Breastfeeding Support – Do I Need a Lactation Consultant?

Read time: 4 minutes

What to know about lactation support

• There are different types and levels of lactation support

• When should you call a lactation consultant for help?

• How to find lactation help

Breastfeeding support: counselors, consultants, and everything in between

Research has shown that lactation care can increase rates of breastfeeding and help families become more confident in their breastfeeding journey.^1,2

But the landscape of lactation care can be quite confusing! Is a CLC different than an IBCLC? What can a support group help me with?

Here’s a quick breakdown of the different levels and types of support you can find.

Read more: Preparing to Breastfeed

Clinical Lactation Care

IBCLC: An International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant, or IBCLC, has undergone at least 1000 hours of supervised lactation care, has taken anatomy and biology college courses, and has had over 90 hours of lactation-specific education. They take an exam and undergo 95 hours of lactation continuing education every 5 years.

IBCLCs are often covered by insurance and provide clinical lactation care for all breastfeeding situations, including complex ones like premature babies or babies with medical issues.³

ALC/ANLC: Advanced Lactation Consultant or Advanced Nurse Lactation Consultant are additional certifications for CLCs or IBCLCs, involving advanced coursework and an exam.⁴

Breastfeeding Support and Counseling

CLC

CLCs, or Certified Lactation Counselors, are the most common of the next tier of lactation care.

While CLCs are what you may be most familiar with, other similar certifications are CBS (Certified Breastfeeding Specialists) or CLS (Certified Lactation Specialists), among others. These are typically 45-90-hour courses with an exam at the end, while undergoing 20 hours of lactation continuing education every 5 years.

They can help with many common lactation issues such as latch or positioning, but you likely wouldn’t find them in a hospital setting.^5,6

Want to talk to a Certified Breastfeeding Specialist? In addition to being Registered Dietitian Nutritionists, our Happy Experts are also able to help with common lactation questions and concerns and can help you find more support if you need it. They are available from Monday – Friday 8 am – 6 pm (ET) on our free live chat to help figure out what may be going on. Chat now!

Doulas

Doulas is a trained and certified professional that provides practical and emotional support during the prenatal, labor and delivery, and the postpartum period.

They often have some breastfeeding knowledge and training and are able to help with basic breastfeeding concerns.⁷ They may also have an IBCLC or other breastfeeding certification as well. A great place to find a doula is at DoulaMatch.net.

WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselors

The Women, Infants, and Children Supplemental Nutrition program in the United States has trained peer counselors at each of their offices. They are moms from the community there to give other moms education and support in their breastfeeding journey.⁸

Community Breastfeeding Support

Many organizations, such as Breastfeeding USA, La Leche League, and other peer support groups are there to give basic phone, email, text, and group support. These organizations typically offer free support.

Other types of lactation support

Support Groups/Baby Cafes: Some of the community organizations mentioned above have support groups either in-person, via teleconference, or on a social media platform. Hospitals, WIC offices, lactation consultants, or medical offices may also hold support groups.

These groups are a great way to build camaraderie with other nursing moms. Just be aware that some advice that comes through groups may not work for your situation, which is why it’s always wise to seek professional help with any major issues (described below).

Breastfeeding Medicine Professionals: Physicians such as pediatricians or obstetricians/gynecologists can specialize in working with breastfeeding families. The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine has a search feature to find these physicians in your area.

Tongue-Tie Specialists: These are often pediatric dentists who are knowledgeable in the intricacies of tongue ties and how they affect breastfeeding and overall oral development. This is the ideal choice if your baby needs a tongue-tie revision.

Bodyworkers: This can include physical/physiotherapists, cranio-sacral therapists, massage therapists, osteopaths, and chiropractors.

These professionals can help with feeding issues related to muscular imbalances due to the birth process or tongue tie. It’s important to make sure the provider you want to work with is certified in pediatric therapies and has experience working with young infants.⁹

When do I need lactation support?

What are some reasons you might seek breastfeeding support? They may include:

• Prenatally to get questions answered or discuss specific healthy conditions and how they may impact breastfeeding

• Painful latch

• Baby isn’t gaining weight, losing weight, or not gaining as they are supposed to

• Baby has a medical condition that can affect breathing, coordination, or metabolism.

• Your baby has a cleft palate

• Baby was born early term or premature

• You and your baby had a complicated labor and delivery

• Baby has a tongue tie

• Feedings at the breast seem to be endless or feedings with your newborn are very short

• Cracked, blistered, swollen nipples

• History of breast surgeries, injuries, or infections

• You have twins or triplets (or even more!)

• You have a history of breastfeeding concerns

• Prenatally

• Engorgement

• Low milk supply

• Preparing to go back to work or school

• Breast refusal

• Bottle refusal

• Or any time you need some extra encouragement or information

The Bottom Line

There are so many options for lactation support, but unfortunately, it can vary greatly by where you live. If there are professionals and counselors available to you, there is never a reason not to talk to someone and receive the help you need.

Let's Chat!

We know parenting often means sleepless nights, stressful days, and countless questions and confusion, and we want to support you in your feeding journey and beyond.

Our Happy Experts are a team of lactation consultants and registered dietitian nutritionists certified in infant and maternal nutrition – and they’re all moms, too, which means they’ve been there and seen that. They’re here to help on our free, live chat platform Monday - Friday 8am - 6pm (ET). Chat Now!

Read more about the experts who help write our content!

For more on this topic, check out the following articles:

What Are the Benefits of Breastmilk

Benefits of Skin-to-Skin Contact with Your Baby