Newborn Map

When to call a lactation consultant

IBCLC for latch and milk transfer; pediatrician for the baby’s weight, jaundice, and fever. ILCA directory. No latch diagnosis from this page.

We are not pediatricians. This is not medical advice. Your pediatrician knows this baby.

An IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant) is a credentialed clinician for lactation. A pediatrician is the clinician for this baby’s weight, jaundice, fever, and illness. You often need both. We will not diagnose a latch from a paragraph.

Who does which job

CallFor
Pediatrician / after-hours / ER100.4°F under 3 months; will not wake; breathing; deepening jaundice; a weight plan you cannot follow
IBCLC (often with the pediatrician in the loop)Pain that is getting worse, not better; you cannot tell if milk is transferring; you want a pumping or combo plan that is not a forum recipe
BothPoor wets, sleepy feeds, and a parent in pain — enough milk is diapers + scale + a call, not a home protocol

The first pediatrician visit is still 1–3 days after discharge. Do not skip it because a lactation visit is booked Thursday.

How to find one

ILCA’s directory is the public finder. Hospital lactation on the ward is a start, not always a follow-up. Insurance coverage varies; we will not promise it. A DME site that sells a pump is not your IBCLC.

What we will not do

  • Score your latch from a photo
  • Tell you this is tongue-tie
  • Write a supplement recipe

When to call tonight

The baby. Then you: 988, 1-833-TLC-MAMA (1-833-852-6262), PSI.

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