BREASTFEEDING PROFESSIONALS

There are lots of peoples to seek advice from when you need breastfeeding information.  Following is an explanation of professionals who advise about breastfeeding and their qualifications.  When seeking advice from any professional, it is a good idea to know how much specific lactation education and clinical experience the professional has had when working with mothers in your situation.  As with all aspects of our world, working with someone who is current with the most recent advances in the field is your best bet for getting good advice and reliable help.

Certified Lactation Educators - CLEs

Lactation Educators have the initials CLE behind their name.  Lactation Educators have been schooled in the fundamental concepts of many breastfeeding topics such as milk supply, positioning techniques, breast pumps, causes and cures for sore nipples and the like.  Lactation Educators attend a week-long course and complete more than 60 hours of lactation coursework outside the class room.  To qualify for certification, the CLE must submit written coursework that demonstrates their grasp of various breastfeeding topics.  CLEs are qualified to educate breastfeeding mothers, rent and sell breastpumps and related products, and assess when a mothers need to be referred to a Lactation Consultant.  CLEs are NOT qualified to observe breastfeeding mothers who are having trouble or intervene or advise about breastfeeding problems.  They are qualified to provide education, information and support to the breastfeeding mother. 

Certified Lactation Consultants - LCs & IBCLCs

Lactation Consultants have the initials LC and or IBCLC behind their name.  Lactation Consultants have been schooled in of the fundamental concepts of the Lactation Educator plus they have clinical experience that qualifies them to observe breastfeeding mothers and intervene when a mother is having trouble.  Lactation Consultants usually have a college-level degree and spend several years completing course work on various breastfeeding topics.   To qualify for certification, the LC must pass an 8 hours examination given by the International Board of Certified Lactation Consultants and complete more than 2500 hours of clinical observation/practice to demonstrate their command of various breastfeeding situations and remedies.  LCs have all the qualifications of CLEs in addition to being qualified to assess and treat mothers who have breastfeeding problems. 

Registered Nurse - RN

Registered Nurses have the initials RN behind their name.  The title RN alone indicates that this professional has a college degree in nursing.  Most hospital delivery and postpartum floor nurses are RNs.  Unless an RNs carries the additional the title of CLE, LC or IBCLC, RNs do not have specific lactation education even though they may have clinical hours working with breastfeeding mothers.  The average nursing degree program offers less than 5 hours of breastfeeding education.  While some RNs have a plethora of experience assisting breastfeeding mothers RNs are not equipped with the education needed to advise or intervene in breastfeeding situations. However, most RNs can connect you with a IBCLC should you need breastfeeding help.

Your Pediatrician & Obstetrician

While great improvements have been made in medical schools over the years to give doctors specific lactation education, the average amount of coursework dedicated to this topic is still less than 8 hours of the average medical program.  Surveys of doctors where the doctor is presented with a typical breastfeeding problem show that nearly 50% of all responses are those that mis-advising the mother.  While some of these doctors are adamant breastfeeding supporters and have great knowledge and experience, this means that you have a 50/50 chance of getting accurate breastfeeding advice from your Pediatrician or Obstetrician.  A good way to assess your doctor is to ask what percentage of his/her patients breastfeed full-time at 6 months.  The higher the number, the more likely this doctor is properly advising patients.   Unless you know that your doctor is knowledgeable in current breastfeeding information, ask him or her for a referrals to an IBCLC instead of asking for advice.

Le Leche League Leader

Le Leche League Leaders are breastfeeding mothers who have successfully breastfed their infants.  LLL Leaders are part of a non-profit organization called Le Leche League International whose entire mission is to support and promote breastfeeding worldwide.  LLL Leaders are NOT qualified to observe breastfeeding mothers who are having trouble or intervene or advise about breastfeeding problems.  However, LLL Leaders are a great source of information information and support for breastfeeding mothers.  LLL Leaders are qualified to discuss basic breastfeeding ideas and issues at the a peer support level.  They are also a great source of information for mothers for referrals to breastfeeding professionals.

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