There are 6 types of lactation support professionals. 1. There are breastfeeding medicine specialists. These are doctors who have additional training in lactation health. They are fellows of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine. This is a rare specialty. There are very few in the United States. 2. There are IBCLCs (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant). They have college education, clinicals, a board exam, required continuing education, and must recertify every 5 years. It is often said that IBCLCs are the gold standard of lactation professionals. The IBCLC was the first certificate for professional lactation support. This credential began in 1985. Click here to learn how to become an IBCLC. 3. There are lactation consultants that are qualified to do clinical-level lactation support but are certified through other programs (not IBCLC). For example, CLC, CBS, certified lactation consultants, and other lactation specialists are qualified to support breastfeeding mother-baby dyads. Whether they can only support uncomplicated cases or if they can also support high risk cases depends on the scope of practice set forth by their certifying body. This is a lower level than IBCLC. These programs are usually a stepping stone to IBCLC or can be as long as they qualify for the lactation education portion of the IBCLC requirement. Click here to see a list of lactation training programs in the USA. 4. There are also training programs with or without a certificate designed to be introductory add-on knowledge for professionals working in another role. Doulas may take a breastfeeding support course to better serve their doula clients. These programs are not in-depth enough to prepare professionals for managing lactation issues. They can provide education and support normal function such as getting breastfeeding established after birth. 5. Then there are peer counselors which are mom to mom support leaders. La Leche League is a very popular peer support. Breastfeeding USA is rising in popularity. You can get formal peer counseling through WIC and a few other organizations. 6. We also have breastfeeding/lactation educators whose training is specifically for teaching classes rather than doing 1 to 1 support. Which type of professional should you see???
If you are a healthy person who is pregnant and has breastfeeding questions, take a breastfeeding class. Read breastfeeding books. I can’t help but recommend mine, Lactation Lessons From Leanna. Attend support meetings such as La Leche League, Breastfeeding USA, or Baby Café USA. Make an appointment with any of the certified lactation professionals. It’s not necessary to see an IBCLC, but you need to find the person that’s right for you. If you are having common problems with breastfeeding, talk to an IBCLC or any certified lactation professional. If your baby is premature or has health problems, you need to talk to an IBCLC. If you have health problems, consult an IBCLC. If you have any rashes, lesions, discharge that is not milk, lumps, or bumps, go to your OB/Gyn. If you are interested in becoming a breastfeeding support professional, click on the following blogs.
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FOR RETAIL SHOPPING Retail Me Not www.retailmenot.com We all want awesome photos to use for our promo pics or blogs. However, you can’t just copy any picture you find on the internet. To use photos for your books, website, or blogs, you need permission to use them. Images are copyrighted to whoever took the picture or created the image. Give them the same respect we writers want for our copyrighted works. You can find free stock photos that are for personal or commercial use at the following websites. My favorites are pixababy, pexels, and unsplash. www.flickr.com has some that are open use with no citation required and others that require a citation. www.freerangestock.com www.kaboompics.com www.libreshot.com www.lifeofpix.com www.pexels.com www.pixabay.com www.stocksnap.io www.travelcoffeebook.com www.unsplash.com If you use Weebly for your website @ www.weebly.com, they have a collection of photos you can use. Some photos require citation and will add a reference to the photographer in the footer of that web page. There are public domain photos available freely. There is also the world of Creative Commons. Some CC photos are what we call Creative Commons Zero. They require no citation. They are free to use personally or commercially, modify, and distribute. The original owner has given up all rights. Other CC pictures are available for use with a citation to the creator. www.creativecommons.org If you’re looking for educational type photos, check out www.photosforclass.com Of course, there are many places to buy professional photos. Shutterstock is quite popular www.shutterstock.com Getty Images is popular as well. You can contact the photographer of a picture you want to use and request permission to share. Professional photographers are worth paying for their work. And last but certainly not least, you can create your own.
For those called to the field of birth work, it can be hard to find the niche that is the right fit for you. There are many options. Some are medical, others are non-clinical. Some are support roles while others are educational roles. Gravitate towards where you belong. You are needed there. You may serve multiple roles at the same time such as being a childbirth educator, birth doula, and lactation specialist. Or you may transition from one role to another, perhaps doula to midwife or doula to labor and delivery nurse. Many birthworkers struggle trying to figure out exactly what path they belong on in this field. May this blog clarify your options and help you find where you are meant to be. Medical care Doctors
Physician Assistant working in obstetrics Nurses
Other patient support health professionals
Office or hospital unit support staff
Management and administration in a birthing center or maternity unit Out-of-hospital birth professionals (typically working in home births or birthing centers, but may work in hospitals in some areas)
Mental health professionals
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Apostolic Pentecostal Christian
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international author |
maternal-infant wellness educator
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birth doula
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breastfeeding specialist |