Anne Endres fully understands the need for extra care and support for breastfeeding mums and their families. Suffering through breastfeeding struggles herself, she wanted to offer her support to fellow mums in a kind and positive way. As an experienced midwife and certified lactation consultant, she provides compassionate breastfeeding support at Breastfeeding Help Online.
The passion: What inspired you to set up your business?
I have been a midwife for over 20 years and have three children. In my personal as well as professional life I have experienced the importance of support in this unique time in our lives. I am very passionate about supporting women and their families. Breastfeeding is one of the choices that women make for their babies and I felt that I wanted to offer my service so women could find individualised, kind and positive help when times get tough.
The launch: How did you start out in the beginning?
I have always offered my services around the whole spectrum of care from early pregnancy and birth through to postnatal support. I formalised my training as an IBCLC on top of my midwifery training as part of my lifelong learning process, to ensure I could serve better. We moved to Canberra at the end of 2015 and in the time since it became more obvious to me how many women discontinued breastfeeding because there was a lack of support. This is the reason why I felt it was time for me to step into private practice again. I started with home visits and still love doing them. I also did some visits in a practice and I am looking into this option again.
The innovation: What was the biggest breakthrough for you with your business?
The biggest breakthrough is when women and their families can reach the goals they were hoping for. I have countless hours of being with new families, yet to this day cannot help but feeling proud of the women who face their biggest challenges. So a breakthrough for me is seemingly a miracle unfolding, when what seems like chaos slowly takes shape. It is beautiful seeing couples team up to aim for what they think is best for their baby.
Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
Over the years, I have become a lot more aware about my boundaries and needs. I have learned that I am worthy of time for myself and that self-care is not egoistic but rather a blessing. I love spending time in nature for long walks with our dog and embrace the mindfulness that unfolds when I bake sourdough bread. By looking after myself I can fill up my tank and this then allows me to be who I want to be for my family too – wholeheartedly. Being happy in who I am in my personal life then makes me a better support for the families that I see for Breastfeeding Support; it allows me to see them, to serve them calmly, with patience and with compassion.
