborn baby and parents is fairly new. But it’s something that I really, really enjoy, so I’m happy to be here.
Michelle Fassell (02:57):
That’s great. And sometimes I feel like occupational therapists, pediatric ones specifically, are part of the lactation consulting profession. Because as you said, baby’s main job is to feed and are they able to do it? It fits well together having the background in Occupational Therapy and pursuing an IBCLC.
Kiara Aponte (03:23):
Yeah, it all fits together. We’ve seen it in our consults, all the primitive reflexes and positioning, all those things that go together to just make a feed work.
Michelle Fassell (03:37):
Right. Comfortable for the mom, comfortable for the baby, and all that helps the milk to transfer well.
Kiara Aponte (03:44):
Yes, the whole process.
Michelle Fassell (03:45):
Absolutely. Okay. So, that leads into what’s it like to be a lactation intern at Your Milk Story?
Kiara Aponte (03:56):
I really enjoy being a lactation intern. It’s a little weird for me, going from that professional space where I am THE practitioner, I’m the OT practitioner, the expert so to speak, going back into that student role as an intern. But yes, interning at Your Milk Story, I’ve had a lot of chances to really learn on the job. And I have learned a lot from you and from the families on all sorts of things. I feel like I’m constantly learning something new. And I’ve gone from a place of “I know what I’m doing” to: WHAT is this!? “I didn’t realize that was even a thing!” But I feel like every day I’m having a new aha moment, and it’s so exciting.
Michelle Fassell (04:55):
Yes, I’m very excited to have you here! And I feel like your [training as an occupational therapist] adds a whole new element to the consults. You view the babies and the parents’ positioning in a much more enlightened way. Sometimes moms or parents can be in a very awkward position when feeding and as an occupational therapist you can help get parents into a comfy position and babies as well.
Kiara Aponte (05:23):
I feel like it’s become the running joke that I’ll just disappear for a second and show up again with three pillows, and I’m putting them in different spots with mom, so she’s not hunching over and hurting her back.
Michelle Fassell (05:38):
Right. Exactly! I feel like that’s very important for families to be comfortable. It’s a big job. Parents nurse so many times per day, even bottle feed [frequently too]!
Kiara Aponte (05:52):
Yes, absolutely, a full-time job.
Michelle Fassell (05:52):
You’ve helped lots of dads and partners to get into a comfortable paced bottle feeding position, because their arm is sticking out over here and they look miserable [Michelle shows her elbow sticking out to her side].
Kiara Aponte (06:02):
I know. It’s really awkward.
Michelle Fassell (06:03):
And they’re feeling very awkward, and then you say, “Okay, why don’t you try this?” And then they feel more comfortable!
Kiara Aponte (06:09):
Yes, “just, relax.”
Michelle Fassell (06:10):
Reassuring them that, “you can do this.”
Kiara Aponte (06:12):
Yes, “You can do this, you’ve got this”. Yeah. I think there’s this idea that parents have to sacrifice their own bodies to be able to take care of their new baby. And I don’t think that necessarily has to be the case. Why can’t it be both, that everyone is thriving and safe in their body mechanics and is able to make it work well without sacrificing your back.
Michelle Fassell (06:40):
Absolutely, I think it’s great.
Kiara Aponte (06:42):
Definitely.
Michelle Fassell (06:43):
So… what would be your favorite thing about babies? I know that I’ve seen you a lot help the babies and really bond well with the new baby clients that we see. What do you think is your favorite thing about meeting a new baby?
Kiara Aponte (06:59):
Favorite thing about meeting a new baby? I really love babies. I feel like everything for them is so new. And my favorite part is getting to learn new baby’s personality, what makes them laugh and what engages them. I love to sing and talk to them.
Michelle Fassell (07:27):
Yes, you have a beautiful voice too.
