Certified Lactation Counselors (CLCs) are members of your healthcare team who can provide knowledge and counseling about optimal and suboptimal breastfeeding. Family-focused CLCs understand that breastfeeding decisions are made by the lactating parent, who may have values and goals different from the counselor. CLCs assess breastfeeding using a multi-faceted approach, using counseling skills and techniques that are supportive to breastfeeding parents and their babies. The CLC strives to provide recommendations and appropriate referrals when a situation is beyond our scope of practice. In the community, the CLC works to increase breastfeeding rates, advocates for societal change in attitudes and behavior regarding breastfeeding, teaches breastfeeding classes, and assists parents in successfully breastfeeding exclusively and for longer durations.