This is a wonderful thread and I'm enjoying reading everyone's thoughts
on this topic.  I sent my thoughts on the proposed new credential to
IBLCE and I hope they are serious about doing this.  I'll tell you why.
Like some of the posters have shared, we also have allied health
professionals, mostly in the WIC program, who are obtaining the IBCLC
credential because they have been mandated to have one in each office in
the state.  While it is encouraging that WIC is taking breastfeeding
support seriously and they have done much good in the state, there are
some among their newly credentialed who did not actually spend the hours
counseling breastfeeding mothers that they claimed on their application,
but included all the hours they work in the clinic, of which many are
spent with non-breastfeeding moms.  I encountered one such staff member
when she delivered at the hospital I worked at.  She told me she knew
about breastfeeding because she had to help moms at the WIC clinic she
worked at.  However, this was her first baby and she had switched to
bottle before 48 hours, for no good reason.  She just wasn't comfortable
with it!  I have also heard stories from reliable sources, of others
telling moms to use pacifiers in the hospital, as someone else
mentioned, so the baby wouldn't use mom as a pacifier (my own personal
*red* flag) and other unsupportive, uninformed similarly detrimental
things.  Their heart just isn't in breastfeeding.  As someone said, this
was a career move.  This threatens our credential.  I would like to see
a separate credential for this type person.  They do need breastfeeding
education to help moms, but do they really all need what we consider the
IBCLC to be; namely someone who can help with the most complicated
breastfeeding problems?  I think the qualifications should be more
stringent and "provable", but I agree it shouldn't be limited to just
RN's (though that is why I became one 15 years ago!).  I regard this
issue as a critical one to our profession: the protection of the
integrity of the certification.  If we are to be the gold standard, we
must all attain a minimum level of expertise (not just knowledge; even
doctors have to go through a residency before they are "let loose" on
the public) and be held accountable for our practice.  Else we risk
becoming an empty credential.  

The encouraging thing is that these are the growing pains of our
profession and not unexpected or unprecedented.  (As an example, RN's
can get a 2 year and/or a 4 year degree. Though both provide the same
bedside care, often those with the 4 year degree look on their job more
as a profession than just a job and pursue educational opportunities to
a greater degree.  LPN's are also nurses, with less education than 2
year RN's and therefore, a lesser scope of practice in the hospital or
community.)  I applaud the IBLCE and ILCA for how far we have come
already.  Now it's time for the next step.

Marsha

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Marsha Glass RN, BSN, IBCLC~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mothers have as powerful an influence over the welfare of future
generations as all other earthly causes combined.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~John S. C. Abbot~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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