We recently connected with Rachel Da Silva and have shared our conversation below.
Rachel, appreciate you joining us today. How’s you first get into your field – what was your first job in this field?
Even while in Nursing School, I always knew that I wanted to work with moms and babies. My first hospital job was on the Postpartum floor in Memorial Miramar. It really developed my skills as a nurse, but I was only just beginning my career.
After 4 years in Miramar, we moved up to West Palm Beach because we started a new church. I started working at Bethesda Hospital East, and I worked there for another 6 years.
During my time at Bethesda, I had the opportunity to work in L&D, NICU, Pediatrics, and other floors. It brought my maternal-newborn knowledge to a whole other dimension.
Every step in my career made me who I am today, and I am just so blessed to have had the opportunity to grow as I have.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Clinical experience is helpful but only gets you so far. I really started diving into lactation because of my personal breastfeeding journey.
I thought I was prepared when I had my first child, but I had a lot to learn. I ended up with a massive oversupply and suffered from painful engorgement for months. I did not know how to manage it so ended up with recurrent mastitis, postpartum depression, and an inability to directly nurse my baby.
I wish I had Lactation support, but did not know where to get it. I started educating myself about breastfeeding to overcome my own obstacles and then ended up nursing for over a year. Since then I have had 2 other successful breastfeeding journeys, although they each had their struggles.
I want to be a support for new moms. I want them to have a safe place to ask questions and overcome their struggles. I want to equip them with all the tools they need to meet their goals
If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?
If I could go back, I would not do anything differently. My 10 years of clinical experience in the hospital developed my bedside manner, assessment skills, and so much more.
My personal struggles led me to search ways to overcome them so I can now share them with new parents.
It was a long road, but I am so happy how it is turning out
Have you ever had to pivot?
I know the exact time in which my career had a “pivot”, and that was actually COVID.
It was a crazy time in the hospital. Moms and babies were separated, we all were scared and so confused. In person support was limited and many hospital classes were cancelled. Thats when I decided to start giving private classes with my new practice.
My clientele grew and then they wanted assistance after the baby came. I ended up getting my lactation certification and started seeing patients after delivery.
Slowly my practice started growing! First I had a few patients a month, then 1-2 a week. After about a year I was seeing 4-6 patients a week and was able to go per diem at the hospital as an inpatient lactation consultant.
My last “pivot” was when I had my third child. At that point I had been working a few days a week as a lactation consultant at the hospital, but my private client list bad been growing a lot.
At first I was planning on staying at the hospital, but I made the official switch to outpatient after he was born. It was just a change of perspective and an acceptance of this new phase
Contact Info:
- Website: Mommydidyouknow.com
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