Today we’d like to introduce you to Annika Gill.
Hi Annika, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
As an RN, when I had my first baby, I thought I’d have it all figured out. I thought breastfeeding would be a breeze and that it would be intuitive. It turned out to be the least intuitive skill that my firstborn and I really struggled with. We went through weeks of pumping, pain, bottle feeding, and hoping we could figure it out. I realized that this practice of breastfeeding that human women have been doing to sustain life since the dawn of time was a life skill that I not only had never seen, but had never even talked about with other women who have done it. Breastfeeding is a learned skill that was previously handed down generationally that has gotten drowned out by modern life. My struggle with my firstborn changed me. I set my mind to gaining an understand of breastfeeding not only for myself, but so I could teach my daughters, nieces, and friends if they wanted to breastfeed their babies too. Breastfeeding is an art and a very real skill that is built with practice, encouragement, the right education, and time putting in the “reps”. I built Latch and Thrive Co. because I wanted to build mothers confidence in their own skills as a mother in a role that no one on earth can replace.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Starting my own business has been one of the hardest, and yet most gratifying things I’ve ever done. I studied and passed my boards during my pregnancy with my second child, and launched my business while she was a young baby. This alone brings many struggles of it’s own. There are days when I question why I started on this road that requires so much internal grit and self motivation. When you work for yourself there is no boss coming around to ask what you’ve been doing all day. It’s just you– and the value you can or cannot produce for your business and the community. You have to be the one that believes in the vision of the business enough to push yourself for the excellence required to bring that vision to fruition. When I was young I saw my dad come down the stairs in his work clothes every morning, sit on the chair by the door and lace up his steel toed work boots for the day. As he laced his boots every morning, he said the same things over and over. “Annika, we have hard work ahead of us today, but there’s nothing better than working hard at something that blesses others”. These words have never left me. They’ve been buzzing around in my head my whole life long. I wake up every morning pinching myself that this hard work is what I get to do, and that this is the way I can use my skills for the betterment of the community around me.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a Registered Nurse and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. I help families who want to breastfeed, but are struggling with the knowledge and skills required. I do home visits where I go into a clients home and we work on feeding the baby then and there where the client is most comfortable. I do a full assessment on the babies and make sure they are on track for their weight gain and nutritional status. I assess the mother and her health within my scope of practice. One of the most important things I assess is the families goals so I can and help them achieve them– for instance, some moms want to exclusively pump and feed bottles, some want to never give their baby a bottle and only breastfeed, some moms want to do a bit of both. My goal is to make their goals for their babies come to life and to build confidence in the mothers themselves. Something that sets me apart from other in my field is that I hugely emphasize the importance of the role transition that the mother is going through in her life. She just gave birth, yes, but she also has just bloomed into being a completely different person– a mother. This new identity of motherhood needs to be treated with the utmost respect and honor. The last thing I want is to become the one who induces “white coat syndrome” in my clients or make them feel like they can only breastfeed properly when I am around. No…my goal is to be their cheerleader and advocate and to encourage that sprouting identity as a capable new mother.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
I will count myself as a success in life if I can leave every person and space I interact with a little more encouraged and uplifted than when I found them.
Pricing:
- Latch and Thrive Co. offers in-home and telehealth services
- Latch and Thrive Co.’s lactation services are covered by most health insurance plans
- Serving the Fort Worth- Arlington- Mansfield areas
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.latchandthriveco.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latchandthriveco/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61577029481738
