Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Benetz.
Hi Amanda, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I married my high school sweetheart, and we’ve been together for nearly 20 years. We have 3 kids: Reagan (11), Meyer (9), and Collins (6). And then a zoo at home just rounds out the chaos nicely. A dog (the sweetest lab mutt you’ve ever met), 3 cats (Luke, Hero and the newest one King George for my Hamilton-obsessed tween), and 2 aquatic turtles (a nice pandemic addition…kidding). I can easily say this isn’t the life I pictured for myself when we first got married. I never thought we’d leave the area we both grew up in….Never thought I’d leave labor and delivery. But I can honestly say it’s so much better than I could have ever thought. I’ve had to adapt my career to support my husband (joe). Never pictured myself being a stay at home mom, and that’s how it started in Houston for the first couple of years. The entire nursing career, I’ve been in maternal/child in some capacity. Started out in Labor and Delivery right out of nursing school. I always knew this was the only area for me. Loved being able to bond with my parents in such an intimate time in their lives. And really grew to love all the teaching I did in those first few days. My husband’s career took us south and away from family. Our first stop was in northeast Louisiana. It was here I got a lot of NICU experience. Fun fact; these hospital systems we work for. They don’t teach you how to teach patients how to breastfeed. You maybe do an annual check-off, but as far as actually, evidence-based and support lactation education. It doesn’t happen. Unless you seek it out, that’s why so many patients leave frustrated by hearing all sorts of different advice. It’s either from the nurse’s own personal experience or what we’ve picked up from each other. So when we made the move to Houston, I took a break in bedside nursing. My husband is a workaholic and being away from family just made hospital nursing a non option. It was then I sought out my CLC (Certified Lactation Consultant ) license. I had to find a way to make using my passion and education balance with family life. I fell into my first job by accident. But I’m forever grateful that happened. It really let me build my confidence and learn how to shine and be supportive to moms, breastfeeding moms and new families. I truly love what I do. Helping build confidence and supporting women and families through one of the biggest transitions in their lives is what fills my cup. And I’m lucky to be able to do what I love every day.
My other two loves are lifting and power tools. Pandemic taught me power tools. My husband never knows what he will come home to. I’m just at the surface (doing smaller things such as adding wood trim details to walls and windows) but hope to dive deeper; building a bed and pantry cabinets. There’s just something empowering about knowing I did that (and save a lot of money doing it too!). It’s a huge learning process, and you learn by making mistakes and figuring out how to fix them. Lifting is my therapy, my me time and my drug of choice. It’s something I prioritize almost daily. It helps me feel my best and set my mood for the day. I tell all my moms to find something that makes you feel good. Feel human, and you again. It’s not selfish. It’s important.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Nothing comes easy. It’s scary being on your own. And that took a while for me to get the confidence in myself that I could do this. Figuring out how to run a business, how to get your name out there and create a steady stream of clients. But I’ve made some amazing connections with other Mom bosses, local to Katy. And this is truly helping propel my business and thus my passion. All in similar pre and post-natal capacities, and together we support each other. It’s been so fun to watch this evolve and make plans for what 3bees could be in the future.
We’ve been impressed with 3Bees: Birth Babies and Breastfeeding, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I’m a full-service pre and post-natal education and support. We offer a range of classes (both private in home or group setting) to help educate and empower new parents to be. We also offer lactation support. Breastfeeding classes before, and in home visits after. So many women don’t even know this exists or how to find it. They think it supports to hurt and be right of passage. But that is so wrong. And we as a society set new families up for failure by not getting support to them right from the start. One of my favorite offerings is the Post Baby Check-in. This bridges the gap between educational classes you take pre-baby and actually bringing the baby home. What we do income in home, ideally within the first couple weeks of birth, and we go over everything baby care related. In your own home. With the baby! Hands-on experience with knowledgeable, compassionate care. We cover diaper changes, bathing, feedings, car seat safety, you name it! I’ve shown parents how to use their baby carries (lots of straps and so confusing). We’ve done diaper changing tricks, burping techniques, going over their nursery and bathing setup to make things easier. The goal is to build confidence and empower new parents to know they can do this!
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
Anyone who’s attended my groups or had in home services knows how much I love to use Instagram as a practical resource. There are MANY reputable accounts that simply want to share knowledge. Don’t get me wrong. There’s a lot of crap too. But I’ve got a list of ones that offer practical knowledge that’s really helpful during certain phases of parenthood. For example, baby led weaning and introducing solids, or Physical therapy (both pediatric and pelvic floor). All of it comes down to knowledge, empowerment and support.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.3beestx.com
- Instagram: @3beestx
