CGBI Connect: Megan Perkins

Combining a Love of Science, Spanish and Support: Q&A with CGBI Ready, Set, Baby Facilitator Megan Perkins

At UNC, Megan Perkins, IBCLC, double majored in biology and Spanish Literature with a minor in medical anthropology. She is a graduate of Carolina Global Breastfeeding Institute’s Mary Rose Tully Training Initiative (MRT-TI) class of 2019-2020 and joined the Ready, Set, Baby team as a bilingual facilitator in August 2021. Fluent in Spanish, she has been facilitating prenatal breastfeeding live classes and translating program materials for several years. Check out Megan’s many interests and how they support her drive to help mothers.

Megan Perkins, IBCLC

How did you hear about CGBI?

I did my undergrad at UNC, and graduated in 2019. While in my undergrad program, I volunteered with the Women’s Health Education Center at the NC Women’s Hospital at UNC Medical Center. They were doing Ready, Set, Baby education there. I helped out with their classes in English and Spanish. We would go into clinics while moms were waiting for ultrasounds and prenatal appointments, and do a quick Ready, Set, Baby mini class. Through that, I heard about the MRT-TI program.

What drew you to study biology, Spanish and medical anthropology?

I’ve always known that I wanted to study Spanish. I have quite a few people in my family who speak Spanish. My mom grew up in New Mexico. And, I have some very distant Spanish heritage. I’ve always been curious about people and care and social determinants of health and all the different aspects that go along with health care that aren’t necessarily the biological processes. I’ve always been interested in maternal and child health. And, volunteering at the Women’s Health Education Center kind of jumped me into all of this.

Is this related to family history?

I kind of found it on my own more or less by trying out some different things. Seeing that it was a good fit with both what I was interested in and being able to work with people one-on-one, I really loved the MRT-TI program. Working closely with moms and doing that education was super interesting to me.

What makes you want to work so closely with mothers?

It’s such a huge transition and seeing how much love and care there is, especially from moms. I feel like moms specifically do and give so much and there’s so much that is happening during this time, but there’s not necessarily a whole lot of support for mothers going through this whole process. That’s part of what really makes me want to be involved, and it’s amazing to witness that transition. I think we assume parenting is innate, and that everyone will know what to do but that isn’t necessarily the case. So, it’s been super interesting to learn this information for myself, but also to work collaboratively to find effective ways to teach other people.

Do you consider yourself someone who speaks Spanish fluently?

Yeah. It’s not my first language, so it’s definitely something that I’ve had to learn. I would consider myself fluent.

Have you visited other Spanish-speaking countries to test what you know?

I studied abroad in Spain. I was there for six months for undergrad. But, even just being here, I’ve found so many ways to use my Spanish in the US. I’ve been a medical clinic interpreter. I did that as a volunteer here in Chapel Hill. I did a program this spring to become a medical interpreter and I’m working on that certification now.

I understand that you also have experience with health research. What was that like?

Yes, I worked for an NGO called Ipas in Chapel Hill. They are an international NGO that focuses on creating safe abortion access globally. I worked there as a coordinator. Ipas was specifically focused on providing international abortion care and abortion access. Abortion and breastfeeding are very different sectors of maternal childhood health, but I think there are a lot of similarities in how they are not talked about or stigmatized. It was interesting to work for that NGO, and go through the MRT-TI program and recognize that at the end of the day, we should strive to support women making whatever decisions they want to make and whatever goals they want to meet in their life.

Why is that support so important to you?

Because I have seen too many women’s voices are taken away. I want to use my energy to support women, or anyone really, to make whatever decisions or goals that they say are right for themselves. I feel like there’s a lot of coercion — medical professions, policy advocates — just everyone trying to make decisions for anyone in these situations. It’s important to me that everyone has the autonomy to make whatever decisions that they see fit for themselves and their life. I think it is important to rethink how we provide care and to make sure that people aren’t slipping through the cracks. I want to keep working and learning to ensure that everyone can be checked on and get the care that they need regardless how that is brought to them.

How has COVID affected you?

There’s been positives and negatives. It’s allowed me the opportunity to take a break, especially during the MRT-TI program. I was super busy at that time, working full time and fitting in a ten-hour clinical day on top of that and volunteering during the week. I definitely think that having more time and calming down and focus on my mental health helped me figure out what I really want to do and what I think I want my life to look like, especially when it comes to work. It kind of showed me how some things that we think will always be there won’t necessarily be there. I feel like I’ve had a reframing of my values, which has been really good for me.

What do you like to do for fun?

I’m spending time with family and friends in whatever ways that are possible in this time. I enjoy reading and writing and running and lots of different crafts. I really got into crocheting during quarantine to keep myself entertained.

Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years?

I’ve been doing a lot of research, and I just switched jobs, so I am now doing research on how doula care improves maternal mental health with REACHUP Inc. in Tampa, Florida. I really love working one-on-one with families and would love to get more experience there. I definitely would love to do more clinical research along with more clinical face-to-face time as well.

The Mary Rose Tully Training Initiative (MRT-TI) is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs upon recommendation of the Lactation Education Accreditation and Approval Review Committee. In 2016, MRT-TI earned the distinction of becoming the first accredited Pathway 2 lactation consultant training program in the United States. The program is housed within the Maternal and Child Health department at UNC Chapel Hill’s Gillings School of Global Public Health. 

 — By Robert A. Poarch