Meet Helen Perea

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Helen Perea. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Helen, thank you so much for opening up with us about some important, but sometimes personal topics. One that really matters to us is overcoming Imposter Syndrome because we’ve seen how so many people are held back in life because of this and so we’d really appreciate hearing about how you overcame Imposter Syndrome.

I have to keep reminding myself that, I am qualified to do my job, and that I have a responsibility to empower parents with the information that I’ve learned.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

Becoming a mom and feeding my son was one of hardest and most empowering things I’ve ever done. I knew very little about breastfeeding but I knew I wanted to try it out. Little did I know it would awaken my passion for lactation. In the first days of having a newborn I quickly realized how much of a challenge it was going to be. I had cracked and sore nipples and my son had lost more than the average weight after birth. I was advised by my pediatrician to supplement with formula.

It was very intense and overwhelming. There was very little support… and I wasn’t the only one struggling to find help. So many moms don’t have the resources or support they need to successfully breastfeed.

I am here to use the knowledge and experience that I have to support and empower new parents through this journey, whatever that may look like. My goal is to give parents confidence when feeding their baby but also caring for their mental health. Let’s work together to personalize a plan that best matches your goals and needs.

I’m a trilingual CLC (certified lactation counselor) and my services are provided in-person or virtually.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Being committed to doing my own research on how I could support other families that were going through the same thing I was as a first time mom. I wanted to get educated and learn more about breastfeeding and lactation so that I could be able to support others.

I definitely have a passion for what I do, because of my own experience I think that gives me perspective for what first time moms have to deal with.

My advice would be to be patient with your growth. It’s not going to happen over night. It’s one of those things you just can’t rush and when you finally start to feel accomplished, keep chasing your goal.

Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?

My husband is my number one fan. He became a new parent with me and we were both learning how to take care of a newborn with no experience. Anytime I felt like giving up on breastfeeding, my husband always said “don’t give up on a bad day”. That always stuck with me because I realize now my hormones were all over the place and of course I wanted to give up whenever it got hard. But my husband always supported me no matter what I wanted to do.

Then when I told him I wanted to become a lactation counselor, he was so excited and happy for me. When I would do my classes he made sure I had a quiet place to sit and made sure our baby was napping. Anytime I needed to pump he would always wash my pump parts afterward. I was still working in an office setting during that time and I would come home and do my classes online at night when our baby was asleep. My husband supported me through that and even now with my own business.

I always share what I’m learning with him and he’s always attentive to what I have to share. He even gives me feedback on what he thinks I could do better on with my business and I appreciate that.

There are no words to describe how much I appreciate his support and love.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.leakinglove.com/
• Instagram: @leaking_love
• Facebook: Leaking love