Certified Lactation Counselors:

Lactation Counselors and consultants are relatively new members of the healthcare field. They are professional breastfeeding specialists trained to help mothers with a variety of issues. A lactation counselor may work at a hospital, clinic, or doctor's office. He or She may have a private practice. Typically, they help mothers and babies with latching difficulties, painful nursing, low milk production, or inadequate weight gain. They are a teacher as well as a counselor and help mothers understand the fundamentals of lactation as well as supporting their efforts to learn how to feed their babies. They may teach classes. Or help women meet their breastfeeding goals in light of special circumstances such as returning to work or school. They are familiar with breastfeeding equipment such as breast pumps and other supplies that are helpful to breastfeeding infants.

A CLC understands that breastfeeding decisions are made by the mother, who may have values and goals different from the counselor. A counseling approach is used to elicit information and provide appropriate support to the mother and her familiy. The CLC is a member of the healthcare team who can provide knowlege and Counseling about. optimal and sub-optimal breastfeeding.

The CLC works to help solve problems in conjunction with other professionals and strive to, assure appropriate referals and recommendations.



 

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