Breastfeeding

Benefits of Having a Lactation Consultant

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Remember your first attempt at learning how to ride a bicycle or your first day at work? How frustrating and intimidating it was to start something new without having ever tried it? Becoming a new mother is an amazing time but also a very scary one. You are responsible for nourishing this little person from your breast and providing them with all of the nutrients that they need. Unfortunately, it isn’t always an easy transition. Lactation consultants can help you navigate breastfeeding like a pro.

What are Lactation Consultants?

Lactation consultants are professionally trained breastfeeding specialists that educate mothers on how to breastfeed their babies. They are trained in assisting women common nursing issues such as: difficulties with latching, pain while nursing, and low milk production. They also closely monitor babies to ensure that they are gaining enough wait and what to do if they aren’t.

Lactation consultants can also help mothers develop a plan for when they return to work or school and provide information on how best to preserve expressed breast milk. They offer great recommendations on common breastfeeding equipment like breast pumps, storage containers and even clothing that can make breastfeeding easier.

Why should I use a Lactation Consultant?

Lactation are great at helping mothers, especially first time moms, navigate the ups and downs of breastfeeding. They help motivate you to keep trying even if you are your baby have had a rough start. They remind you of the benefits of breastfeeding and how much it will benefit your baby, and guide you along the way.

Where can I find a Lactation Consultant?

Most lactation consultants work at a hospitals. If you are planning to give birth in a hospital or birthing facility, then there will more than likely be a lactation specialist on site.Childbirth educators, midwives, nurses, obstetricians, and pediatricians can also provide you with information for locating experienced lactation consultants in your area.Your ob/gyn can also provide you with more information on consultants in their affiliated hospitals. You can also call your local hospital and speak with a lactation specialist directly. Most hospitals will let you speak to one over the phone free of charge.

Another great resource available for locating lactation consultants would be the International Lactation Consultant Association or the ILCA. The International Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA) is the professional association for International Board Certified Lactation Consultants® (IBCLC®) and other health care professionals who care for breastfeeding families

 

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