Photo courtesy of Karsten Varecha Karsten Varecha, breastfeeding peer counselor in the WIC division of the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department, poses for a photo in her Ontonagon County office.

ONTONAGON – If you asked her a decade ago if she planned to have children, a teenaged Karsten Varecha would have answered with a strong and emphatic “No.” Fast forward to 2023, and her response has reversed and her path enriched.

This Ontonagon mother of 4 ½-year-old twins now devotes herself to building relationships with other mothers through her breastfeeding peer counselor role in the WIC division of the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department. Providing services throughout Baraga, Gogebic, Houghton, Keweenaw and Ontonagon counties, Varecha cultivates relationships of support and guidance with pregnant women and new mothers.

“Villages come in many different sizes,” Varecha says, describing her focus on education and preparation when it comes to counseling women who find her through WIC referrals, hospital postings and word of mouth. She makes sure her “moms” know she is in their corner as she provides prenatal education and a sense of preparedness throughout their pregnancies. She is a hub for resources and particularly enjoys working in a “mom-positive” environment.

Varecha holds a position that only life experience could train her for. Her own journey with pregnancy, breastfeeding and WIC services was the foundation of skills and knowledge needed to qualify her for the job. Her full-time, flexible, “family first” schedule complements her own priorities and philosophies.

In 2016, Varecha embarked on finding her mission, which led her coincidentally to mission work. Her desire to travel paired with an impetus for doing “something that mattered” took her from her home at the foot of the Porcupine Mountains to Florida and then to Europe. Volunteering in Norway, Ukraine and Greece with orphans and refugees expanded her mind and her heart, planting the seed for her current career.

Varecha feels the biggest impact when she encounters a new mother whom she senses is truly in need of support. She prides herself on being a knowledgeable professional but more importantly an ear, a shoulder and an outreached hand. Some new mothers come to her feeling lost, overwhelmed and alone.

“Support means something. Sometimes moms just need to be heard,” Varecha says, as she reflects on the many women and children she has built relationships with in her nearly four years at WIC. She smiles as she recalls receiving baby pictures from moms she has helped.

As the youngest of five children, Varecha experienced a great deal of support from her own mother, whose advice of “this too shall pass” resonates still today. Challenges throughout pregnancy and nearly a year of nursing her son and daughter were met with encouragement and respect. She credits her family for why she is a loving and supportive person and for how she easily relates to other mothers, especially those who are young and single. Varecha’s desire to create a safe, creative and loving environment for all children has strengthened her resolve to adopt or foster children in the future.

“Watching children love unconditionally,” Varecha says, is the greatest part of being a mother, a role only enhanced by her caring contribution to the area’s women and children.

To connect with a breastfeeding peer counselor, call the health department office in your county.