Breastfeeding Influencers: When 'Likes' Replace Credentials and Marketing Replaces Science

When 'Likes' Replace Credentials and Marketing Replaces Science

Many mothers tell us they turn to Instagram or TikTok to find information. They are searching for answers, reassurance, community. And social media, because it delivers all of this, can be wonderful for breaking isolation.

But sometimes we are left speechless by what certain social media stars have to offer: self-proclaimed 'breastfeeding consultants' charging astronomical fees, self-styled experts in elastic nipples offering video consultations at €135 a session, or breast pump coaching programmes at €500 for healthcare professionals… no limits whatsoever.

And yes, the 'High Ticket' trend is the ultimate holy grail in marketing: you need fewer 'prospects'…

Welcome to the era of Breastfeeding 2.0, where influencers with nebulous backgrounds proclaim themselves lactation experts on the basis of seven months of personal experience and a weekend online course.

A world where public health becomes a lucrative marketing niche, and where legitimacy is measured not in years of clinical study, but in follower counts.

Breastfeeding Influencers: The Mirage of the Self-Proclaimed 'Specialist'

Not so long ago, breastfeeding support was found in midwives' practices, paediatric consultations, or through rigorously trained volunteer mother support groups, and gradually through IBCLC lactation consultants — a specialty still little known and unrecognised in France.

Today, the landscape has shifted. A new figure has emerged: the maternity influencer reinvented as a breastfeeding coach / lactation facilitator / breastfeeding support companion.

A young mother lives through a breastfeeding experience — sometimes difficult, sometimes idyllic. She becomes passionate about the subject. That is entirely human, entirely touching, and indeed that is how many professionals began their journey. But the shift occurs when she decides, without any medical or scientific background, to monetise that experience by transforming it into universal expertise. Naturally, as storytelling is the new marketing trend, it creates emotion, it goes viral, it attracts people, and it flatters the ego with thousands of followers.

Armed with nothing but her own mother-infant dyad ,a clinical experience of precisely 'n=1' , she begins dispensing highly technical advice.

She often relies on express training programmes found online, devoid of any academic recognition, lasting sometimes less time than it takes to watch a season of a television series. Armed with these 12 hours of unsupervised theory, she grants herself the right to diagnose, to prescribe (dairy-free diets, galactagogue supplements, pumping schedules), and to contradict board-certified breastfeeding professionals.

This is the Dunning-Kruger effect in action: the less one knows, the more convinced one is of possessing the truth. These new 'professionals' have precious little experience. But they have a camera, a ring light, and a captive, vulnerable audience.

The Cult of the Breast Pump and Overproduction

Social media abhors nuance but adores the spectacular. A mother breastfeeding her baby peacefully, without accessories, is visually 'poor' for the algorithm. But a video displaying freezer stocks of breast milk bags worthy of a milk bank, or a woman dressed as a mermaid dancing with mother-of-pearl shells in hand — that generates clicks.

These influencers have created a new industrialised and commercialised approach to breastfeeding: the conversation revolves around 'output', 'stock', and every conceivable accessory. The baby often disappears from the frame, replaced by the pump and all the equipment to be purchased. This staging has disastrous consequences: it normalises hyperlactation (which is in fact a potentially pathological dysfunction) and pathologises normal physiology.

The mother who produces 'just enough' for her baby — which is the biological definition of successful breastfeeding — feels like a failure in the face of these full freezers. She begins to doubt, to stress, and ironically, to compromise her own lactation through the anxiety generated by the very people who claim to be helping her.

We are also witnessing new trends, such as the now-famous 'elastic nipples'. A term virtually unknown to the general public five years ago, it has become ubiquitous on TikTok. Suddenly, every difficulty is explained by this anatomical peculiarity, diagnosed remotely on the basis of a photo or a vague description. The proposed solution? Buy a specific brand of nipple shield, from a specific partner, with a specific discount code. The circle is complete. (NB: four years ago, it was posterior tongue-ties.)

A Niche Market of 'Liquid Gold'

Behind the displayed benevolence, the emoji hearts, and the gentle appellations of 'Mama', lies a formidable business plan — devised by individuals without the competence to read and critically appraise a Breastfeeding Medicine study, yet decidedly well-versed in marketing. Breastfeeding has become a 'niche market', where personal experience is leveraged to sell online programmes at premium prices, exploiting the vulnerability of women in distress during the postpartum period.

