You've just given birth to your baby, and you are attempting to breastfeed.
Even though you have read all the books, taken the classes, and watched the videos,
something is just not right. Maybe your nipples are becoming sore, or the baby isn't
latching at all. Perhaps you can't get comfortable after your C/section and holding the
baby in the recommended ways doesn't seem to be possible. Maybe the nurses have told you
that the baby is hungry, your milk isn't in yet, or the baby has a medical challenge that
makes it necessary to give formula. What do you do if for some reason the baby is taken to
the NICU? Born prematurely, or with cleft lip/palate, or Down's Syndrome?
Hopefully, you have given birth in a "Baby-Friendly" hospital
that has a Lactation Consultant on staff and nurses who are well trained about
breastfeeding and available to give you all the help you need in the first few hours and
days after birth. If not, you may experience the frustration of being the recipient of
many differing ideas about what to do about breastfeeding, all from well-meaning but
misinformed family and friends and very busy nurses. To say the least, it can be a very
disheartening time...
With the growing interest in and commitment to breastfeeding, a new medical profession
has developed, the Lactation Consultant. Mostly women, but occasionally men, a Lactation
Consultant is a member of the allied medical team, one whose sole focus is on
breastfeeding success. Whereas obstetricians, pediatricians, and nurses are to a greater
or lesser degree interested in breastfeeding, it is just one aspect of the care they give
to their patients, and often one that is overshadowed by what are perceived as more
important issues.
The Lactation Consultant is dedicated to breastfeeding. We promote it's benefits, teach
prenatal classes, conduct support groups and provide one-to-one visits. Often a Lactation
Consultant will come to the hospital to work with a new mom and baby if the hospital does
not have someone available on staff. We may be employed by hospitals, pediatricians,
midwives, nutritional programs (such as WIC) or in private practice. Many Lactation
Consultants will come to a client's home for a visit, others work out of an office or
their home.
As a relatively new profession, there are as yet no standardized criteria for the
education of Lactation Consultants. Many are graduates of credentialled programs and
institutions, others have gotten their experience on their own. While as of now, anyone
may call themselves a Lactation Consultant, there is one body that does issue a recognized
certification to those who qualify. The International Board of Lactation Consultant
Examiners was developed in 1985 to create and administer an independent, voluntary
examination to identify those who "possess the necessary skills, knowledge, and
attitudes to provide quality breastfeeding assistance to babies and mothers". Those
who pass the exam are known as International Board Certified Lactation Consultants
(IBCLCs). As this certification becomes more recognized and accepted, it may become the
standard by which competency is determined.
When choosing a Lactation Consultant for yourself, it is important to remember that
certification alone is not sufficient to guarantee that this is the person best suited to
work with you. As in choosing any health care provider, it is important to determine that
your goals and desires for breastfeeding do not run contrary to those that a caregiver may
hold. For example, the demands of your life may require you to occasionally give breast
milk in a bottle, or return to work while continuing to breastfeed. You want to be certain
that the person you choose to work with will support you in these endeavors while helping
you safeguard the breastfeeding relationship you have with your baby.
Some of the reasons you may wish to contact a Lactation Consultant include, but are not
limited to:
About the Author-
Valerie Banarie, RN, BSN, CLC is a graduate of UCLA's Lactation
Consultant program, and is currently a member of the program's clinical teaching staff.
She was instrumental in the development and implementation of the Lactation Resource
Center, a full-service lactation program at Northridge Hospital Medical Center, and now
has a private lactation practice in Orange County, CA.
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