When I excitedly tell someone that I passed the test to become a Certified Lactation Consultant after nearly 6 years of study and being in the field, I usually get this response: You need a certification for that? Isn’t breastfeeding supposed to be natural? Of course, I get variations on this sentiment too. “Um, isn’t it like, open mouth, insert boob?” or “I had no idea that was even a thing.” This used to really frustrate and insult me, but I sort of understand where they are coming from. Media (mostly commercials for things like diaper rash cream), art, and every breastfeeding propaganda flyer I have ever seen depicts breastfeeding as some sort of magical happening that is perfect every time. I can almost hear angels singing in the background of many of these ad campaigns. Their intention was pure, to make breastfeeding look desirable, you probably don’t want to depict an exhausted mother and a screaming baby surrounded by used burp rags. Here is the catch, yes, breastfeeding is natural, but natural does not equal easy.
Let’s use a metaphor! Eating is natural, but cooking is a learned behavior. Many women have never seen another woman breastfeed. When formula took over as the prefered feeding method, in the 1940s and 50s, essentially an entire generation was skipped on learning how to breastfeed from their mothers, aunts, sisters and friends. With help from groups like La Leche League, and those same ad campaigns, the art of breastfeeding is coming back, but in general, the public knowledge base is still lacking. If you have never seen anyone cook, and all you have ever known from TV, family, and friends is take-out food, how would you know how to cook? That is where IBCLCs come in.
After having helped hundreds of breastfeeding pairs learn how to breastfeed, it is my belief that there is certainly a need for this kind of professional in every pediatrician office, OB/GYN practice and most certainly every hospital. I want to see every mother to take three hours away from pinning nursery designs and finding nerdy onesies on Pinterest and use that three hours to take a comprehensive breastfeeding class. I want those mothers who struggle at the beginning not to feel defeated and inept because they are having trouble getting the hang of it. I want partners to understand how important breastfeeding is to the physical and mental health of babies AND their mothers. I want them to value this bond as much as their lactating counter-point does. I want to educate and teach myself out of a job.
Now let’s get cooking!