Brands have understood this perfectly. Why pay for a television advertisement when you can send a €300 breast pump or a set of nursing shells to an influencer who will promote them daily? Lucrative partnerships with breast pump rental companies, herbal tea vendors, lactation cookies (whose scientific efficacy remains unproven), and dietary supplement companies are flourishing.

• 'You're in pain? Buy these nursing shells (link in bio).'

• 'Your baby is fussy? Rent this specific breast pump (20% off with promo code).'

• 'Worried you're not making enough milk? Take these capsules.'

Breastfeeding, which is by its very nature the most free and autonomous act there is, is being transformed into a costly practice dependent on a range of 'indispensable' accessories.

This is a commodification of women's bodies, orchestrated by other women, under the guise of sisterhood.

'I Know Better Than Healthcare Professionals'

Perhaps most concerning is not the marketing, but the rhetoric deployed to establish this artificial legitimacy. In order to position herself, the influencer disparages the medical profession and board-certified specialists.

One reads: 'Doctors are not trained in breastfeeding', 'Lactation consultants are not trained in breast pumping / tongue-ties / etc', 'I have helped 30,000 women (that is the number of her followers), I know what I'm talking about'.

We are witnessing a dangerous inversion of values, similar to what we observe in politics or around climate issues. Scientific discourse is not merely questioned — which would be healthy — but purely and simply denied in favour of opinion and commercial interest.

Having 50,000 followers now carries more media weight than a doctorate or an international certification.

Because a method worked for one influencer and her baby, it is elevated to absolute truth for the 50,000 women who follow her. This is a serious deviation. Breastfeeding directly concerns the health of the infant (weight gain, hydration, development) and of the mother (mental health, breast abscess, mastitis).

Providing medical advice without appropriate training is playing Russian roulette with others' health. When an influencer advises stopping a breastfeeding-compatible medication, or recommends against seeking medical attention for a fever on the grounds of 'managing it naturally', she is operating in a zone of complete illegality and irresponsibility. Yet unlike healthcare professionals, she has no obligation to produce results, no professional liability insurance, and no regulatory body to sanction her in the event of harm. And because IBCLC or DU-certified lactation consultants are not recognised by the Ministry of Health, she can even exploit the legislative grey area and use these titles to position herself as an expert.

Lactation Consultant: A Mark of Quality and Professionalism

Faced with this cacophony, IBCLC-certified Lactation Consultants and healthcare professionals holding a university diploma in Human Lactation observe the situation with growing dismay.

Why do they not fight back with the same weapons? Why do we not see healthcare professionals and breastfeeding experts performing dances on TikTok with breast pumps attached to their chests?

The answer comes down to a single word: Ethics.

A healthcare professional operates within an ethical framework: she has passed an examination to validate her knowledge, has completed hundreds (or thousands) of hours of clinical practice, has undergone rigorous theoretical training in anatomy, physiology, endocrinology, and psychology, has engaged in a reflective process regarding her personal biases in relation to her own breastfeeding history, and maintains a critical view of the current scientific literature. She abides by an ethical and moral code (for the IBCLC, this code is formally documented).

This code prohibits her from using her image or that of her patients for covert product placement. It prohibits her from promoting a formula brand or accessory in a biased manner. It requires her to respect the confidentiality and dignity of families. She has also learned not to present her personal experience as absolute truth, but to process it so that it does not compromise her professionalism.

The lactation consultant understands that every mother-infant dyad is unique. What works for one may be disastrous for another. She does not dispense universal 'tips and tricks' for viral content; she takes a full case history, observes a feeding session, assesses the baby's oral anatomy and the mother's morphology, and proposes an individualised care plan grounded in evidence-based medicine.

She engages in continuous professional development, reads the latest studies published in peer-reviewed journals, and regularly questions her own practice.

Enough of These Excesses

It is time to call a halt to this usurpation of competence.

And to reclaim our critical thinking. A follower count is not a qualification. Photogenic appeal is not a clinical competency. A personal experience, however intense, does not constitute medical expertise.

Breastfeeding is not a volume competition, nor an opportunity to sell accessories. It is a major public health issue and a fundamental biological and emotional bond. It deserves better than to be treated as a fleeting trend by digital marketing specialists.

If you are experiencing difficulties, close Instagram. Forget the influencers with their discount codes and miracle promises. Seek a certified professional whose sole interest is your health and that of your baby — not the engagement rate of her latest post.