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About
Sharon
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Sharon's
personal philosophy
is that childbirth &
breastfeeding
are natural, normal, womanly
functions, and that our bodies
are perfectly designed and very
capable of doing what is required
to
naturally bear and nourish our
children to optimize their health
and well
being.
Her greatest desire is to help
women learn to trust their bodies
as well as their own mothering
instincts in order to attain their
own personal goals. Sharon's
focus for the past 33
years has been dedicated to
educating and supporting
women & their families towards
the achievment of those ends.
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Sharon
Mattes, IBCLC, RLC, LLLL, AAHCC,
has been
a mother and strong breastfeeding advocate for thirty five years. She and
her husband Paul, have been married 40 years,
and were blessed with three
sons,
beautifully birthed and breastfed, now all grown, and by their sons' fantastic wives, as well as
three wonderful, intelligent, beautiful, and
talented (breastfed) grandchildren.
The
Mattes family has been active members
of Peace Lutheran Church in Garland
since the children were young.
Sharon's hobbies include music, reading, movies, nature-walking and traveling with husband Paul.
She
especially enjoys listening to their three
grown sons play and sing in their Southern
Rock Band, Southbound.
Aron - Ryan - Odin Mattes playing
Addison City Limits 4-07
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Ashley (10), Sadie
(7), Mason
(4)
Grandchildren
4-2005
Paul
and Sharon Mattes -
visit to Chienchen Itza, Cancun
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Sharon's
interest and enthusiasm for breastfeeding
began when she was expecting her first
baby. She attended a local
La Leche League meeting in Richardson, hoping to to
avoid
common difficulties and to feel prepared
for nursing.
She was quite surprised to find that the La Leche League group
offered
both the information and support that she hoped for, and a bonus of warm
friendships with her peers. This group of women shared a multi-faceted
approach to learning about nursing and child rearing. |
Accredited
by La Leche League International as
a Volunteer
Group Leader and Counselor in 1973, Sharon served 7 years on
LLL of Texas Area Council as District Advisor for Group Leaders,
Assistant
Coordinator of Leader Applicants,
as well as Dallas Area Chapter Leader. She
remains active as
a Group Leader with the Garland Area La Leche League.
Some
group members & Leaders of the Garland La Leche League
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Because
of her breastfeeding experience and extensive
and ongoing
studies in Lactation, Sharon has been and also continues to be well-known
as a valuable
resource to thousands of local moms who have sought her
advice on breastfeeding
and good mothering in her capacity as a volunteer
counselor as well as a Prenatal
Childbirth Educator and Lactation Professional.
Her quest for learning
has helped expand her knowledge base to include
pregnancy, childbirth, nutrition,
health alternatives, attachment
parenting, and many other areas of family
life.
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In
her 10 years as an Accredited and Affiliated,
Childbirth Instructor for The
Bradley Method® of
Husband Coached Childbirth
(AAHCC)
Sharon has taught over 500 couples seeking both
prenatal childbirth
classes & early parent education.
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Sharon
was
first Professionally Accredited by, and continues to be currently
Registered
with, the International
Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners.
She has been
helping nursing mothers professionally through
her
private
Lactation Practice since 1987. | Presenting
In-service programs for local hospital staff services and student health care
professionals is one of Sharon's favorite pastimes. She feels this 'calling' to
share her knowledge
on current breastfeeding techniques with professional
counselors as well as lay breastfeeding helpers. Her curriculum includes programs
presented as a speaker for
WIC / La Leche League Workshops and Conferences,
Doula Training Workshops, Parker College of Chiropractic Medicine, and The
Association of Texas Midwives' at their Annual Midwifery Conference. |  |
Sharon
maintains membership in the following organizations:
ILCA
(International Lactation Consultants Association)
DLCA (Dallas Lactation
Consultants Association)
LLLI (La Leche League International)
AAHCC
(American Academy of Husband Coached Childbirth)
ICEA (International
Childbirth Education Association)
CERC (Childbirth Educators Resource
Council of Dallas)
ATM (Association of Texas Midwives)
DONA
(Doulas of North America)
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updated
1-2008
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