The experience of being a mother is an opportunity exclusively held out to women. Expecting a baby is both thrilling and overwhelming all at the same time. Who is there to help them cope with the challenges they face? JIN magazine had the opportunity to interview one such individual. Her story is as follows.

Zhang Yuan is explaing how breastfeeding works.[Photo provided to Chinadaily]

JIN: Please introduce yourself.

ZY: My name is Zhang Yuan (张圆 zhāng yuán). I am a mother of two children, received my first master's degree in Sociology at Nanjing University, am currently pursuing my second master's degree in Philosophy at Peking University, and Tianjin's first CPI certified doula and lactation consultant.

JIN: Please introduce the project you are currently working on.

ZY: Tianjin Better Mothering Health Information Consulting Company was established in July of 2016. It is made up of three young mothers. Our main services are lactation consulting and nursing education. We will either go to the mother's home or a rent space at a hotel or coffee shop as needed. We find this more effective than renting one specific office location for two reasons. First, it lets us optimize our limited resources. Second, it is an enterprising way of leveraging the "shared economy". This method takes the expense of rent and turns it into income for the other entities, such as the coffee shop or hotel. When just working by myself I will go to a coffee shop. Then when we have events we will rent a more upscale hotel or meeting room. Using these types of posh venues actually adds to the professional profile of the company, it really is an ideal exchange.

Our goal is to use money that is typically spent on rent in a more productive way, such as improving our skills, or buying gifts for our customers. This in turn raises customer satisfaction. As long as the company is smaller in size, say about 5-6 employees, this "mobile office" model works well. However the real reason we don't see a need to rent an office is because most clients prefer in-home service.

JIN: Why did you choose this work?

ZY: After graduating college I was working on the renovation of historic buildings. It was something I really enjoyed doing. That being said, I quit because I found something even more fulfilling, helping mothers.

Zhang Yuan is helping new moms with breastfeeding issues.[Photo provided to Chinadaily]

After having my first son, breast feeding was rather unsuccessful. This affected me deeply. Many people don't realize the tremendous physiological and psychological impact not being able to breast feed has on a mother. It is a huge blow to her self confidence. At the time, it made me not want to be around my child and get back to work, as in "how things used to be".

Despite things eventually calming down, as a mother I still had a feeling of something not being right. About two years later, one morning my son threw a fit about getting up. He finally did. As he came and sat down with a pouting face, said: "Mom, I want to drink some milk". At the time, he was already two years old. Yet, he still stubbornly insisted on his bottle. As he sat there drinking his milk I stood by his side. Little by little he calmed down and started to smile. I on the other hand, cried. It was at this moment I realized that what should have bringing him comfort was being cradled in my arms nursing. Nursing isn't just a source of nutrition. Far more importantly, it is a conduit for a mother's love. No doubt every mother wants the child's first memories to be acceptance, love and freedom. The closeness and security established via nursing is the very means by which these feelings are achieved. Nursing gives life to their inner aspirations. It is an important foundation in terms of the child's personality and overall health.

When pregnant for a second time I started doing a huge amount of research on breastfeeding. What really made me want to quit my job was after my daughter was born, breast feeding finally was a success. It was a huge boost in morale. With my son, all I wanted to do was study why things went wrong. With the success of my daughter though, it made me realize just how significant nursing is. It can positively affect women in a major way. Yet, on the flip side, if unable to breast feed, it can be equally destructive.

Things like depression and feelings of failure occur because of actual hormone related imbalances. For example Oxytocin (the "love" hormone) production can be inhibited. This is one of the major reasons for post-partum depression. Post-partum depression can include issues like lack of family support, pressure from loved ones, and physical problems such as those related to having a c-section.

One of the most common problems I face is helping mothers who don't seem to be able to produce enough milk. The biggest issue is that many times this isn't just a physical problem; it can also have links to family relationships. In fact a perceived lack of breast milk can create an extremely complex family conflict affecting both the couple itself and the in-laws! The realization of how big a deal all this was, made me realize I needed to quit my job and do something to help.

Before all this, I had never even thought about starting a business. At the time I was focused simply on sharing the wonderful feeling associated with successful breast feeding. A significant milestone in my entering this industry came on May 8, 2016. At the time I was competing in the Tianjin division of "Social Entrepreneurs" and had really prepared little more than to tell my "story" and share my "idea". After hearing the speech I gave, two investors turned around and said to me "after the competition we need talk". They estimated the business opportunity at 20 million RMB in the first 6 months and 10 billion RMB by the 3rd year. Therefore they were willing to invest at least 2 million RMB plus provide support and access to resources.

In the end I didn't accept their offer. The main reason was because I knew I hadn't prepared what it took to accept funding and run a business, let alone be a company executive. I realized that before agreeing to any investment, there were things I needed to address. For me, refusing the offer wasn't an issue of capital or skills; rather, it was about knowing I simply couldn't perform at the level that would have been required.

JIN: How do you see the future?

ZY: At first, I thought it was all about using technology and the internet. Later though, after actually working hands on, I realized that tech was really only fit for making reservations and sending information. It simply couldn't replace face to face consulting and communication. Based on the present economic conditions, my current business model is able to lower operating costs. As the economy improves over the next 3-5 years, hopefully it will enable the opening of more locations. Lactation consulting really is best suited to be a part of community healthcare as every mother should have access to instruction and information via a local provider.

JIN: What are some of the common misconceptions associated with your work?

ZY: As far as I am concerned, what mothers need most, isn't someone to simply assist with correcting breastfeeding issues. Rather, they really need someone who truly understands and cares for them. At the same time, that person needs to be both professional and skillful. First, there must be love. Only then are the skills useful. My primary goal is to let the mother tell their story. As I carefully listen, it isn't to find fault or give my opinion. Many times this process is enough to help them realize on their own what the solution is or come out of their depression.

JIN appreciates greatly Zhang Yuan taking the time to share with our readers this valuable information. Hopefully her work as a lactation specialist will help more mothers positively deal with the unique challenges associated with motherhood.