Breastfeeding Success has many lactation experts, and we recognize that some people have negative opinions about them. We strive to support families and clear up some common misconceptions about lactation specialists! Some people share stories from friends or family about a very eager lactation expert or one who didn’t help them with a specific issue. Sometimes this can happen! We all make mistakes, and sometimes things don’t go as planned. However, the situation is often a bit different.
If you want to learn the basics of breastfeeding before your baby arrives or right after, most lactation consultants can help you with that knowledge and training. If you have begun breastfeeding and things are mostly going well but you have a few simple questions or need help with your position or your baby’s latch, you can ask any lactation consultant or counselor.
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A Lactation Consultant is not the same as a nurse.
In many cases, nurses help with breastfeeding support instead of a certified lactation consultant (IBCLC). Nurses usually have some training in breastfeeding, but it isn’t always complete and doesn’t match the level of an IBCLC. IBCLCs are experts in breastfeeding. They must finish a lot of college-level health courses, complete specialized training in breastfeeding, gain over 300 hours of supervised practice, and pass a board test to become certified.
They are trained to support breastfeeding at all levels, from basic help to handling complex cases, like caring for newborn babies in the NICU. Your nurse can provide good help, but if you feel you’re not getting the care you need, check if you’ve seen a lactation expert. If not, find out if that support is offered in your area. Sometimes, lactation consultants meet with patients in the hospital, but a nurse may check in overnight and give different tips. If you’re hearing different information, it’s a good idea to listen to your IBCLC’s advice.
Traits or characteristics of people.
When picking a lactation expert, it’s helpful to choose someone whose personality fits well with yours! This is true for all our care providers, which can help you feel more comfortable and improve conversation between you. When you feel comfortable with the person helping you, you’re likely to relax, ask any questions you have, and accept their advice more confidently.
Sometimes you can’t choose what you want, so when that happens, keep these simple tips in mind. I like to remind myself that they probably want what’s best for me and my child. They want us to feel good and stay healthy!
If their attitude seems too excited or critical, remember that it could be true or it might not be. They likely have good goals! If you’re feeling uncertain, try these steps:
- Keep an open mind. Everyone has bad days, and some people struggle to control their facial emotions and tone of voice. Believe that they always want what is best for you.
- Don’t take it personally. If you think they don’t agree with what you’re saying, try to let it go. Imagine that it’s not true and see what occurs.
- Take their advice and give it a try! You could try things you were unsure about and see positive effects.
- Feel free to ask questions. If you’re not confident in the help you’re receiving or it’s confusing, don’t hesitate to ask for more details.
- Be clear about what you want to do. If you want to only nurse, make sure to share that information right away.
- If you do not plan to breastfeed entirely, please let us know. A lactation expert can help you with your goals for feeding your baby.
I hope everything goes well, and you get the support you need to achieve your eating goals. If things didn’t work out, it might simply mean that person wasn’t the right fit for you. It’s perfectly fine to look for someone else or let that person know they didn’t help you.
With my first baby, I had two very different situations with breastfeeding help. The first nurse was very pushy about nursing. She didn’t ask me before taking my breasts and waking my baby to feed. My baby was really sleepy and wasn’t very interested. The nurse encouraged me to keep trying and brought a pump when my daughter wouldn’t latch. I didn’t want to use it. I got angry and told her I didn’t want her help anymore.
I met with a lactation counselor that day and received the help I needed. She comforted me by saying that even though my baby had different eating needs, she would be okay and that I could handle it. She told me what to look out for, and that was enough to really lower my worry. I began to enjoy my baby and feel more relaxed. That turned out to be exactly what we needed to succeed. We successfully breastfed, and it finally became easy.
Having the right help can be the key to success or failure. It can also change the type of experience you have. When you get the right help, you should feel more relaxed and confident in your parenting, and that’s very important!