Daily Inspiration: Meet Emily Middleton

Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Middleton. 

Hi Emily, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
Being raised the only girl with four brothers, I have come to realize that directing and nurturing those around me comes as natural to me as breathing and walking. I have basically been raising littles since I was one and when it came time to choose a career, nursing seemed a reasonable fit. I become a NICU Nurse and tended to the tiny yet mighty. I had also given birth to my own son in my early 20s and the experience of pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding only deepened my fascination around the perinatal period and my desire to work with women and growing families. My work in the NICU had a profound impact on me. It was an environment that was highly critical and specialized. In all of the clinical skills, I developed the area of care I found myself most passionate about was educating families and helping them bond and feel more confident with their babies. I began assisting women more with lactation management and breastfeeding support. Many times, people asked me to come home with them, and I understand why that would be a great idea! So much about pregnancy, birth and newborns is trial by fire and there really isn’t reasonable support for that type of service. So fast forward 15 years and here I am, building a business based on a need that has been present within the community for decades. 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Absolutely not. I have had many periods of self-doubt, tears, and absolute frustration. The actual work of helping people; being a strong nurse and lactation consultant with excellent assessment skills and understanding a client’s needs is very intuitive for me, it’s the business side that is a struggle. After spending two decades working for a large company, the details of owning and running a business are all new to me; marketing, websites, social media, building my charting forms, IT, computers, administrative duties, hiring, contracts, and then finding balance so that I can actually not burn out and go bust. My goal has never been to merely have a surviving business. My goal has always been to become a successful businesswoman. One who has developed and built a sustainable model of service and care that helps both me and my community thrive. That is the struggle, finding balance. I realize so much of that comes from finding a team of people that I connect with and trust and having the capital to hire out duties that I just don’t have the bandwidth or the skillset to be efficient at. So that is where I am now, learning who to trust, who to hire, and how to succeed. 

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a Registered Nurse and Lactation Consultant who provides private in-home prenatal education, lactation consultations, and postpartum mother/baby care to include newborn night nursing. I have just recently started to grow my team by contracting with local nurses and doulas allowing us to expand and serve more families. I am known for being approachable and genuine. I have taken to social media as a means of connecting with my community and I think that by the time many of my clients meet me in person, they already feel as though know and somewhat trust me. I believe that my ability to spend time with and listen to my clients is what sets me apart. Being in private practice allows me to engage in healthcare in a way I believe in. I can tell that the community is very ready for this level of education, support, and care. 

Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
My husband, one million percent. He has kept me fed, insured, and relatively sane for the past year. My son has lifted my defeated spirit off the floor a few dose offering some good humor, perspective, and lunch. My mom because she is always my hero, cheerleader, and confidant. My dad, because he is an entrepreneur himself and when I left the security of my job and was feeling shaky, he looked and me and said with absolutely no doubt in his voice “This is your career now.” I will never forget those words. I knew then that there was no going back. My business and life coach, Jessica Graham, she is a complete boss babe and such an inspiration and wealth of knowledge. 

Pricing:

• Newborn for Newbies Prenatal Class $200
• Mind-Body Birth 4-week Childbirth Education Series $400
• Lactation Consultation $200
• Newborn Night Care
• Postpartum Day Care

Contact Info:

• Email: emily@thelatchrn.com
• Website: www.thelatchrn.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelatchrn/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thelatchrn

Image Credits
Steffanie Williams Photography