Welcome to Galactablog.

My name is Tamara. I am an Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). I am also an accredited La Leche League International Leader. I have a Master’s in Public Health (MPH) from the American University of Beirut and an M.A. in Near Eastern Studies. After spending the past decade in the Middle East, my family and I have recently moved to Ireland. 

I founded Galactablog when I was living in Beirut, Lebanon. where I was a breastfeeding mother working as a Certified Breastfeeding Specialist. In Lebanon, initiation rates are high and nearly all new mothers attempt to breastfeed, however, very few continue to exclusively breastfeed and even fewer persist for the WHO recommended 6 month period. Mixed feeding is not only common but a pervasive public health issue as nearly all water sources are contaminated and poverty has forced many to “stretch” and skimp on formula.

In Lebanon, I found that breastfeeding myths permeate society at all levels: health professionals, family and friends, neighbors and caregivers. Frequently, loved ones think they are helping when in fact, they are creating more obstacles. There were only a handful of Lactation Specialists in the entire country and we worked very closely and tirelessly together. Yet not everyone who wants to help breastfeeding dyads succeed is able to be (or even  wants to be) a Lactation Professional. However, this does not prevent them from  being breastfeeding advocates, breastfeeding supporters, peer counselors, or  sympathetic members of a support network.

In Lebanon, like the rest of the Middle Eastern  region, women want to breastfeed, but breastfeeding information, encouragement and  support is sorely lacking. This phenomenon is not just pertinent to the Middle East, but in  many other parts of the world, where Lactation Specialists and mothers have to make do  with what we have, or even “MacGyver” our own breastfeeding aids in times of need – particularly when we don’t have Amazon or Target to fall back on. 

This is how the idea of Galactablog was born. I know Lactation Professionals all over the world have knowledge, information and tricks of the trade to share. I created Galactablog to be a venue for Lactation Professionals and those aspiring-to-be to share their information, resources, latest evidence-based research, and their recommendations, and tricks and tips. The goal is that together we can create a wide array of breastfeeding resources that are accessible in many different capacities and to diverse populations worldwide. Through this, we can not only help each other grow as  professionals, we can also form a community that will help benefit breastfeeding families across the globe. 

Mothers from all over the world breastfeeding their babies in Lebanon.