Kiara Aponte (07:30):
Oh, thank you. I love to sing and talk to them. I’ve said this many times, but I feel like a lot of what our jobs are is just mastering the art of distraction. And so I do my best to really distract baby during those difficult tasks and/or make baby feel a little bit more comfortable. And so I think that is my favorite part of the process.
Michelle Fassell (08:02):
Making them happy with difficult things that they have to do, like tummy time, that’s hard.
Kiara Aponte (08:07):
Absolutely.
Michelle Fassell (08:08):
Such hard work, right?
Kiara Aponte (08:09):
Oh, yes.
Michelle Fassell (08:10):
They’re really working hard. And to make them comfortable and happy doing it is amazing when I see you helping the baby.
Kiara Aponte (08:17):
Exactly. Thank you!
Michelle Fassell (08:18):
Yeah, it’s good, it looks amazing.
Kiara Aponte (08:21):
I think a lot of parents are quick to say, “My baby hates tummy time, I can’t do it, I can’t stand to see them that way and be upset by it.” But if we’re able to make tummy time or things that are challenging more enjoyable, we’re more likely to see baby be like, “Oh, actually this is not so bad. And look, mom is really excited and happy that I’m doing this, and I can keep going.”
Michelle Fassell (08:51):
Yeah, yeah, that’s great. I love that. And I feel like your learning is coming together, you’ve just begun the internship, right?
Kiara Aponte (09:02):
Yes.
Michelle Fassell (09:02):
You’re one-fifth of the way through. Yay. A 100 of the 500 hours. Congratulations! I feel like you are watching the babies, looking closely at the moms, working together with them and learning new things, [your proficiency] is starting to develop. And I’m excited to have you here and work on the next 400 hours.
Kiara Aponte (09:25):
Thank you. I’m excited to do this. And I think originally I was like … before this internship started at the thought of doing 500 hours, I was so intimidated, that is so much. But really now that I’m here in the thick of it, number one, I enjoy it so much, so I don’t mind. But the other part of that is that I feel like I need that time to learn. I don’t think if this went any faster that I would be able to retain it all, there’s so much information.
Michelle Fassell (09:57):
So much. Every family’s different, every mom and baby, every dad, every partner.
Kiara Aponte (10:02):
Absolutely. 100%.
Michelle Fassell (10:03):
The dynamics are so different.
Kiara Aponte (10:05):
Yes.
Michelle Fassell (10:05):
Every time we see a new family. There so much to learn at the beginning.
Kiara Aponte (10:09):
Yeah. It keeps you on your toes and I really enjoy it.
Michelle Fassell (10:11):
Absolutely. Great. So we’re going to end with some fun little tidbits from Kiara. So what has made you smile recently, three things?
Kiara Aponte (10:21):
Three things that have made me smile recently? The things that come to mind recently, one of them is that my husband and I got to spend some time with some dear friends that we haven’t seen for a few months.
Michelle Fassell (10:39):
That’s great.
Kiara Aponte (10:40):
That absolutely made us smile. In fact, we were there longer than we thought, the time just passes so quickly.
Michelle Fassell (10:50):
Yeah, it’s nice being with close friends.
Kiara Aponte (10:52):
Other things, my husband and I have also been having to do some packing at the house, which itself has been stressful, but what has made me smile about it is that we recently finished packing a lot of those things, so that has made me smile. And then this Friday, so actually coming up, I have a vacation planned with the family, so I am excited to do that. That has made me smile as well. We’re going to Peru!
Michelle Fassell (11:27):
Yes, that’s exciting!
Kiara Aponte (11:32):
Yes, I am excited to go, but I’m sad that I’m going to miss some consults, I really am.
Michelle Fassell (11:40):
Yeah, I understand, but working all the time is not a great thing. You have to take time for yourself, it’s really important.
Kiara Aponte (11:44):
Sure, sure.
Michelle Fassell (11:45):
That’s what I tell the families all the time, but we have to do it too, as providers, it’s really important for [our wellbeing].
It’s been great talking to you, Kiara, and I look forward to everyone meeting Kiara in their consult!
