Lactation Consultant Sarah Fogarty, RN, IBCLC began her journey at Associated Pediatricians three years ago. Currently, she works directly with mothers and their children to give them the help and support they need as they navigate the world of breastfeeding.
“I started as a nurse here. I came here to work part-time and then worked in Michigan City part-time doing lactation there as well,” Fogarty said. “Then, Associated Pediatricians really wanted me to work exclusively for them, so last August, I came here completely.”
While Fogarty has a strong passion for the work she does at Associated Pediatricians, becoming a lactation consultant or nurse wasn’t always a part of the plan. Fogarty’s professional experience actually begins in business - she has a business degree from Valparaiso University and was in the field for 10 years before deciding to make a career change.
Family is a value Fogarty holds near and dear to her heart, and it was also what prompted her to make the move to nursing. Wanting to eventually start a family of her own, Fogarty realized the long, demanding hours that came with working in business wouldn’t allow her as much time as she would have liked to spend time with her future children. In order to find the work-life balance she was looking for, she knew something had to change.
Nursing also runs in Fogarty’s family—her older sister is a nurse as well. Upon hearing Fogarty was looking for a new career, she advised her sister to look into healthcare. She had firsthand experience in the field and knew this would better suit her sister. As one of the closest people to Fogarty, she easily saw many qualities in her little sister that would both make her fulfilled as well as a stellar standout in the field.
“She literally said, ’Go into nursing. The schedule is great, you're compassionate, and you care about people,’” Fogarty said. “Going into the nursing field, you cannot leave work without feeling like you did something to help someone that day. I was very much motivated by wanting to have a family and having time with my family, but then also realized how much satisfaction there was in what I do.”
Fogarty began her nursing career in labor and delivery, and through this saw just how much of a need there was to help women with breastfeeding. It wasn't something that always came naturally or easily to all new moms and can be a tricky field to navigate. Fogarty enjoyed helping women through this process and realized she wanted to work more with the moms as they learn how to breastfeed their children to give them the support they need.
“It's not an easy thing to coach on because you can't verbally communicate with your patient, which is the baby, and you're trying to teach them how to do the very first thing they're ever going to learn how to do,” Fogarty said. “Moms are in a really vulnerable state when they're postpartum, and all the pressure’s on them to feed their baby. Figuring out how to do it is not always the easiest thing.”
Fogarty thrived as a lactation consultant once making the switch and then found her true calling at Associated Pediatricians. The days of working in business are now nothing but a faint memory of the past, and she can’t imagine herself being anywhere else.
“This practice, the partners that run Associated Pediatricians, and each of the providers within the practice value breastfeeding and look at it with the same regard that I do,” Fogarty said. “We’re the only practice in the area that provides the lactation consultant within the practice, which is huge. The fact that Associated Pediatricians values providing it for the patient makes this a great place to work. It's the place I want to be. We are very much aligned with our perspective on breastfeeding and all that's involved in it.”
Fogarty is a proud mom of three boys, ages 7, 4, and 5 months. Her passion for helping and encouraging others translates to her family life as well, as she can typically be found cheering her kids on at their baseball games when not in the office. Sports, particularly Notre Dame football, are a big part of the Fogarty household. She and her husband, Danny, are more than excited to get their kids in on all the fun.
“We just introduced our sons to Notre Dame football. They went to their first game this fall, and that's something that's huge for my husband and me. We're very big fans and so our boys will naturally have to be big fans as well,” Fogarty laughed. “I always enjoy spending time with my family. We also have a three-year-old Boxer, Mr. Bailey, so I'm a one-woman show in a house full of boys, but I fit in well.”
For more information on Associated Pediatricians, visit associatedpediatricians.com.
