Lovelace lactation consultants are champions for breastfeeding

A lactation consultant with an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) credential is a skilled health care professional who specializes in the science of human lactation (breastfeeding), and in the assessment of breastfeeding women and their babies. They are champions who support and advocate for breastfeeding in their communities and part of their role includes promoting and shifting breastfeeding back into the norm for infant feeding.

Breastfeeding is not always easy and when challenges arise, IBCLCs are the experts. They teach breastfeeding classes, provide breastfeeding assistance as needed and work with communities to improve the health of mothers and their children. IBCLCs also provide support and education to medical staff with up-to-date evidence-based practice. Qualified IBCLCs act as coaches and guides to nursing staff, provide valuable feedback and input to providers and can be a beacon of relief and/or hope to moms who struggle with, or question, breastfeeding choices.

Lovelace Birthing Centers have lactation support at all of our locations and IBCLCs can be found at Lovelace Women’s Hospital and Lovelace Regional Hospital. Lovelace Women’s Hospital also provides outpatient lactation services for our families.

The Lovelace Women’s Hospital Lactation Services team includes:

Terry Paez RN, IBCLC has been an RN for 30 years and 27 of these years have been with Lovelace Women’s Hospital. She became an IBCLC nine years ago to continue her passion for maternal child nursing after 21 years in Labor and Delivery.

Sue Shafer RN, IBCLC has been an RN for 30 years and with Lovelace Women’s Hospital for 17 years. Sue became an IBCLC six years ago.

Jodi Haberstroh RN, IBCLC has been an RN for five years and an IBCLC for just under two years. She is our PRN lactation consultant and sought out IBCLC certification after becoming a breastfeeding champion as a post partum nurse at her previous place of employment.

Devan Sande, RN has been a nurse for two years after having worked as a volunteer doula and breastfeeding support volunteer. She also teaches families in our Prenatal Education Department and is completing her practice and education requirements to sit  for her IBCLC exam in 2016.

Natalie Swart, CLE and WIC peer counselor has been with Lovelace Women’s Hospital as an extension of her WIC duties for three years. She joined Lovelace Women’s Hospital as a Lactation Educator in 2015 to support our staff and family education projects. She is working on her bachelor’s degree in maternal infant feeding and plans to take her IBCLC exam in 2016.

Adrianna Brasel RN, IBCLC has been an RN for the past 18 years focusing on Labor and Delivery for her first 14 years. She became an IBCLC in 2014 and considers this an extension of her passion for providing guidance, support and encouragement to mothers and babies.

Jacque Sena RN, IBCLC has been a mother/baby nurse for 13 years and an IBCLC for the past four months. Jacque enjoys helping moms and babies work through the challenges of breastfeeding.

The IBCLC certification sets a high standard for practice with evidence-based knowledge to encourage and support breastfeeding and requires counseling skills and extensive training about lactation. IBCLC is a worldwide certification and is considered the ‘gold standard’ of lactation qualification.

Certification requires education in specified health science subjects, education in human lactation and breastfeeding and clinical practice providing care to breastfeeding families. One of the most commonly chosen pathways for nurses seeking IBCLC requires 90 hours of lactation education, 1000 hours of clinical practice and certification by IBCLC examination. Certification is held for five years and recertification can occur through 75 content-specific CEs or by examination. Recertification by examination is required at least every 10 years.

Lovelace Health System is proud to have current, future and former IBCLCs on our teams at all our birthing centers. For more information about breastfeeding support from our IBCLCs, or in your own community, please contact our Lovelace Lactation Services at 505.727.6797, or by email.