Jeanette asks whether, once a community is breastfeeding friendly, whether
there will be a need for breastfeeding specialists.

I've always felt that I should be trying to work myself out of a job. In
fact, I suspect a lot of us who certified early in the process thought we
might be able to do that fairly quickly. Ha, ha.

However, I DO think that once a community becomes more baby friendly (and
thus bf friendly) there is less need for specialists. (Although I think we
will probably always need people with expertise beyond the usual for those
particularly difficult situations.)

I also feel very strongly that if more communities had breastfeeding groups
like La Leche League and more women attended them, the need for specialists
would be much less. Women attending those groups are immersed in a baby
friendly, supportive atmosphere that really helps them get through the rough
spots, usually mostly on their own. Breastfeeding CAN be difficult at the
start, especially for women who've had little or no contact with babies and
families with babies. It's tremendously empowering for women to attend
meetings, see other women nurturing their babies, and hear from others how
they got through difficulties.

I still think peer groups are more important in a community than having an
LC, and that they are absolutely essential in a community that wants to be
baby friendly. I've always felt that what I can do one-to-one, as an LC, is
valuable, but not nearly as valuable as the ongoing support and strength
women get from other women who are peers, who are experiencing the baby
life, who are successfully breastfeeding. I'm not a peer any more, and I'm
one person--the group can have a huge impact on helping women adjust to new
motherhood.

So, Jeanette, I guess what I'm saying is that yes, there will probably be a
need for a few breastfeeding specialists once a community is truly baby
friendly, but that having a community full of "wise women" with successful
breastfeeding experience is a lot more important.

Leslie Ayre-Jaschke, BEd, IBCLC
Peace River, Alberta, Canada