I interviewed one doula who is a certified lactation consultant but when I asked her about that she seemed to steer me in the direction of the hospital lactation consultants. I was hoping that I could get some breastfeeding support from my doula. Is this something that your doula did/will do?
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Hmm, that's odd if she was a certified lactation consultant. Maybe she was really busy, or had just been certified and didn't feel confident working alone yet?
Typically a doula that isn't even certified will at least have a decent working knowledge and can help you with simple problems, and then defer to a IBCLC if you need more advanced help.
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My doula (although she was in the process of becoming a lactation consultant) offered breastfeeding support as part of her regular services. She did one postpartum visit as part of the initial package and assisted me with bfing and I paid her separately for 2 more sessions.
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Yes, she stayed with us two ours postpartum to make sure we got breastfeeding down... and then I was able to call her anytime if I had questions. She was very supportive - I didn't even need the hospital lactation consultants.
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@Arden: I just checked her online profile again and it says this:
Breastfeeding Certifications -
Certified Breastfeeding Specialist (Lactation Education Resources)
Doña lactation management course obtained 9/1/09Is there such a thing as a breastfeeding specialist? I thought it was called lactation consultant.
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Our Doula stayed with me until she nursed after she was born, and did 2 post partum visits plus I was able to text her with questions when I had them come up. She's just the BEST!!
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@Andrea: There is such thing as a Breastfeeding Specialist, but it's a different (less in depth) certification. It usually requires 6-12 months of training.
The most highly trained breastfeeding consultants are IBCLC's - International Board Certified Lactation Consultants. Those are the kinds you'll find working in hospitals or running private breastfeeding practices including home visits. -
@Arden: Ok, thanks! Well, that sounds like a good amount of training. Plus she breastfed her 2 kids for a year each so I'm not sure why she brushed me off like that. I am going to follow up with her!
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7 comments