This month, we’re talking with Caroline, who joined our Families team back in 2023 and has been the heart of our Infant Feeding Support programme for mothers in East London.
What is your role at LifeLine?
I’m Maternal Health Coordinator for LifeLine’s Families team since June last year.
My role is identify and engage parents in breastfeeding support, through networking and outreach activities, and to establish and develop a vibrant breastfeeding peer support network in Barking and Dagenham.
One of the main challenges is to work out why a mother might be having issues with breastfeeding—whether it’s psychological, physical, or emotional—without making them feel like it’s their fault.
To thrive as a Maternal Health Coordinator, you need to have empathy superpowers, problem-solving ninja skills, be a communication master, networking wizard, tech savvy, all while having the patience of a saint!
What do you like most about your job?
I enjoy the different range of people I get to meet on a day-to-day basis.
It doesn’t matter where they come from, how old they are, what their ethnicity or job is; they all need the same thing—non-judgmental advice and support.
What led you to this job?
I wanted a shift from a clinical role to something more community-focused and supportive.
I’ve always worked with women and children so this role felt like a natural progression. I wanted a job that allowed me to reach more people within the community and have a lasting impact on people’s lives.
In your work life what are you most proud of?
Working with perinatal patients from the antenatal period until their babies were six months old.
To see women who were very sick and struggling with their mental health go on to thrive as parents was truly special.
What did you learn from the people you worked with in this project?
The power of communication.
Most people just want to be heard and, with the right support and encouragement, they can go on to achieve whatever it is they want to.
How would you describe LifeLine and your colleagues?
LifeLine’s a vibrant hub, a mixing pot of different people who all share the same passion of supporting and empowering people in local communities.
I remember my first time in the office–it was a warm summer day and the office was packed! I was surprised just how much noise there was; it reminded me of being back on the school playground at first.
Every day here is truly unique, and there’s so many different and exciting projects going on around you constantly!
When you think of the future, what gives you hope?
That these women will never forget how we made them feel.
How our work with them will go on to impact their children and many generations to come.
I hope women realise how powerful we are when we stick together and lift one another up.
What's something about you most people wouldn't know?
I’m actually a big fan of astronomy and can pick out different constellations in the sky.
Do you agree that people are basically good?
I like to think that, at their core, everyone has an innate capacity for goodness.
However, due to things like past experiences, pain, or trauma, there are many people that don’t let their good side show so easily.