Nancy says,
> Along with the fact that IBCLC should be (and IS) a respected profession
> on=20
> its own, I feel stressing RN initials along with IBCLC further
> medicalizes=20
> breastfeeding.
>
>
I'm not sure that the IBCLC will be a respected profession standing on its
own until the education piece is worked out. While we have come a long way,
there has been no real change in educational requirements to become an IBCLC
since 1989. There are no mandatory college requirements (though a few
courses will be mandatory as of 2003, but they are not lactation courses).
There is no school that one can attend and receive an AD degree in lactation
consulting in the traditional manner. I'm not sure that any school could
support a lactation program as I don't think there are enough people
interested in becoming lactation consultants who are willing to attend a
residential college program for two years to become an IBCLC, though they
certainly would attend a four year program to become an RN, or a dietician,
or a computer programmer, or electrical engineer, or a physical therapist.
We have not gotten to the point where a school counselor lists "lactation
consultant" as one of the professions a high school graduate can aspire to.
I'm hoping we can get there some day. I'm not sure it will be in my
lifetime. When people call me about our lactation consultant preparation
program, they want to know, "Well, when will it be in MY city/state." "Oh,
that's too far for me to go. I can't be away from home/children/job that
long." "That's too much money for me to spend." Obviously that's not
everyone, as there are people willing to take the time and spend the money to
become IBCLCs. But it is interesting to see the responses of those who
"really, really want to be a lactation consultant".....but don't want to
spend any money to do it or continue with the education necessary to keep up
the IBCLC credential.
The professionalism of the IBCLC credential is not at all helped, of course,
by the various and sundry "certifications" that are out there, leading the
public to think that one certification is just as good as another.
I've been an RN for mumble mumble years...(nearly 35). I'm not about to
denigrate that in any way, though I don't practice as an RN any more. But
what I have done as a nurse has helped shape who I am as an IBCLC. If
someone asks me what I do, I tell them I'm a lactation consultant for a
pediatric practice w/ a very small private practice. Occasionally I will add
that I'm a nurse too. And sometimes, if they press me, I'll also add that I
have a master's in counseling. That too has shaped how I function as a
lactation consultant. I can't imagine being a lactation consultant w/o being
a nurse in MCH -- ONLY & BECAUSE I was a nurse first. And I was a nurse for
nearly 20 years before I became an IBCLC. It has nothing to do w/ nurses
being better IBCLCs because they are nurses -- or anything else. Everyone
who comes into the profession brings strengths, regardless of their
background. And I'm a wife and a mom and a mother in law and a grandmother
to two (presumably breastfed) cats. But mostly that doesn't come up.
Anyway, the education piece has a lot to say about whether or not the IBCLC
is truly a professional in the public sense of the word. Though I count
myself as one.
Jan Barger where it is time to call the hospital and see if I have any moms &
babies to see.
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