I can understand where you are coming from. But those of us who work around tertiary centers where we are encouraging ALL mothers and babies to breastfeed, not just the ones where it is easy, need the higher level of expertise and care and personal assessment that comes from experienced IBCLC's. As a retiring consultant, I can safely say that one of the big needs is MORE expert care, not less for those cases. The first-line LE's (which is a better term to me than CLC), should be competent to help with simple latch, the easy management and early support, but they should also be competent enough to identify problems and refer on quickly, not allow a situation to devolve to where it is difficult to salvage. They should know the risk factors, the old yellow and red flags, to get things on the right track. IMHO. A good model is understanding the normal so well that the abnormal sticks out like a sore thumb. Just like good midwives do. There is no substitute for book learning sealed with hands-on training. My son is a welding instructor for the union here and his students are excellent because of this dual line of instruction. Lactation Consultants should be no less well trained. He says it takes 5 years to be minimally competent and 10 to be an expert in his field. It should be expected no less in ours. IMHO. 

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