# Lactation consultant

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Health professional

Not to be confused with [Lactation counselor](/source/Lactation_counselor).

Teaching the importance of breastfeeding in a nutrition rehabilitation clinic in Madhya Pradesh, India

A **lactation consultant** is a [health professional](/source/Health_professional) who specializes in the clinical management of [breastfeeding](/source/Breastfeeding). The International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBLCE) certifies lactation consultants who meet its criteria and have passed its exam.[1]

## Description

Lactation consultants are trained to assist parents in preventing and solving [breastfeeding difficulties](/source/Breastfeeding_difficulties)[2] such as sore nipples and [low milk supply](/source/Low_milk_supply). They commonly work in hospitals, [physician](/source/Physician) or [midwife](/source/Midwife) practices, [public health](/source/Public_health) programs, and private practice. In the United States, lactation consultants are often nurses, midwives, [nurse practitioners](/source/Nurse_practitioner), and dieticians who have obtained additional certification.[2]

The IBLCE (International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners) committee is the only entity authorized to accredit IBCLC Lactation Consultants[3][4].

## History and organization

The IBLCE was founded by a group of [La Leche League](/source/La_Leche_League) leaders who wanted to professionalize the skills they had developed while working with breastfeeding individuals.[5][2] Candidates can choose various pathways to qualify, including options for current health professionals and volunteers, through college or university academic programs, or through mentoring. [6]

An International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) may use the [post nominals](/source/Post_nominals) IBCLC and/or RLC after their name. The International Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA) is the [professional association](/source/Professional_association) for lactation consultants.[7]

IBCLCs undergo specialized training to assist families with breastfeeding, milk production issues, and pump management issues. IBCLCs must meet certification requirements for education and clinical experience, and pass an examination. IBCLCs must also re-certify every five years with 75 continuing education hours every five years or take an examination.[8]

## Outcomes

Exclusive and partial breastfeeding are more common among individuals who gave birth in IBCLC-equipped hospitals.[9] In [maternity hospitals](/source/Maternity_hospital), a ratio of one IBCLC for every 15 [postpartum individuals](/source/Postpartum_period) is suggested.[10] The [U.S. Surgeon General](/source/U.S._Surgeon_General) recommends that all communities ensure access to services provided by IBCLCs.[11] Evidence found that breastfeeding interventions including lactation consultants and [counselors](/source/Lactation_counselor) increased the number of individuals initiating breastfeeding.[12] A systematic review on characteristics and outcomes of postpartum care found that when individuals receive care from a lactation consultant they are more likely to present higher rates of any breastfeeding at six months (but not at one or three months), and higher rates of exclusive breastfeeding at one or three months.[13]

## See also

- [Lactation counselor](/source/Lactation_counselor)

- [Postpartum confinement](/source/Postpartum_confinement), the period after childbirth when the new parents rests and bonds with their newborn, as they both learn to breastfeed

- [Wet nurse](/source/Wet_nurse), a woman paid to nurse another individual's baby

- [Newborn care specialists](/source/Nanny#Maternity_nurse_/_newborn_care_specialists_/_confinement_nanny), a type of nanny

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["IBLCE"](http://iblce.org/). *Iblce.org*. Retrieved 15 January 2018.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTELawrence2016749_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTELawrence2016749_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTELawrence2016749_2-2) [Lawrence 2016](#CITEREFLawrence2016), p. 749.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Elaine Webber, Amanda L. Watkins (2017-08-16). *Evolution of a Profession: The Role of Accreditation in Lactation Education*. Journal of Human Lactation. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1177/0890334417711893](https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0890334417711893).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Professional knowledge of lactation consultants"](https://www.genuinelactation.com/blog-for-breastfeeding-families/mcair1review).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-The_LLL_Leader_and_the_IBCLC--A_Partnership_in_Breastfeeding_History_5-0)** ["LLLI - The LLL Leader and the IBCLC - A Partnership in Breastfeeding History"](http://www.llli.org/llleaderweb/lv/lvjunjul00p52.html). *www.llli.org*. Retrieved 19 January 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["IBLCE Continuing Education Review / Application Information"](https://web.archive.org/web/20150206060604/http://iblce.org/continuing-education-review/application-information/). *Iblce.org*. Archived from [the original](http://iblce.org/continuing-education-review/application-information/) on 6 February 2015. Retrieved 15 January 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["ILCA Home"](https://web.archive.org/web/20180116004524/http://www.ilca.org/home). *Ilca.org*. Archived from [the original](http://www.ilca.org/home) on 16 January 2018. Retrieved 15 January 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["IBLCE"](https://iblce.org/). *IBLCE*. Retrieved 2021-03-05.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-ussg_9-0)** ["US Surgeon General Breastfeeding Executive Summary"](https://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/calls/breastfeeding/executivesummary.pdf) (PDF). *surgeongeneral.gov*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20170513032923/https://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/calls/breastfeeding/executivesummary.pdf) (PDF) from the original on 13 May 2017. Retrieved 6 September 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTELawrence2016246_10-0)** [Lawrence 2016](#CITEREFLawrence2016), p. 246.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** Office of the Surgeon General (US); Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US); Office on Women's Health (US) (2011). [*Actions to Improve Breastfeeding*](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK52679/). Office of the Surgeon General (US).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** Patel, Sanjay; Patel, Shveta (August 2016). "The Effectiveness of Lactation Consultants and Lactation Counselors on Breastfeeding Outcomes". *Journal of Human Lactation*. **32** (3): 530–541. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1177/0890334415618668](https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0890334415618668). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [1552-5732](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1552-5732). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [26644419](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26644419). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [26056972](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:26056972).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** Saldanha, Ian J.; Adam, Gaelen P.; Kanaan, Ghid; Zahradnik, Michael L.; Steele, Dale W.; Danilack, Valery A.; Peahl, Alex Friedman; Chen, Kenneth K.; Stuebe, Alison M.; Balk, Ethan M. (2023). ["Postpartum Care up to 1 Year After Pregnancy: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis"](https://effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/products/postpartum-care-one-year/research). *effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov*. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.23970/ahrqepccer261](https://doi.org/10.23970%2Fahrqepccer261). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [37315166](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37315166). Retrieved 2024-04-30.

### Cited works

- Lawrence, Ruth (2016). *Breastfeeding : a guide for the medical profession, 8th edition*. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-323-35776-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-323-35776-0).

## External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Lactation consultants](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Lactation_consultants).

- [International Lactation Consultant Association](http://www.ilca.org)

- [International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners](https://www.iblce.org)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Lactation consultant](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lactation_consultant) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lactation_consultant?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.