Mid-Michigan District Health Department (MMDHD) would like to congratulate Angie Martin, Registered Dietitian, who recently passed the International Board Certified Lactation Consultant exam. She is only the second person to have the certification in MMDHDs three-county district.
To be eligible to take the test, Martin needed to accumulate 1,000 breastfeeding client contact hours in the past five years, have 45 classroom/conference hours focused on breastfeeding, and possess a minimum of a bachelor’s degree.
While Martin took the exam on July 25 in Livonia, she had to wait until October 28 for her results. “Waiting for the results was hard; receiving this certification has been a personal goal of mine for quite some time and it’s such a relief to have actually accomplished it,” she said. Martin went on to say that even though she feels she knows quite a bit about breastfeeding, the certification confirms it and makes her more confident with the information she provides clients.
When it comes to breastfeeding, Martin feels the more clients know about the topic while they are pregnant, the better prepared they will be to breastfeed successfully. “When you know what to expect, things tend to go more smoothly,” she said.
Martin also feels it is important to help educate health department staff in an effort to support breast feeding moms. “We’ve known for a long time that breast milk decreases infections, and helps decrease diabetes, SIDS, colon cancer, colitis, allergies, and asthma,” she noted. “We’re now learning that breastfed babies also have higher IQs, better vision and better gross motor skills than formula-fed babies. The best part is that 98% of women who want to breastfeed are able to, and it’s free, so whether you are rich or poor, you can give your baby the best start in life!”