How can a CLC help me as a new mom?

Megan Kammerud is a Registered Nurse and Certified Lactation Counselor in the Upland Hills Health Birthing Unit. Her passion is helping families grow and supporting new moms and babies through breastfeeding.

 

A CLC is a Certified Lactation Counselor. A CLC has demonstrated the necessary skills, knowledge, and attitudes to provide clinical breastfeeding counseling and management support to families who are thinking about breastfeeding or who have questions or problems during the course of breastfeeding or lactation.

Certified Lactation Counselors are here to promote, protect, and support breastfeeding and lactation and also solve breastfeeding problems. A CLC also understands that breastfeeding decisions are made by the mother, who may have values and goals different from a CLC. A CLC is there to help with support and meet the patient’s needs with recommendations and appropriate referrals if needed.

I chose to pursue my certification because breastfeeding has always been a love of mine, and I love standing by my patients and helping to get their baby nursing and on track before heading home. I want to be that support person for them to fall back on, in hopes that when times get tough they turn to me and I can help them trough and they continue to nurse.

Becoming a CLC requires 45 hours of training based on the World Health Organization/United Nations Children’s Fund Breastfeeding Counseling Training Course, a minimum 3 college credit course and then to demonstrate the competencies and skills required to provide safe, evidence-based counseling for pregnant lactating, and breastfeeding women. This also includes taking a written exam and a latch assessment exam.

At Upland Hills Health, we offer dedicated hours for moms to come in and get help with breastfeeding. Any mom, whether she delivered at Upland Hills Health or not, can call the unit at any time and schedule an appointment to come in and be seen, or call for advice and get a call back from us. Outpatient visits are billed through insurance, so we encourage moms to talk with their insurance company before coming to make sure they are aware if the will be charged out of pocket.

If a mom needs some help or advice, they can call us at 608.930.7139.