- Lactation Consultants are international board certified healthcare professionals with the highest level of breastfeeding and lactation education and experience.
- We have hundreds of hours of hands-on training working with breastfeeding mothers & their families before we are eligible to sit for the International Board Examination.
- We are required to continue our education through attending conferences, completing study modules, and recertifying every 5 years. Every 10 years we must re-take the board examination in order to maintain a high level of competency.
Lactation consultants provide private one on one consultations with breastfeeding mothers, prenatal breastfeeding classes and education to physicians and other healthcare professionals.
- We teach you everything you need and want to know about breastfeeding-diet, positions for nursing, nipple care, milk supply, babies
- We help you fine tune breastfeeding
- We teach you how to resolve any difficulties you may be experiencing
- We have the clinical skills needed to help mothers understand and
resolve their breastfeeding issues without resorting to formula and artificial nipples unless
medically necessary.
We are highly skilled at evaluating:
- your milk supply
- your breasts
- your nipples
- your baby's weight gain
- your baby's milk transfer during a feed
- your baby's sucking patterns & efficiency
- your baby's energy level & muscle tone
The New Born Baby & Visiting Lactation Consultants serve mothers and their families in
- Central & Metro West Massachusetts
- Worcester, Middlesex & Franklin counties
- Northern Conneticut
- Southern New Hampshire.
- If you live out of our region you can locate a lactation consultant near you by visiting http://www.ilca.org/falc.html
Very few, if any, physicians in central Massachusetts have an international board certified lactation consultant working in their office. As private practice lactation consultants, we receive referrals from physicians throughout our region. If your doctor's office has a 'lactation specialist,' ask if she is an international board certified lactation consultant-the highest level of training and education available in the lactation field.
Do Lactation Consultants Charge for Their Services?
Yes. Lactation Consulting is a healthcare profession. Just as nurses and doctors and physical therapists receive payment in exchange for their services, lactation consultants need to charge for their services. Lactation consultants set their fees based on typical insurance reimbursement. Ideally your medical insurance policy should cover the cost of a lactation consultant. However, in the state of Massachusetts, not all insurance policies cover for lactation services. For more details, see our page on insurance reimbursement
What Determines the Fee for a Lactation Consultant's Services?
The fee for services provided by a lactation consultant is based on several things.
- The cost of similar healthcare services such as the VNA-Visiting Nurses Association
- The length of time the lactation consultant spends face to face with the client
- The rate of insurance reimbursement for similar services
Requirements for Becoming a Lactation Consultant/IBCLC Certification
International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs) are
health care professionals who specialize in the clinical management of
breastfeeding. We have demonstrated our competence to practice by
passing an internationally recognized examination.
As lactation consultants, we provide skilled breastfeeding assistance to mothers and
children. As part of the health care team, we work to prevent and solve
breastfeeding problems. We help familes support the breastfeeding mother and child. Without the help of the families, many mothers struggle to reach their breastfeeding goals.
We concentrate on preventive health care providing hands-on help with breastfeeding starting on your baby's birthday.
As IBCLCs, we promote self-care, empowering you, the parents, to make informed decisions. Through our Prenatal Breastfeeding Classes at Mothers & Company, we teach what you need to know about getting off to a good start with breastfeeding before your baby is born.
Facts About Lactation Consultants
IBCLCs work in a variety of settings including hospitals, neonatal
intensive care units and special care nurseries, lactation clinics,
maternal and child health services, and in private practice. The IBCLC
credential brings together a wide range of people from a variety of
backgrounds including nurses, midwives, family physicians,
pediatricians, obstetricians, childbirth educators, dietitians,
occupational and physical therapists, experienced mother support
counselors and others passionate about providing quality breastfeeding
assistance.
The International Lactation Consultant Association
(ILCA) recognizes the International Board of Lactation Consultant
Examiners as the official certifying agency for lactation consultants
worldwide and serves as the separately incorporated professional
association for IBCLCs.
Candidates for the IBCLC credential must demonstrate mastery of
both the educational and clinical experience components of
lactation management. The educational component includes education
specific to human lactation as well as education in specified
foundational health disciplines. Each candidate must also demonstrate
completion of extensive clinical experience assisting breastfeeding
mothers and children.
Preparation for IBCLC certification may require several years,
depending upon a person's background education and experience. A potential candidate for sitting for the board exam will need
to demonstrate college-level education in specific subjects, complete
comprehensive education in lactation management and have practical
hands-on experience assisting breastfeeding mothers and children.
To learn more about requirements for becoming an IBCLC, visit www.iblce.org
