Lactation Consultants: What Do They Do and Will You Need One?

No woman should every think, "It may or may not work out."  You should ALWAYS think that it WILL work, because statistically, you have less than a 3% chance of it ACTUALLY not working.

Most hospitals have LCs on staff who can help you before you're even discharged.  WIC has LCs.  You can go to LLL meetings in your area, or call them 24/7 for help as well.  Some insurance plans cover LCs, and through lots of different places, you can get their help for free.
So many more women would succeed if they would first, have FAITH that it WILL work like it's supposed to, not listen to horror stories and misinformed excuses from other women, and get help just like you would with anything else.  Education is key!

My issue was with pain when my daughter was born. I had a lot of pain for the first 14 weeks of my daughter's life. I went to the LC but from her point of view, everything was fine. My daughter was getting plenty of milk but it hurt. I was taking pain meds just to get through nursing (the pain meds I asked about and the LC said it was fine). Eventually though, when the pain continued, she told me that maybe I should start thinking about formula. I knew this was NOT an option for my family as my husband is VERY much against formula and I told her so. Unfortunately, I had to move on and find help from other sources. So LCs can be great but they can also be limited too so use them as a tool but ALSO talk to other moms who have breastfed ESPECIALLY moms who went over a year.

Janeen, plenty of women go to LCs who end up not helping.  Which is why just like if a trainer isn't helping you lose weight, a masseuse isn't loosening your muscles, you should go to someone else if your lactation consultant isn't helping you lactate! :)

I breastfed my first for 6 months before I finally couldn't take it anymore.  He was a sleepy nurser, coupled with a poor latch and flat nipples.  Every nursing session after day 3 or 4 ended with both of us in tears.  It was getting to the point where I hated nursing and resented my baby.  That's why I only made it to 6 months.  I wanted to give my son the best I could, but in the end I needed to take care of me, too.  Once we stopped, I became a much better, calmer, more patient mother for him.  We went thru several LCs and LLL leaders and no one could really help us.

I'd due with our second in early May and I really hoping to BF this one to at least a year.  I'm hoping and praying this one will at least latch better and maybe not fall asleep at the breast after 2 minutes.  Wish us luck!

Dd was a great nurser, bf'ing was easy--but then we got thrush, and couldn't get rid of it--my dr. was too busy to even see me--so my ped. was treating me and after one round of diflucan was convinced that i had a latch problem and sent to me to an LC--i talked to her on teh phone and explained the thrush thing and she asked how much diflucan i had been given, when i told her one pill, she didn't want to see me--she said they didn't give me enough, which i knew but couldn't convince them of that--so she faxed both my dr's the correct dosage of meds, and my ped called it in and that was the end of our thrush problem. --I went through 3weeks of hell in pain every time i  fed dd because i didn't get the proper meds. --So that LC was a God send.

I had a LC and she was the most amazing individual ever!  She took a stand against my family doctor for telling me I couldn't have a midwife (after I had him unfortunately) or birth at home.  She was there for me every time I called,  didn't matter the time.  She spent an entire day with me just getting my DS and I connected (not just by bfing),  encouraging me,  talking to DF about how to support me and baby and she even put the crock pot on for us so we'd have dinner!  I didn't end up being successful with it, totally my fault but she was amazing through it all.  She would have made an amazing midwife!

Keep in mind that lc's have pretty minimal training. They are often just nurses that wanted the 9-5 shift. You are better off seeing an IBCLC or LLL leader. They have dedicated their careers to helping nursing mothers.

I saw 3 LC's.  None of them helped me. 
They told me my son was nursing fine.  He wasn't; he was gumming, not suckling.  I had chapped & bleeding nipples, and both of us were having a horrible nursing experience.  The LLL in my area told me I was doing it wrong; and that my pain was worth my baby's nutrition.  I saw other nursing Moms & knew this was not the way nursing was supposed to be. 

By the time we figured it out (tongue tie), caught it & got the frenulum clipped, his bad habits couldn't be broken.  I ended up EP'ing (pumping & bottlefeeding breastmilk).

Not everyone has an easy time nursing.  It's OK.  There are people who will help you, you just have to find them.  And the solution that works for you might not work for everyone, but whatever makes you & baby happy & healthy in the end is the most important.

Squirrell, that's a shame, and that pisses me off.  If a lactation consultant doesn't help you nurse and solve COMMON problems, she shouldn't call herself a lactation consultant.

Like Tanya said, often some LCs are just "barely trained" nurses.  I wish they're actually require FULLY trained IBCLCs.