Is it Worth Getting a Lactation Consultant?
Have you been breastfeeding for a while but not confident your baby is feeding effectively?
Are you struggling to produce enough breastmilk? Or worried abut your baby’s weight gain?
If so, you may want to consider getting a lactation consultant.
A lactation consultant has the highest qualification in breastfeeding, globally. More than a midwife or paediatric dietitian.
A lot of my work includes supporting with common problems such as low milk supply, positioning and attachment or pumping plans for returning to employment.
However Lactation consultants are also qualified to support mothers with some very specialist situations such as inducing lactation (for instance in cases of surrogacy or adoption some mothers induce breast milk supply without a pregnancy) or with using supplementary nursing systems when supply is low.
So, does getting a lactation consultant actually offer benefits that justify the costs?
Benefits of getting a lactation consultant:
There are a lot of benefits to getting a lactation consultant. If a baby is feeding effectively they will likely exhibit calmer, more satisfied behaviour, nipple pain will be reduced and milk supply will increase, because feeding effectively empties the breast more thoroughly and signals the body to make more milk. Effective feeding means deep latch-this should stop any nipple pain.
Additionally, a lactation consultant can provide emotional support while breastfeeding which is crucial for every breastfeeding journey. My own background is not as a medic, but as a breastfeeding counsellor and peer supporter. Some of my most memorable jobs were actually working with mothers who needed or wanted to stop breastfeeding.
I also can remember several examples where I found myself in the role of counselling a family coming to terms with the fact that they were not going to be able to attain their breastfeeding goals, that they had worked hard to build supply and investigate causes, but exclusive breastfeeding was just not attainable.
A study linked here completed in 2021 looked at the outcomes of breastfeeding families in London when they had access to specialist lactation care from an IBCLC. Key findings included that, “…with adequate and timely support, most complex breastfeeding issues can be overcome and mothers can continue breastfeeding beyond 6 months”.
Considerations:
HEALTH-Most of us know that "breast is best" but even most breastfeeding parents are unaware of the broad range of health benefits for both baby and mother. Scientific research is still uncovering how breastmilk works and why it is so special.
What we do know so far is that not breastfeeding has been linked to an increased risk to the mother of:
Breast cancer
Postpartum haemorrhage
Ovarian cancer
Endometrial cancer
Rheumatoid arthritis
Postnatal depression
Type II diabetes
Anaemia.
Non--breastfed babies may be at increased risk of:
Some childhood cancers before the age of 15
Sudden infant death syndrome
Breast cancer in later life
Sickness and diarrhoea bugs including gastroenteritis & E. coli
Crohn's disease and other inflammatory bowel disorders *2
This list is not exhaustive!*
BREASTFEEDING GRIEF-A 2015 study** published in BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth by three NCT researchers found “80% of UK women stopped breastfeeding sooner than they intended, with women citing feeding difficulties and lack of adequate support”.
Professor Amy Brown, author of the book Why breastfeeding grief and trauma matters***
“A startlingly large number of women who want to breastfeed have to stop before they are ready, leaving them feeling a range of negative emotions, including grief, anger, guilt, shame and frustration, and often blaming themselves”.
COST OF FORMULA -the cost of a private lactation consultant home visit in London is around £150. First steps nutrition trust states**** ready to feed formula costs as much as £32.20 a week (Aptamil Profutura 1 First Infant Milk RTF)
What to consider while choosing a lactation consultant:
There is no single right answer when it comes to choosing a lactation consultant. What you should consider is your individual situation and how lactation support will help you achieve your breastfeeding goals. Choosing a lactation consultant is a very personal decision, my home visit packages include a free initial discovery call for this reason.
Another consideration is specialities, some lactation consultants will be very experienced with newborns but not experienced with toddlers. There are lactation consultants with specialities such as speech and language therapists, tongue tie practitioners or allergy experts.
You should also ask questions during your discovery call so that you can make an informed decision. Some of the key factors to consider include the consultant's education and experience, as well as their attitude and support for breastfeeding mothers, plus that hard to define feeling of personality type. It's also important to be prepared for cost information and expect to spend between £150-£300 on services from a lactation consultant.
Conclusion:
Getting a lactation consultant can be a beneficial decision for breastfeeding parents.
There are a number of reasons why breastfeeding families should consider getting a lactation consultant, including the following: - Increased breastfeeding success - Improved breastfeeding relationships - Increased breastfeeding knowledge - More comfortable breastfeeding experience - Improved breastfeeding confidence.
If you have any questions regarding anything mentioned in this post, please feel free to get in touch. You might be interested in my “Returning to work while breastfeeding” workshop. Details here.
Sally
*Why Breastfeeding matters Charlotte Young Ibclc **https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4494694/
***https://www.swansea.ac.uk/staff/a.e.brown/