I passed my IBCLC exam- Here's why you should care
Read time | 10 minutes
Woah, I get it!
It's a bit presumptuous to assume that you should care that I passed the exam to become an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC).
And maybe, despite my best efforts, at the end of this post, you will leave thinking, "Yup, really don't care about Shondra Mattos, IBCLC." But to get to that point, we need to answer the most looming question:
What is an IBCLC?
The acronym IBCLC stands for the title of International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. It is the highest level one can reach in lactation and is awarded by IBCLE ( certifying body), which is accredited by the NCCA.
But what does that mean?
Once one becomes an IBCLC, they officially become a healthcare professional and earn a spot alongside pediatricians, OBGYNs, family doctors, etc. as a member of the healthcare team. Specifically helping parents and babies with a primary focus facilitating lactation, breastfeeding, and safe infant feeding.
According to the most recent published data on the number of IBCLCs worldwide, there were only 31,181 in the whole world- 17,389 of which reside and practice in the United States.
Some countries only have 1, and many countries don't have any at all.
It seems that each year, roughly 1,000 people earn the title of IBCLC, so as of this writing on the last day of 2019, there are only about 18,400 IBCLCs in the US.
If that sounds like a big number, I can reassure you that it's not.
IBCLCs save lives
Just under 4 million babies are born in the US each year. World wide, that number skyrockets to 130 million babies!!
That amounts to roughly 1 IBCLC for 217 babies (US) or 1 for 4,039 babies (worldwide).
Let’s consider the following:
Breast milk is the optimal food source for babies and provides the best chance at avoiding short and long term health issues that can lead to death
Inadequate intake is an unfortunate situation some parents experience despite monitoring by their healthcare team most commonly in the absence of IBCLC support
Extended lactation confers long term health benefits to lactating parents
It's easy to see how the IBCLC plays a critical role in saving lives.
The odds are high that you or someone you know would benefit from the increased number of IBCLCs- more IBCLCs equals more top quality lactation support available for those who need it- so by gaining the title of International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), I increase the chance of improved health outcomes for someone you may know.
Who benefits from Shondra Mattos becoming an IBCLC?
But the reason you should care that I'm an IBCLC doesn't just apply to the general population. There are distinct benefits to you if you're a
Parent or expecting
Doula
an aspiring lactation profession
any professional or provider working with infant feeding in any capacity
Parents
As mentioned above, there are way fewer IBCLCs than parents and babies need, and not every city/town has a highly-qualified lactation/infant feeding professional available to join the healthcare team.
Before becoming an IBCLC, I set up my practice around virtual consultations, as I had identified gaps in breastfeeding support. Now that I am an IBCLC, the following changes allow me to better support parents in the following ways:
Increase in Scope
The scope of practice for an IBCLC is very different than any scope of other breastfeeding support professionals. As an IBCLC I can handle the most complex lactation and breastfeeding cases to include but not limited to
Preconception counseling regarding lactation and infant feeding
Inducing lactation
Breastfeeding infants with medical issues Endocrine issues causing low supply or oversupply
So whether or not you live local to me, and regardless of the complexity of your situation, I can help you on your journey.
Fun fact: IBCLCs are the only lactation consultants where it's in scope to provide a comprehensive, physical assessment of the breast/chest of lactating parents and the oral cavity of babies.
Insurance Billing
One of the biggest barriers to private lactation support is the fact that high-quality breastfeeding support is an investment- one that many people are unwilling or unable to make.
Though I am not yet in-network with any providers (something that I am working on), I can submit a superbill on your behalf so that you can get reimbursed.
With that said, because of the current climate regarding lactation support, reimbursement is not guaranteed. But by submitting a superbill, it affords the potential for you to recoup some or all of the cost of the visits.
Labwork Analysis
It sounds like a unique benefit to you, but if you have or are currently struggling with supply issues, having a knowledgeable IBCLC like myself review your lab work can provide invaluable insight as to the underlying cause. Some of which may be easily fixed.
I will be doing an in-depth post regarding underlying endocrine issues that impact lactation and what tests you should order to identify hormonal or nutritional causes of low/oversupply, but for now, know that I can help you with blood work lab analysis if you need it.
