IBCLC and lactation consultants: what they do, and where to get breastfeeding help in Singapore

IBCLC stands for International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, a breastfeeding specialist who has passed the exam set by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBLCE). A lactation consultant helps with latch problems, sore nipples, low supply and pumps. In Singapore you will meet lactation consultants and lactation nurses on the postnatal ward and at hospital clinics, and some IBCLCs work privately.

What the IBCLC credential means

IBLCE, the international board behind the title, set up the IBCLC programme in 1985 and says there are now over 39,000 IBCLCs in 137 countries. It describes them as members of the maternal and child health team who give breastfeeding care and refer families on to other professionals when needed. Cleveland Clinic notes that the credential comes from passing the IBLCE exam after extensive education and training.

Not everyone who helps you breastfeed holds it. Singapore hospitals use titles such as lactation consultant, lactation nurse and lactation support nurse. IBLCE's own advice is to check whether your provider is an IBCLC, so ask if it matters to you.

What a lactation consultant helps with

Cleveland Clinic lists the common jobs: finding comfortable positions, getting a better latch, reading hunger cues, raising or lowering supply, checking weight gain, weaning, planning your return to work, and expressing by hand or with a pump.

At a visit, expect them to go through your health history and your baby's records, watch a whole feed, check that your pump fits and show you how to tell your baby is getting enough. It helps to bring notes, since a day or two of feeds and nappies logged in our newborn feed and nappy log gives them real numbers to work from.

Lactation help in Singapore

• KKH: lactation consultants and lactation-trained ward nurses help on the ward. After you go home, the Lactation Clinic sees mothers in person or by tele-consultation. Call 6225 5554 and ask the operator for Lactation Services.
• SGH: the lactation clinic at the O&G Centre runs on weekdays from 8am to 4pm, with lactation nurses who assess latch, supply, engorged breasts, blocked ducts and mastitis, and SGH says fees apply.
• NUH: a lactation hotline on 9722 0376. Its Breastfeeding Triple Support programme carries help on to National University Polyclinics, where lactation support nurses handle common problems and lactation consultants take the complex ones.
• Breastfeeding Mothers' Support Group (Singapore): a charity of trained volunteer counsellors on 6339 3558, which refers mothers on to IBCLCs and doctors and keeps an IBCLC directory on its website.

When to see a lactation consultant

Early, and before you are exhausted. KKH's lactation team says breastfeeding should not be painful, that a poor latch is the most common cause of pain, and that you should get help as soon as possible. Cleveland Clinic says the first few weeks are when support is needed most.

Other good reasons to book: a baby who feeds all day and night after the first week, worries about supply, painful engorgement, or a blocked duct that will not clear. SingHealth's HealthXchange advice is to see a lactation consultant if a blockage or mastitis has not cleared after you have tried several feeds and cold compresses. If part of your breast is red and painful, or you feel shivery or feverish, KKH says to seek medical attention or call a lactation consultant immediately.

Frequently asked questions

What does IBCLC mean?

International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. It is the credential IBLCE awards to breastfeeding specialists who pass its exam.

Is a lactation nurse the same as an IBCLC?

Not always. Hospital teams here include lactation nurses as well as lactation consultants, and IBLCE suggests checking whether your provider is an IBCLC. NUH's polyclinic programme uses lactation support nurses for common problems and lactation consultants for complex ones.

Do I have to pay to see a lactation consultant in Singapore?

Usually, for clinic visits. SGH says fees apply for services and consumables at its lactation clinic. Ask the clinic for the current fee when you book. The BMSG counselling line is run by volunteers.

Can I see a lactation consultant before my baby is born?

Yes. Cleveland Clinic says you can see one while pregnant, right after birth or months into breastfeeding, and SGH's lactation nurses teach mothers from the antenatal stage.

Related terms

• Latch: How your baby attaches to the breast to feed. A deep latch takes in the areola as well as the nipple.
• Expressing (Pumping): Taking milk out of your breasts by hand or with a pump, so your baby can have it later.
• Engorgement: Breasts that are overfull, hard and painful, most often in the first days after birth as your milk comes in.
• Mastitis: A painful, inflamed patch of breast, often infected, with fever and chills. Common in the first months of breastfeeding.
• Cluster Feeding: When your baby feeds again and again over a few hours, usually in the evening. Normal, and it builds supply.
• Colostrum: The thick yellow first milk your body makes in the first few days after birth.

See every term in the glossary