What’s an IBCLC?

Today is IBCLC Day, and I find many people ask me what is an IBCLC, what do all those letters mean?

An IBCLC is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant.

Still not sure what that means?  Long ago I had no idea what an IBCLC was either.  I didn’t know there were different levels of breastfeeding support or training.  It can be confusing.  Since today is IBCLC Day, I wanted to shed some light on what my credential means, the training that’s involved to become an IBCLC, why it’s important for parents to see an IBCLC, and what some of the other lactation support credentials are out there and what their training looks like.

IBCLC’s certification is global.  The expectations of my knowledge base in the United States are the same as if I were across the globe in China.  When a lactation consultant trains, we train with that big, global picture in mind.  And because of that, there are IBCLC’s who provide telehealth visits for patients who aren’t even in the same country as them.

IBCLC’s have a credentialing board called the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBLCE).  The IBLCE set our standards of practice, our code of ethics and disciplinary action can be taken if we act outside of those areas.  The Board develops the standards of education and the test every IBCLC must take in order to become an IBCLC.

Lactation Consultant is a protected title in the state of Ohio.  This means only someone who is an IBCLC can call themselves a lactation consultant.  Unfortunately, not every state has lactation consultant as a protected title so it can get confusing.  Want to know if the provider you are seeing is an IBCLC?  Every IBCLC worldwide is listed in this database https://iblce.org/ibclc-credential-verification/ If your provider isn’t listed, they may not be a lactation consultant.  However, I always recommend checking the spelling of their name and ask if they are perhaps listed under another name if you don’t see them listed.

What does it take to become a lactation consultant?  A lot of training, studying and hard work.  The current minimum training requirements to be an IBCLC are: 

1) complete 14 courses in health sciences this is also achieved by being an IBLCE recognized health professional as we already have those 14 health science courses

 2) 90 hours of lactation specific education (referred to as continuing education recognition points or CERP’s) in the 5 years before examination, and at least 5 of those need to be focused on ethics.  In 2021 candidates will also need an additional 5 hours of education on communication skills 

3) IBCLC’s need between 300-1,000 hours of lactation specific clinical practice depending on the pathway they choose.  I chose pathway 1, which means I completed 1,000 hours of lactation specific clinical practice prior to being able to take my exam.

4) Once candidates complete those 3 requirements above, they are eligible to sit the 4 hour, 175 question comprehensive international exam, and the IBLCE takes the very top percentage of scores to become certified that year.

5) IBCLC’s must recertify every 5 years either by exam or by having taken a minimum of 75 hours of continuing education CERP’s.

Some Lactation Consultants pursue additional training as well in order to provide the best care to their patients.  I have taken therapeutic breast massage, and training on tethered oral tissue (lip, tongue and buccal ties) through the IBCLC Masterclass Oral Habilitation of the Breastfeeding Dyad, and the Gold Tongue tie symposium.

I became an IBCLC because of my own challenges with breastfeeding.  I wanted to help other mothers who struggled as much as I did.  I always say, my lactation consultants I saw saved my breastfeeding relationship and I now call them my “breast friends”.

What are some things a lactation consultant can help me with?

I provide prenatal breastfeeding classes to help families get breastfeeding/ chestfeeding or pumping off to the very best start.  I can help with any thing from simple latching and positioning to more complex problems. I have helped families with pumping plans, oversupply, low milk supply, engorgement, mastitis, preparing to return to work, blebs, FPIES, food allergies, elimination diets, breastfeeding after breast reduction surgery or breast augmentation / implants, nipple pain, nipple damage, inverted nipples, flat nipples, nipple shields, tongue tie, lip tie, supporting families after frenotomy, breastfeeding while pregnant, paced bottle feeding, helping exclusively pumping parents to get baby back to breast/chest, helping exclusively breastfed babies learn to take a bottle, breastfeeding the baby with torticollis, teaching parents alternative feeding methods such as syringe feeding, cup feeding, finger feeding, spoon feeding, tube at breast, and supplemental nursing systems, and more.

Who’s Who in Lactation by the

United States Lactation Consultant Association

https://uslca.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/USLCAWhos-Who-in-Lactation20141.pdf

As you can see there’s a lot of breastfeeding support out there and that’s a great thing! If you are having problems with breastfeeding, IBCLC’s have the most extensive lactation training and provide the most comprehensive care.

I hope this blog helps you with what an IBCLC is and what we do. If you need lactation help, please schedule an appointment today.

What’s a prenatal breastfeeding class and why should I take one?

Let’s start with why every mom/ parent planning to breastfeed or provide human milk to their baby should take a breastfeeding class by a lactation consultant.

The state of Ohio defines a lactation consultant as an IBCLC, which is short for International Board Certified Lactation Consultant.

Studies¹ show that mothers who received prenatal breastfeeding education by a lactation consultant (an IBCLC) and support from a lactation consultant after their baby was born had improved breastfeeding rates and were less likely to have low milk supply compared to mothers who did not have support or prenatal education from a lactation consultant. Another study² found that pregnant women who received prenatal breastfeeding education by a lactation consultant and follow up support by a lactation consultant after their baby was born had higher rates of exclusive breastfeeding than women who did not receive prenatal breastfeeding education by a lactation consultant. In short, your chances of finding your own breastfeeding success are greatly improved if you work with a lactation consultant rather than any other healthcare worker.

