I just found out that our hospital ( the non supportive one that I've posted about) has contracted with the  RN who took the exam last year to become an IBCLC and she has an "exclusive" contract to do all the LC work with all the clinics,the hospital, private practice MD offices, etc. That's why I have not had any referrals or business in the past 6 months.
I have worked my butt off in this town for 18 years doing free phone consults, delivering pumps etc and this is what I get back?
And the clincher is that the chair of the OB/Gyn dept at the hospital/medical school is a past president of the Breastfeeding Academy of Medicine whose parents were very much leaders in early breastfeeding research and in LLL and he knows what my qualifications are and he signed the contract with this nurse!!!
I also found out that she is planning on opening a pump rental company. With the same company who has always assured me that they would protect "my " territory and yet has opened 2 other rental stations within 15 miles of my home recently.
I think what bothers me most is that an RN can document counseling hours as a Labor and Delivery Room nurse, take a 1 week workshop and sit for the same exam that I worked my but off and no one in the exam process ever checks to se if the counseling hours are valid.
Here I sit with several knives stuck in my back.

Barbara Whitehead, IBCLC
Eastern North Carolina

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