Lactation Consultant

Merrimack Health; Lawrence (MA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Lawrence General Hospital is seeking a Lactation Consultant to educate patients and families about breastfeeding, develop policies to protect and promote lactation, and advocate for breastfeeding as the standard of child nutrition. The role provides evidence-based lactation care from preconception to weaning across maternity, labor and delivery, NICU, and pediatrics units.

The consultant will collaborate with other health professionals to share current lactation knowledge, offer emotional

Qualifications

• High school diploma required; Bachelor’s degree preferred.
• IBLCE certification/exam required.
• BLS required at hire; NAS to be completed during orientation.

Responsibilities

• Educate women, families, health professionals, and the community about breastfeeding and lactation.
• Develop and promote hospital breastfeeding policies to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding.
• Advocate for breastfeeding as the child-feeding norm and provide holistic lactation support from preconception to weaning.
• Provide lactation services across hospital units—primarily maternity, labor and delivery, NICU, and pediatrics.

Skills

Teaching facilitation

Cross-cultural communication

Emotional support

Education

High school diploma

Bachelor’s degree preferred

IBLCE certification

BLS certification

NAS during orientation

Job description

As the Lactation Consultantat Lawrence General Hospital, you will beresponsible for educating women, families, health professionals, and the community about breastfeeding and human lactation; facilitating the development of policies which protect, promote, and support breastfeeding; acting as an advocate for breastfeeding as the child-feeding norm; and providing holistic, evidence-based breastfeeding support and care from preconception to weaning for women and their families.

Encourage informed decision-making about infant and child feeding; display sensitivity to the learner’s culture; provide positive feedback and emotional support for continued breastfeeding, especially in difficult or complicated circumstances; and share current evidence-based information and clinical skills in collaboration with other health care professionals. The Lactation Consultant will provide services on any unit in the hospital that is necessary – primarily maternity, labor and delivery, special care nursery and pediatrics.

Requirements

• High school diploma required; Bachelor’s degree preferred
• The current IBLCE requires: International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners.
• BLS required upon hire; NAS required to be completed during the orientation period.
• Minimum one year experience teaching/facilitation of lactation services preferred.
• Bilingual (Spanish) desired, not required.