My name is Tania, and I am an IBCLC.

I love breastfeeding. I loved breastfeeding my kids, and I love helping parents breastfeed their babies. There is nothing quite like seeing a newborn root and latch on for the first time, or a 4 month old playfully smile at their mom just before they latch on. As babies grow older their nursing acrobatics can be both infuriating and funny.

The breastfeeding relationship between mother and child has its ups and downs, and doesn’t always go as expected. Some issues are small and easily worked through with some patience and been-there-done-that guidance, but sometimes moms need something more. This is where an IBCLC comes in.

An IBCLC is a healthcare professional who specializes in the clinical management of breastfeeding. An IBCLC is the only health care professional who is board certified in lactation management. IBCLC’s are certified by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners, Inc.

In order to become an IBCLC I had to clock over 1500 one-on-one helping hours with breastfeeding mothers, take lactation specific education, as well as pass the board exam.

As an IBCLC I have the extra training and expertise to help mothers and babies work through the bigger problems, the more unusual problems. I also help parents and/or health care providers understand what a normal breastfeeding relationship looks like and what is normal behaviour for a breastfed baby.

I have experience with helping moms breastfeed their babies from newborns to preschoolers. Breastfeeding is about so much more than food. It is a relationship that lays the foundation of a close, loving bond not only between mother and baby, but between the baby and the whole family. It is a relationship that teaches all those involved about nurturing, trust, and empathy.