Hello all,
As I've written before, I am a family medicine specialist with a special
interest in breastfeeding. I don't have any formal education in bf, but
I've read a lot, I'm keeping up with the medical literature, I'm in touch
with LCs and IBCLCs, and I've nursed my own 4 children, so far for a total
of 8 yrs. I get referrals From LLLLs,  LCs and from other MDs, and I feel
quite competent to deal with most problems, which usualy are simple enough
- mild jaundice, mastitis, wrong advice by others and so on. Of course I
don't know enough about the more complex problems, like the ones I read
about in LACTNET - poor suck, really low milk suply (after the simple
advice to nurse more etc.), severe sore nipples, and so on.
I would like to know the difference between LCs and IBCLCs ( I understand
there is a differnce) and whether you think that I should and could become
a LC. I saw some MDs also being IBCLC. Maybe it would be better to work
with a LC, like I work with a dietician, a physical therapist and so on. As
far as I know here in Israel  there is no official study program for LCs,
but I heard that you can study to be an IBCLC from abroad, but I don't have
any details.
In Israel there are very few LCs, and most doctors don't know that such a
thing exsists, and if they do know something, they usualy think that LLLLs
and LCs are all the same. I never heard of a doctor referring a mother to a
LC, even though there probably are some who did - if they have a LC in
their area who contacted them and explained. This is true even for the
really bf supportive MDs.
I would thank anyone giving me advice on the above.

Mira Leibovich, MD
Mira Leibovich, MD