Table of contents:
The process of lactation or breastfeeding is often considered easy, but it is not always the case. The reason is, there are many conditions that can make breastfeeding more difficult. In this case, a lactation consultant plays a role in dealing with complaints experienced by mothers in breastfeeding
Difficulty breastfeeding can be caused by conditions of both mother and baby, such as sore nipples, infection in the baby's mouth, and low milk supply.
Lactation consultants are tasked with helping breastfeeding mothers who have difficulty breastfeeding their babies. With the right support and information from a lactation consultant, breastfeeding can become easier.
Various Roles of Lactation Consultants
Lactation consultants have very diverse roles, from directing mothers to breastfeed properly to dealing with complaints related to breastfeeding. Following are some of the roles of a lactation consultant:
1. Training mothers to breastfeed properly
In principle, the task of a lactation consultant is to train mothers to breastfeed their babies, as well as to convince and assist mothers during the breastfeeding process. In addition, lactation consultants can also teach proper breastfeeding positions and how to increase breast milk production.
2. Handling complaints related to breastfeeding
As previously explained, lactation consultants help with problems that are often faced by breastfeeding mothers, including sore nipples, babies who don't want to breastfeed, baby's weight is difficult to gain, and breast milk that comes out late or milk production is not smooth.
3. Introducing breastfeeding aids and how to use them
Lactation consultants help mothers get to know breastfeeding aids, such as breast pumps and the correct way to store expressed breast milk so it doesn't go stale. This is very important, especially for mothers who return to work or activities outside the home.
4. Directing the correct complementary feeding
Not only that, lactation consultants can also give advice to mothers to deal with babies who are ready to get complementary foods (MPASI) during the breastfeeding process.
5. Designing feeding strategies for babies with certain conditions
Lactation consultants also play a role in designing feeding strategies for babies born with different nutritional needs, such as premature babies, twins, or suffering from certain conditions, such as congenital heart disease, cleft lip, or tongue-tie.
Choose a Lactation Consultant Carefully
When choosing a lactation consultant, choose a lactation expert who already has a certificate or competency and license to practice in this field, for example from the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBLCE).
In Indonesia itself, lactation consultants usually practice in hospitals. Some hospitals have lactation consultants as part of the medical staff to assist breastfeeding mothers.
In addition to hospitals, lactation consultants can also be found in maternity clinics, doctor's offices, or independent practices. Lactation consultants can also give breastfeeding classes to pregnant women.
In essence, a lactation consultant is a he alth expert who can help with various problems during breastfeeding. Therefore, if you have difficulty breastfeeding, don't hesitate to immediately see a lactation consultant, so that your complaints can be handled as soon as possible.
