- my iParenting
- quick clicks
- babies today articles
- babies today q&a
- toddlers today articles
- toddlers today q&a
- breastfeed.com articles
- breastfeed.com q&a
- message boards
- research baby names
- prepare a birth plan
- content channels
- ip channel rss feeds
- read birth stories
- read parenting stories
- recommended books
- e-newsletters
- safety recalls
- ip diaries
- ip store
- mom of the month
- dad of the month
- editor's letter
- letters to the editor
 |
- e-newsletters
- Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters
- award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Helping Times Two
Careers in Lactation By Kelly Burgess
With initial breastfeeding rates (this is the number of new mothers who at least attempt breastfeeding) currently around73 percent (according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), the need for the specialty is growing. That more and more hospitals and large maternity and pediatric practices are bringing in experts in lactation means that the other important percentage how many women are still breastfeeding after six months, which currently stands at 39 percent may also rise precipitously.
Consultants vs. CounselorsLa Leche League Leader A volunteer who leads discussions, often in her home. Generally this is a woman who nursed her child, probably with support from La Leche League, and became interested in helping and encouraging other mothers.
Peer Counselor The peer counselor program grew out of the idea of the La Leche League volunteer leader; however, it's aimed primarily at low-income women. The idea was that while middle-class, white women often have the economic ability and the leisure to volunteer their time, low-income and minority women often do not. The peer counselor program enables LLLI to pay women to become lactation counselors in their own neighborhoods.
Lactation Counselor While a peer counselor is also sometimes referred to as a lactation counselor, a lactation counselor can be any number of things. It may be someone who has a lot of training and experience, but it also may just be someone who took a weekend class and got a certificate that means little in the medical profession.
International Board Certified Lactation Consultant This is the type of lactation professional found in most hospitals and large medical practices. Most of them are already career medical professionals, such as doctors or nurses, when they take the exam. According to Scott, they also tend to be people who have breastfed their own children.
