Why are hospital-based lactation consultants important?
Many women, if breastfeeding is not going well after the first 2 to 5 days after birth, will give up breastfeeding. Support, encouragement, and education the first few days after birth is crucial. Human milk is the normal food for human babies, and no formula has been developed that even comes close to breastmilk. Most women are able to breastfeed successfully with early, competent intervention if it is needed. The benefits of breastfeeding for infants are well-established. Breastfeeding also confers a number of advantages for mother’s short and long term health. Breastfeeding is considered a choice for individual families to make, but it is actually a public health issue. Breastfed individuals are healthier, more effectively avoiding viruses, infectious diseases, as well as chronic debilitative conditions like obesity and diabetes, in infancy, childhood, and adulthood. Breastfed individuals save billions of dollars every year in healthcare costs every year. Breastfeeding also saves co
