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Rauber Hill Sunrise, by Mel Hunt

Paige Lounsberry talks breastfeeding with Wellsville women

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Lounsberry is a lactation consultant with WIC and Jones Memorial Hospital

The speaker at the Wellsville Business and Professional Women Club was Paige Lounsberry. She spoke to the club about her journey to become a Lactation Consultant.

Paige. from Scio is married and has two children. She has an Associated Degree from FTCC, Fayetteville. NC. She attended JCC to procure her certification to become an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant.

After the birth of her first child, while her husband was in the Army, away from family, she found herself struggling as a new mother. Paige said, “I started attending La Leche League meetings and the support I found there helped me build my confidence as a mother and really changed my outlook on life. I finally had a friend group I could turn to.” She decided she wanted to be able to offer support to other struggling parents. She started studying to become a La Leche League Leader.

Moving back to Wellsville, she led groups here for a time, until she began working at the local WIC office, offering lactation support to the participants there. Her supervisor mentored her to begin the long process of obtaining her International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant certification.

She sat for the Board Exam in September and will receive her results in early December. Paige said, “I am excited to hopefully achieve this long-sought certificate so that I can better provide lactation services to the area, as most rural hospitals in Western NY do not have their own IBCLC on staff. I am so grateful to the Wellsville Business and Professional Women’s Club for offering me a scholarship which helped cover the cost of my board exam.”

At this BPW meeting, Paige received the second half of her $500 scholarship award. She currently works for WIC, which entails providing lactation support at Jones Memorial Hospital 3 days a week.

The Wellsville Business and Professional Women Club was started in 1924 by four women and today they have about 25 active members from Wellsville and surrounding towns.  The BPW club consists of the Olive Twig of the Jones Memorial Hospital.  BPW scholarships have been given every year since 1969 to help graduates attend college.

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