When you sign up for a prenatal breastfeeding consult with Love and Wellness Lactation you will have a private one on one consult with Jessica in the comfort of your home as either a telehealth visit or a home visit. This is important because I can spend the time with you to review your medical history, any surgeries, diet, and medications.  I perform a breast assessment, and teach you how to hand express your colostrum and some reasons why this is such a useful tool in the early days and beyond.  I review with you any red flags that may prompt us to keep a closer eye on things.  We’ll talk about your goals for feeding your baby and I form a feeding plan with you.

I teach the benefits of breastfeeding for you and your baby.  You’ll learn breast anatomy and how your body makes milk.  You’ll learn about what’s been nicknamed “liquid gold”, the colostrum and mature milk.  I’ll teach you tips to getting breastfeeding off to a good start, doing the breast crawl and learning to recognize and encourage baby's natural instincts for latching.  You’ll learn the importance of skin to skin and rooming in.  I’ll teach you how often to feed your baby.  I’ll demonstrate and you’ll get to practice latching and positioning techniques, you’ll learn how to get a great latch , what a great latch looks and feels like and how your baby should be positioned to feed well.  I teach you how to wake your sleepy baby and why you may need to do that.  You’ll learn what engorgement is and how to manage it. We’ll talk about how to know your baby is getting enough, how to recognize your baby is swallowing and drinking well, when to get help and how to get help.  If you haven’t gotten your pump yet, I’ll give you information on getting your pump.  We’ll talk about when to begin pumping and breastmilk storage guidelines.  I tailor what I teach to your specific needs so you get the most benefit from your class with me. 

You also get continued exclusive access to my course material so that you can refer back to it in the days and weeks ahead. 

Many of my prenatal clients schedule a home visit with me after they’re discharged from the hospital so I can do a latch assessment, before and after feeding weights, and help identify any breastfeeding barriers.

The best part of all of this, your prenatal visit with me may be fully covered by your insurance. All insurance companies vary, so it is always best to double check your lactation coverage benefits with your insurance company. I am currently an in network provider with most Aetna, Medical Mutual, and Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield insurances and patients with active coverage who have a prenatal breastfeeding consult with me are typically covered at 100% or may have a copay depending on their plan. For families I care for that don’t have Aetna, Medical Mutual or Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield insurances, I provide them with a superbill to seek insurance reimbursement.

References

1. Andaya, E., Bonuck, K., Barnett, J., & Lischewski-Goel, J. (2012). Perceptions of primary care-based breastfeeding promotion interventions: qualitative analysis of randomized controlled trial participant interviews. Breastfeeding medicine : the official journal of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, 7(6), 417–422. https://doi.org/10.1089/bfm.2011.0151

2. Bonuck, K., Stuebe, A., Barnett, J., Labbok, M. H., Fletcher, J., & Bernstein, P. S. (2014). Effect of primary care intervention on breastfeeding duration and intensity. American journal of public health, 104 Suppl 1(Suppl 1), S119–S127. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2013.301360 

Reflections of a Home Visiting Lactation Consultant

I started my career as an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, IBCLC for short, at a busy hospital. In 2019, I started a very part time private practice called Love and Wellness Lactation, Ltd. I wanted to combine all of my lactation knowledge with skills that I had learned in my days as a La Leche League leader and from my work as a visiting nurse.

I loved my work in the hospital, but I also felt really passionate about serving families in the days, weeks, and months following hospital discharge at the place where I knew I was most comfortable nursing my own babies, at home. In 2020, I needed to make a choice and I chose Love and Wellness Lactation, Ltd. I was scared that I wouldn’t be able to make a career out of doing what I love so much. Would I get enough referrals to pay for my expenses let alone be able to give myself a paycheck? It was terrifying, and at times I had a lot of doubts.

I was fortunate to have been able to buy enough PPE at the beginning of the pandemic to keep myself and the families I served safe during home visits, and I learned how to perform telehealth visits. I became an in network provider with Aetna and Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield and their subsidiaries so families could benefit from my services.

With all of the craziness that has happened this year, I am so appreciative for all of the support I received from fellow lactation consultant’s, doula’s, nurses, nurse practitioners, and doctors; for the dentists and bodyworkers who let me sit in on their consults so I could learn from them, collaborate with them and have as trusted resources, and for other private practice lactation consultants who guided me and let me pick their brain. I am most grateful for the patients who opened their homes to me, who trusted me with their and their baby’s care, who left me reviews, who told their health care providers about the care I provided them, and who gave my name to other moms who needed help. Thanks to all of your support, my lactation visits grew by 900% from 2019 to 2020, something I could not have even imagined or done without the support of so many others.

As I look back during this year of turmoil for so many, I do so with a grateful and humble heart, and like so many of us I look forward to 2021 with hope.