One of a kind

Photo By Reese Brown | FORT BELVOIR, VA.-- (January 28, 2018)-- Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Talena Epling proudly serves in her role as a Belvoir Hospital board-certified lactation consultant, a rarity among enlisted service members. An International Board Certified Lactation Consultant is a health care professional who specializes in the clinical management of breastfeeding. Consultants pass a rigorous examination to receive certification, and work in a wide variety of health care settings including hospitals, pediatric offices, public health clinics, and private practice. The coursework takes approximately a year. (Department of Defense photos by Reese Brown)  

FORT BELVOIR, VA, UNITED STATES

01.19.2018

Courtesy Story

Alexander T. Augusta Military Medical Center

A Fort Belvoir Community Hospital corpsman earned a board-certified lactation consultant accreditation recently and is putting the knowledge to work in the hospital’s Pediatrics Clinic.

An International Board Certified Lactation Consultant accreditation is rare for enlisted service members and Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Talena Epling may be, perhaps, the only one.

“I heard I’m the only one, but there may be one or two others out there,” Epling said. “Even so, it’s a pretty rare thing, so I’m proud to have been able to accomplish [the certification].”

An International Board Certified Lactation Consultant is a health care professional who specializes in the clinical management of breastfeeding. Consultants pass a rigorous examination to receive certification, and work in a wide variety of health care settings including hospitals, pediatric offices, public health clinics, and private practice. The coursework takes approximately a year.

It wasn’t easy, Epling said, and going in front of the board was a grueling process. But, she said, it was a rewarding experience and now she hopes to use that knowledge to help the patients at Fort Belvoir Community Hospital.

Epling said she worked a variety of jobs before ultimately deciding to join the Navy at 28 years old. She said the Navy offered potential career and educational opportunities as well as the financial stability. She hopes to parlay her enlisted career into an officer career as a midwife. Earning the lactation consultant certification is another step towards that goal.

“I literally screamed” when she read the certification approval letter, she said. “I think I scared everyone in the room!”

The certification is also a boon for Fort Belvoir Community Hospital beneficiaries. The hospital currently has lactation consultants assisting new moms in Labor & Delivery, but Epling meets with moms in the hospital’s Pediatrics clinic. She said many moms don’t experience trouble breastfeeding until they get home. She said she is able to capture new moms returning to the hospital for their well-baby check-up.

“It’s so important to protect our patients and provide the highest standard of care,” she said. “I want to provide exceptional breastfeeding care to military members and their families, as well as the community. I am a breastfeeding advocate, even prior to becoming a lactation consultant.”

Epling said the moms she consults typically complain of pain during breastfeeding, or a lack of flow. She said it doesn’t have to be that way and, if it is, consult a lactation specialist.

Epling said much of her role is psychological. Whether it is chaos associated with returning home after delivering, hormones, or stress, Epling said she often plays counselor. She said the goal is to give mom the tools she needs to meet her own breast-feeding goals.

• Date Taken: 01.19.2018
• Date Posted: 01.23.2018 12:56
• Story ID: 262567
• Location: FORT BELVOIR, VA, US