Oversight and Accountability
As an IBCLC, I am bound by the code of professional conduct, which is set by IBCLE. What that means is that there is a professional body that one can send formal complaints to, should I breach an expectation outlined in the document. That is something unique to IBCLCs in comparison to other breastfeeding support professionals.
As a parent, this will hopefully provide you with some reassurance that not only is there a standard I must meet, but also there is a formal body and process that one can take should I violate the code of conduct (which I would never do!).
I’m not an annoying, judgy, pushy or mean IBCLC
And doesn’t the world need less of them?
Doulas
I've written previously about how Doula training organizations fall short of adequately preparing doulas for providing breastfeeding support, despite doing their best at delivering breastfeeding training.
In short, the issue isn't as much with the quality of information but rather a time issue- even basic level support requires a deep understanding of the complexities of lactation and breastfeeding, especially when early, a proper referral is of utmost importance.
As a doula who trained with multiple organizations as both a birth and labor doula and who started with only the breastfeeding knowledge provided by the training, I have a unique perspective on where doulas generally lack in breastfeeding support.
In the upcoming months, I will be launching a doula specific breastfeeding support online training to help fill in the gaps so that each doula has the skills and knowledge to provide the best first-line support possible.
Aspiring Lactation professionals
There are two main things those that want to get into the field want to know: How to become an IBCLC and where can I go to get the knowledge needed to practice as an IBCLC.
For the former concern, there is a lot of information out there regarding the prerequisites to sit for the exam and explanations of the available pathways on nearly every social media platform.
In addition to the IBCLE website, Facebook groups like Want to be an IBCLC or Future IBCLCs of Color (a group exclusively for people of color) are a great resource to get that information.
A channel on Youtube called Nikki and Nikki covers the various pathways and provides guidance on what you need to become an IBCLC.
For full transparency, I have no desire to answer the "how to become an IBCLC" question. My interest lies in helping those already on a pathway to develop and grow their knowledge so that once they pass the exam, they have the tools and skills to provide competent IBCLC support.
It's a major complaint of many seasoned IBCLCs that the IBCLCs coming through the peer support pathways, specifically La Leche League and BreastfeedingUSA, fall short of reaching the expected clinical competencies expected and taught in other pathways.
Having gone through these same pathways, I, too, echo their concerns. Over the years, I have been on the self-initiated journey to ensure that I had the skills and knowledge to handle the clinical aspects of IBCLC, and I am proud to say that I don't have the reputation of an LLL IBCLC despite my origins.
My goal is to provide mentorship and additional coursework to aspiring IBCLCs of any pathway, but specifically the peer support pathways, so that as soon as you pass your exam, you can provide the level of care expected.
Now that IBCLE has approved Mentorship via Telehealth, I will soon be setting up a mentorship framework. Additionally, I will be announcing the coursework in the upcoming months.
Providers/ Infant feeding professionals
There's a hard reality that we all must acknowledge.
Until pediatricians, OBs, family doctors, and all other professionals who deal with lactating parents and human milk-fed babies fully integrate IBCLCs into their practice, parents, and babies with breastfeeding challenges will be missed.
One excellent resource for anyone who works primarily with dyads and infant feeding is a facebook group called Lactworld, which is a platform for peer-to-peer professional support with a focus on cases and clinical skills. With over 7,000 members is an invaluable resource.
But sometimes an extra pair of eyes on the whole case can be what is needed to find areas that may be inadvertently missed, especially when challenges persist despite utilizing and implementing all of the usual and proven tools.
Case reviews are a great solution- real-time and quick brainstorming session(s) that can identify new areas to explore, refine knowledge, keep up to date on the latest studies you may have missed, etc.
Nearly every provider can benefit from the occasional case review, and it's something that I am so happy to now be able to offer as an IBCLC.
If you've made it this far and you have yet to find a single point that piqued your interest or if you still feel as though you don't care, the last reason I think everyone, including you, should care that I passed my IBCLC exam is because
It was a lot of freaking work!
And only heathens don't appreciate hard work.
Jk.
But seriously...
I am proud to join the IBCLC club, and I hope that you are proud of me too.
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