In a message:

<<Will LCdom become an ICEA (non-RNs and non-medical approach) and ASPO (RNs
and other licensed individuals and highly medicalized approach) who really
don't talk much to one another?  I surely hope not.>>

A couple of years ago, during the nurses report on the status of the
breastfeeding babies on the unit, the nurse said I did not need to see one of
her patients as this mom had breastfed her five other children and was having
no problems. The nurse also mentioned that the only reason this mom had a
hospital birth was due to a high risk factor, three of her other babies had
been born at home. I was too interested not to stop in and have a chat with
this mom. We talked for quite a while about labor and birth, home -vs-
hospital. We had such similar, most often the same, opinions, beliefs, and
philosophy. She then told me she was in fact a long-time Bradley instructor.
She was then surprised to hear that I was a ASPO/Lamaze instructor.

I do know ICEA instructors who are RNs, and I work with one. I had not noticed
us as having different philosophies of childbirth.

The LLLI conference in Washington DC last July had a session titled "A
comprehensive look at childbirth methods", with the Hathaways AHCC, and
Roberta Scaer, ASPO/Lamaze.

Maybe prepared childbirth philosophies are becoming more similar?

Deb

Deborah Tobin RN BSN ACCE IBCLC
Springfield, VA