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What is an IBCLC
Breastfeeding is a highly emotive subject in the UK because so many families have not breastfed, or have experienced the trauma of trying very hard to breastfeed and not succeeding.
International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs) are highly experienced, trained and qualified to help parents and babies to breastfeed. They are knowledgeable in all areas of lactation and can help with both basic and complex breastfeeding challenges. IBCLCs are experts and hold the internationally recognised breastfeeding credential.
IBCLCs are regulated by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners and work within a code of professional conduct and are subject to disciplinary procedure. They are required to recertify every 5 years. This process involves 75 hours of continuing education.
An IBCLC Lactation Consultant is an exemplary skilled professional who is qualified to support and inform breastfeeding feeding families and other health professionals with both basic and complex challenges.
Breastfeeding is one of the most effective ways to ensure child health and survival. WHO and UNICEF recommend that children initiate breastfeeding within the first hour of birth and be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life – meaning no other foods or liquids are provided, including water. Infants should be breastfed on demand – that is as often as the child wants, day and night.
From the age of 6 months, children should begin eating safe and adequate complementary foods while continuing to breastfeed for up to two years of age or beyond.
Breastfed children perform better on intelligence tests, are less likely to be overweight or obese and less prone to diabetes later in life. Women who breastfeed also have a reduced risk of breast and ovarian cancers.
Parents are more likely to stop breastfeeding in the first month when they experience problems such as sore nipples, inadequate milk production (real or perceived), and infant difficulties with breastfeeding. A lactation consultant can help families to overcome these difficulties thereby enabling them to breastfeed for as long as they want.