lactation consultants- how many hospitals have them?

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I am intersted to know for those of you who work in hospitals or had your children in the a hospital- were/are there lactation consultants? are patients given proper/enough education on the techniques of breastfeeing and the many advantages of it (health and forming a connection to the child..).

also I was wondering if anyone knows where else lactation consultants can be found working besides the hospital setting.

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

yep that was no typo---- 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., is all we have w/our lactation consultant. And you can clearly see how tough it for us nurses to help w/severe problems during our night/weekend shifts.

And yes, we all have differing advice and sometimes, if you look at it the right way, it is not a bad thing. Sometimes, it takes differing solutions to solve complex problems, and Waggy, NO ONE has the ONE answer to all. No one was trying to confuse you, I am sure, but was trying different ways to help you. That you had such horrible problems, I truly regret. Many of us NON LC specialty nurses do attend lactation classes and learn all we can but---- we are limited by some things.

Time : many of us are caring for multiple couplets or labor patient also. It is not fair, but it is a fact on a labor/pp floor. They expect us to wear many hats and helping with breastfeeding issues is certainly important, but just one of our roles. Also a limitation: Sufficient education and preparation (or lack thereof): I have personally attended lactation conferences/classes put on by the WHO and our consultants, but still lack their specialized knowledge to help in every situation. I usually end up calling our local LLL leader on weekends for help if I can...either that, or I refer these poor, beleaguerd mommies to them and their advice.

We labor/pp RN's honestly do the best we can w/breastfeeding issues, given our workloads and time constraints. I have worked for HOURS, in every attempt to get a newborn latched on properly and nursing well. I have the backaches to prove that! That we all have differing approaches reflects our varying educational experiences and personal experiences, like any other area of life. Try to think of it that way. I wish you well.

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WICMissy, I don't refer moms who are on the fence to the LCs because I have seen them get so overbearing with these moms that they get turned off of breastfeeding. One of them even thinks that formula should be locked up like narcotics and routinely calls it crap in front of mothers (which really makes them feel great if they were considering it or if they fed it to a previous child). I have heard patients refer to them as the breastfeeding Nazis. Guilt tripping someone is not the best way to get them to breastfeed IMHO.

Of course if they are having a problem too complex for me to help with I would refer them, but not if they are just normal moms having a bit of stress about breastfeeding. Those moms I can help and nurture.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Agree 1000% fergus!

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Originally posted by fergus51

I have heard patients refer to them as the breastfeeding Nazis.

Wow! Must be an international term!

We have a few that are great, but we have one.... not only does she visit the breast feeding moms, she makes it a point to visit the bottle feeding moms to try and make them change their minds. :eek: :rolleyes:

Heather

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Heather that is deplorable. Once a Mom and Dad make decision, we need to respect it 100% and leave them ALONE! I am disgusted when I hear things like that. Thank Heaven our consultant is MUCH more respectful than that. She is a true professional and I am honored to work with her.:)

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Good response, SmilingBlueEyes. I should've clarified better, though, my main complaint was the lack of LC accessibility. All my nurses were FABULOUS and I honestly did not expect them to have all the answers. Heaven knows they had MORE THAN ENOUGH to do. I really appreciate the nurses who take the time to gain extra skills outside their official job description.

Unfortunately, there are not enough LCs to go around and I know they all work hard and I don't know what I would have done without mine. She was just too busy!

Actually, it would be nice if women could STAY LONGER in the hospital to better establish breastfeeding!:)

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

yep , waggy, i agree. a longer stay would almost be beneficial to ANY new mom and baby, especially the breastfeeding couplet. I cannot agree w/you more! I am sorry for your unfavorable experiences. It is sad that hospitals rarely fund full-time LC's.....some fund NONE at all!

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Hello!! It is exciting to know that lactation consultants are in "demand." I am a hospital based lactation consultant working in a small hospital in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan; I also service our community because we no longer have an active LaLeche League. If you are looking for a listing of IBCLC's, you can contact the listing at http://www.ilca.org. Hope your lactation experience was enjoyable.

Yours in lactation,

LCDebbie

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