Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Nealy.
Melissa, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Growing up, my grandparents had a farm for their city-living grandchildren to come and learn about agriculture and life on a farm. Every summer and school break we would travel up and help my grandparents with a herd of goats, a herd of sheep, a horse or two, a garden and a pecan orchard. There were times when we would be there when a mama goat was giving birth. My grandfather would let us watch but all of us were told to keep a distance and let her work. My grandfather would only intercede if it was clearly needed, and I can only remember this happening once while I was present. This laid the groundwork for my perception about birth and breastfeeding. It helped me trust in women’s bodies’ abilities to give birth, breastfeed and also to know that there is often technology and tools that can be used if it becomes necessary.
A year before we even conceived our first child, I started doing research about birth, breastfeeding and parenting. I ran across a YouTube video about the benefits of unmedicated birth and care received from midwives. I read more and more through that year and the following year during my pregnancy. I began to be convinced that I wanted to change careers. (I was an elementary music teacher at the time.)
After the birth of our first child, I got involved with La Leche League which is a mom-to-mom support group for breastfeeding moms. In retrospect, I learned that my daughter suffered from an undiagnosed tongue tie, undiagnosed GERD, and undiagnosed torticollis. We had a hard time nursing because I also struggled, experiencing oversupply, thrush, plugged ducts and mastitis. Having the support of the LLL leaders and moms, learning all I could, and having a great support system at home enabled us to continue our nursing journey. I often tell people that my first daughter is why I became a lactation consultant.
While pregnant with my second daughter, I became accredited as an LLL leader and shortly after becoming a leader, I found myself running all three of the meetings each month inside the loop of Houston. I did home visits when I could, took phone calls, and answered Facebook messages. This was another period of growth and learning. I attended conferences and learned all I could about tongue tie and other common problems that arise during breastfeeding.
When my second daughter was born, I knew I wanted to be a midwife: a medical care provider who is responsible for prenatal care, the health and safety of mom and baby during birth and oversees postpartum care in a hospital, birth center or home birth practice. I also knew that taking on the 24/7 on-call aspect of midwifery was not something I could do at this point in my life as I had two young children and we were still considering having more children.
I began pursuing education about becoming a doula and becoming an IBCLC (international board-certified lactation consultant).
With my third child, our first son, I found a midwife who provided in-home prenatal care, who was compassionate, kind, loving, wise and incredibly well-researched on a number of subjects but especially the medical literature regarding birth and breastfeeding. I knew I wanted to provide that type of care one day. It is this style of care that I strive to provide to my doula and lactation clients.
After my son’s birth, I pursued certification as a doula and began attending births with my mentor as a student midwife and occasionally acting in the role of doula. I also finished my continuing education for the many requirements to become an IBCLC. IBCLCs must have collegiate education covering psychology, counseling, anatomy and physiology, etc. they must take courses in medical ethics, documentation and terminology, they must have 500 hours helping women breastfeed, which I had through LLL. They must also have 90 hours of continuing education and take an extensive test to obtain certification. I became certified as an IBCLC and began practicing as a doula and IBCLC in private practice.
Being an IBCLC and a doula has been full of learning and creative thinking. Because each baby is an individual, each pregnancy, each birth and each nursing journey specific to that baby I get to constantly research, learn new things, and come up with creative solutions to the varying obstacles my clients may encounter. I love working with women, babies, and families as they grow in their parenting journey. I love walking with them, growing my relationship with them and getting to assist in any way I can. It is always an honor.
Has it been a smooth road?
I think that my struggles are similar to those of any working mom. I try to find a balance between being available to my children and maintaining my business. It is not easy for them to have a mom who may have to cancel plans in order to attend a birth. It is also not easy for me sometimes being concerned about finding childcare for an upcoming birth. I often ask friends and acquaintances if they are available to watch my children the following day in case I am not home when my husband needs to work. I have an amazing support system though. My husband cares about what I do and feels it is important. His work is supportive of him needing to work from home when I have a birth. I have a great babysitter who my kids adore, and wonderful, understanding friends who have helped when they can.
It has also not been easy starting my own business. I am very good at the job of being a doula and a lactation consultant in terms of working with moms and babies. It was a huge learning curve to take on the scheduling, paperwork, social media and marketing for which a small business needs to be responsible.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Spiral Path Lactation and Doula Care – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I provide compassionate, non-judgmental care. I know a lot about breastfeeding and childbirth but each birthing woman, each breastfeeding pair, each family is completely unique and I am not the expert on their specific family. No one knows what other people are going through. I support women in their choices. I have walked with women who chose to have a cesarean birth, those who know before labor that they are going to get an epidural, women who need to wean their babies, women who choose a home birth and want minimal interventions, women who breastfeed their babies until they are four years old and everything in between. We all make decisions based on the knowledge we have at the time. I do not provide advice to my clients, I provide up to date, evidence-based information to my clients about the benefits and risks of various options. I am a safe space for them to talk through their thoughts, questions, fears, and hopes.
I am, to my knowledge, the only IBCLC in Houston who is also a doula and student midwife, and the only doula who is also an IBCLC. I love that I can provide support to my clients prenatally, throughout their pregnancy, at the birth and postpartum if needed. The more I learn about birth the better I am able to help clients with breastfeeding, and the more I learn about breastfeeding the better able I am to help both lactation clients and doula clients.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I love the diversity, I have worked with women from various walks of life, different nationalities, gender preferences, cultures and I learn so much from everyone I meet!
I drive all over for my job. I can listen to podcasts, books, lectures, etc. and improve my own education, but I would love if we had better public transportation so I could chart in between clients, or if there were less traffic.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.nealyibclc.com ; www.spiralpathdoula.com
- Phone: 8324399838
- Email: melissa@nealyibclc.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spiralpath_doula.ibclc/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/MelissaNealyIBCLC
Image Credit:
Joanna Booth Photography
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