Breastfeeding Support: Finding the Right Person to Help You

Breastfeeding is one of the best gifts a mother can give both to herself and her child.  Its benefits to the child are incomparable to any other supplement and it also gives a foundation of good health that no other food can provide.  As for mothers, breastfeeding has been shown to provide benefits to her health as well - one of which is lessening chances of certain cancers.  Truly, breast milk is the perfect food, and breast is best!

(Related: Moms Benefit from Breastfeeding Too, Not Just Babies)

However, as many breastfeeding mothers would know, breastfeeding comes with its own set of challenges.  Many times, breastfeeding and extended breastfeeding fails when the mother is not given the proper education and the support system she needs to face problems and challenges as she goes through her breastfeeding journey. This is the reason why it is important to have people in the know to help in starting, maintaining and extending breastfeeding, such as Breastfeeding Counselors and Lactation Consultants.

I had the honor to have a chat with a Nanay Nona Andaya-Castillo, IBCLC, one of the few Lactation Consultants here in the Philippines. She was able to shed light on the differences and roles of her profession, as well as that of Breastfeeding Counselors.

Nanay Nona shares that both Lactation Consultants and Breastfeeding Counselors are important in helping mothers succeed in breastfeeding. Breastfeeding Counselors are usually people of two types; one of which are mothers who have had success breastfeeding and breastfeeding advocates that provide peer counseling based on some trainings and experiences they have had, while the other type consists of health workers and social workers that are trained to educate mothers and soon-to-be mothers about the proper ways, advantages and other topics concerning breastfeeding.

(Related Video: Breastfeeding 101: What You Need to Know to Get Started)   

Lactation Consultants, on the other hand, are usually people with a medical background, such as doctors or nurses,  though it is not always the case. Nanay Nona, for instance, terms herself as a ‘lay person’ Lactation Consultant. It takes a lot of years of learning, certification and experience to become a Board Certified Lactation Consultant thus there are only a handful here in the Philippines and re-certification exams are done every five years to make sure that IBCLCs are always updated on the latest researches and advancements. Abroad, IBCLCs are vital members in institutions and hospitals for sharing their expertise with new breastfeeding mothers and handle more complicated breastfeeding cases like babies with cleft lip/palate and the like.

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Here in the Philippines, Lactation Consultants not only provide this service; they also remain in the forefront when in comes to advancing laws and awareness of breastfeeding in the country. They are constantly learning and working with the government and are a great help in making a difference.

As mentioned earlier, both Breastfeeding Counselors and Lactation Consultants play important roles in educating mothers and increasing awareness about breastfeeding.  Breastfeeding Counselors usually do not charge fees for their time and their services (or only minimal, if at all). As for Lactation Consultants, fees are higher because of their skill and know-how in the field.  Nanay Nona mentions that for herself, her basic fee is about P2,500 per 4-6 hour session, excluding transportation. She stresses that it is important to be with both mother and child for at least this amount of time to be able to observe the interaction between mother and child and see the problem areas, adding that sessions may take this long so as not to disrupt the natural rhythms of the baby. Abroad, IBCLCs charge about $85 per hour.

Knowing that there are people to turn to when breastfeeding gets tough is such a comfort. Nanay Nona just advises that mothers seek education even before giving birth and learn what they can to assure successful breastfeeding. She also advises mothers with difficulties to seek help early on and not wait until problems are more difficult to solve.  

Nona Andaya-Castillo IBCLC is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, a freelance Family Health Counselor, the Co-Director of the Philippine Lactation Resource and Training Center, and Founding Director of Nurturers of the Earth.  She may be contacted through mobile number 0919-8395555. For more information, visit the Breastfeeding Philippines website. 

Photo from Nanay Nona's Facebook page