Breastfeeding Support
What are Lactation Consultants, Specialists, and Educators?
Lactation Consultants are International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (or IBCLC) and are the recognized professional authority in lactation care. They give breast/chestfeeding education, counseling, support, advice, and clinical and hands-on care to parents and their babies during pregnancy, birth and throughout the breast/chestfeeding relationship. They are clinically trained to help manage the normal and not-normal breast/chestfeeding situations and challenges that may arise. There are both private practice and in-hospital Lactation Consultants that offer a variety of services.
Lactation Specialists (and Educators and Counselors) are specialists who have gone through basic training, and can give breast/chestfeeding education, counseling and support to parents and their families during pregnancy, birth, and throughout the breast/chestfeeding relationship. They are trained to help parents through normal breast/chestfeeding situations.
Why do I need Breast/chestfeeding support?
- Parents are more successful meeting their breastfeeding goals when they have support among their families, community, and professionals.
- Lactation Specialists and Consultants often offer prenatal education and support for expectant families.
- Lactation Specialists and Consultants can help parents find answers to questions regarding what is normal in the breast/chestfeeding relationship.
- Many Lactation providers offer free support groups for parents and their babies.
- Lactation Consultants can help parents when more serious challenges arise, such as sore nipples, infections, tongue tie, low supply, over supply, etc.
- Lactation Consultants and some Specialists work with the parent and baby’s care providers for more complete and evidenced-based care.
