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Policies
- INTRODUCTION
 Breastfeeding is an instinctive survival behaviour which most mothers and babies around the world practise without any need for instruction. However breastfeeding is also a learned art and skill with proven benefits to the mother, baby, family and society. To assist mothers in learning these skills, Lactation Consultants function as members of the health care team to protect promote and support breastfeeding by:
- acting as advocates for and with the breastfeeding family, and strengthening family support for the breastfeeding mother;
- empowering mothers to make informed infant feeding choices;
- assisting women to successfully manage their lactation, thus enhancing maternal role satisfaction.
Lactation Consultants are linked to each other by their work, by the knowledge and skills they possess, and by the way they utilise these skills to promote and protect the health of mothers and their infants.
A profession's concern for the quality of its service is at the heart of its responsibility to the public. Guidelines for practice both assist in establishing and maintaining a high standard of practice, and promote professional unity by encouraging a common approach to practice. Lactation Consultants come from different backgrounds and professions, and practice in diverse settings. Guidelines therefore need to be flexible enough to allow for innovation and development of programmes best suited to individual consumers or communities.
- DEFINITION
A Lactation Consultant (LC) is a person who has been successful in the certifying examination conducted by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBLCE), or any future equivalent examination or assessment or certification process approved by ALCA.
- PHILOSOPHY
Lactation Consultants believe that it is the right of every child to receive human milk, and the right of every woman to receive accurate and consistent advice and support on lactation and breastfeeding. As with other basic human rights, which the LC will respect, these rights of the child and woman exist regardless of age, race, religion, disability, economic or social status.
- PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
The Lactation Consultant will:
4.1 accept, and incorporate into practice, the current ALCA Position Paper on Infant Feeding;
4.2 act as consultant and collaborator with health professionals and support groups interested in or involved with lactation issues;
4.3 liaise with other health professionals and services relevant to breastfeeding families;
4.4 act as an advocate for breastfeeding women wherever necessary;
4.5 evaluate and maintain the safety and effectiveness of infant feeding devices and equipment;
4.6 understand and promote the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes and the Australian Agreement on the Marketing of Infant Formula;
4.7 pursue continuing education relevant to Lactation Consultant practice, including reading current professional journals, and participating in workshops, seminars, inservice programmes, conferences and appropriate courses;
4.8 maintain and expand knowledge and skills through participation in related professional development activities;
4.9 undertake regular self-appraisal to review and evaluate own clinical practice;
4.10 recognise any limitations in their existing knowledge and skills and refer clients when necessary;
4.11 actively support and promote well-designed research in the field of human lactation and infant feeding, and base practice as far as possible upon such research;
4.12 demonstrate professional commitment by membership of appropriate professional organisations and support of one's colleagues.
- LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS
The Lactation Consultant will always:
5.1 make a clear statement regarding fees to the client prior to providing service;
5.2 obtain informed consent prior to assessment, any procedure, or the taking of any photographic material;
5.3 maintain confidentiality;
5.4 maintain records for the period of time required by the State or Territory in which the Lactation Consultant practices;
5.5 obtain written, informed consent from the client prior to the publication of any written or photographic material.
Wherever possible and necessary, the LC will maintain appropriate professional indemnity insurance.
- CLINICAL MANAGEMENT OF BREASTFEEDING
6.1 HISTORY
The Lactation Consultant will appropriately obtain and document:
6.1.1 the health history of the mother and infant
6.1.2 past and present lactation and breastfeeding history. This will include, but is not restricted to, details of:
- mother's perception of the problem;
- pregnancy and birth history;
- past & present breastfeeding experience;
- infant behaviour, including feeding, sleeping, crying, excretion;
- infant growth;
- current health of mother and baby;
- maternal and infant medication.
6.1.3 mother's emotional status and support network.
6.2 ASSESSMENT
The Lactation Consultant will:
6.2.1 utilise effective counseling skills;
6.2.2 practise safety, basic hygiene and infection control principles;
6.2.3 observe the interaction of mother and baby;
6.2.4 observe the mother and infant during a feed to assess the oral and interactional dynamics of the feeding process;
6.2.5 observe the infant while he is not feeding to assess general physical appearance and behaviour; 6.2.6 undertake comprehensive examination of the mother's breasts and nipples if appropriate;
6.2.7 undertake comprehensive examination of the infant's oro-facial structure if appropriate;
6.2.8 communicate to the mother the results of this assessment process.
6.3 PLAN
The Lactation Consultant will identify goals and develop a mutually-agreed plan of management for the client, based upon history and assessment. This plan, made in consultation with the mother, will provide for appropriate evaluation and follow-up.
6.4 IMPLEMENTATION
The Lactation Consultant will, where appropriate:
6.4.1 demonstrate procedures and techniques to the mother;
6.4.2 discuss with the mother the benefits and risks associated with any interventions and/or devices recommended and/or used;
6.4.3 use counseling techniques and communication strategies with mothers and significant others;
6.4.4 provide written instructions and information to the mother;
6.4.5 maintain accurate records of suggestions and care given to mother and baby;
6.4.6 seek permission to provide appropriate feedback to other health professionals involved in the client's care;
6.4.7 refer on to other health professionals, community services, and support groups, acting as a facilitator where appropriate.
6.5. FOLLOW UP
6.5.1 On completion of the consultation, appropriate follow-up arrangements will be made with the client. This may be to review progress or to implement changes to the care plan.
6.5.2 Records of the assessment and plan, and any modifications, will be maintained.
6.6. EVALUATION
6.6.1 Lactation Consultants are encouraged to regularly review their practice and maintain an appropriate record of outcomes.
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