Lactation Consultant

Remote

💊 Health

A Lactation Consultant empowers parents to breastfeed/chestfeed their babies. They provide support, encouragement, instruction and education that allows breastfeeding people to overcome obstacles that make it difficult to start or continue nursing. When they perform the duties listed in a Lactation Consultant job description successfully, they contribute to positive health outcomes for new parents and their babies. Their work also directly impacts client satisfaction and can help employers grow through word-of-mouth referrals.

What does a Lactation Consultant do?

A Lactation Consultant, or Lactation Specialist, is a healthcare professional who provides support and education for people who are breastfeeding or chestfeeding their babies. Some duties you may wish to list in a Lactation Consultant job description include observing clients’ breastfeeding/chestfeeding techniques and offering advice on how to improve, maintaining accurate client records and leading breastfeeding classes, support groups and workshops.

Responsibilities

A Lactation Consultant should be able to fulfill various duties and responsibilities. The following are some duties and responsibilities a Lactation Consultant should be able to execute:

Supervising breastfeeding/chestfeeding parents and providing advice on how to improve their technique
Identifying the causes of breast/chest feeding problems and recommending solutions to address them
Educating clients about the benefits of breastfeeding, latching positions, methods of addressing nipple soreness and other issues and topics
Teaching clients how to operate breast pumps for expressing breast/chest milk
Leading support groups, seminars, workshops and classes related to breastfeeding
Referring clients to medical professionals and community resources as needed

Required Skills

A competitive Lactation Consultant will have certain skills and qualifications, including:

Knowledge of biology, anatomy, physiology, infant growth and development, nutrition, psychology, sociology and cultural sensitivity
Understanding of lactation, breastfeeding techniques and related medical terminology
Ability to use manual and electric breast pumps, feeding syringes, infant scales, bolsters and other equipment, tools and supplies for breastfeeding
Interpersonal and communication skills to build relationships with clients and advise them effectively
Observation and problem-solving skills to spot latching and positioning issues and recommend solutions
Organization and time management skills to manage client caseloads

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