Hurray! I have achieved a certification and a title of an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). My full name became a bit longer: Anna Strumba MD, FAAP, IBCLC.
One may wonder, “why would a doctor want to become a lactation consultant?” In my work as a pediatrician I frequently have to take care of the babies that are breastfed. In fact, in most situations that means to take care of both: baby and mother. For the baby to be growing and thriving, the mother has to know how to latch and nurse in a proper way. She also needs education on nipple trauma prevention and increasing and maintaining her milk supply. Sometimes all the mother needs is support and reassurance. Sometimes she may have to be treated for cracked nipples, engorgement, or low milk supply. If these problems are not addressed in time, they will lead to failure to breastfeed, failure to thrive in a baby, depression and sense of guilt in a mother. The knowledge that I acquired becoming a lactation consultant helps me to take better care of my patients.
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