My dh found a short article in the Chicago Tribune Magazine today entitled
"Mother's Helpers" about the 10th annual meeting of ILCA which "drew 1,000 to
the Chicago Hilton and Towers July 8-12".
While on the main, it was a good, albeit short, article, this is the piece
that distressed me:
".....of this "organization of *nurses* (emphasis mine) who advise women
about breast-feeding (sic).
It went on to say that "Most of the ILCA's members are either hospital and
public health nurses or nurses in private practice."
It makes me sad to think that ILCA is known as an organization of nurses.
It gives short shrift to the many excellent non-nurse IBCLCs -- many of whom
were primary in starting the organization and the profession.
Of course, when the IBLCE itself identifies the IBCLC credential as an "add
on" for -- well here, this is what they say:
"The IBCLC credential is primarily an add-on qualification which brings
together health professionals and mother support counsellors, who share a common
knowledge base in human lactation. Among those who become IBCLCs are midwives,
nurses, health visitors, child health nurses, physicians, pediatricians,
obstetricians, educators, dietitians, occupational therapists, physiotherapists
and experienced mother support counselors."
(_http://www.iblce.org/role.htm_ (http://www.iblce.org/role.htm) ) then it is no wonder that people who
write for publications such as the Chicago Tribune are a bit confused about who
we are and what we do....
I've never thought of my IBCLC as an "add on" to my RN. In fact, when
people ask what I do, I identify myself FIRST as a lactation consultant.
Occasionally I might add that "oh yes, I'm also an RN and have worked in some aspect
of maternal child health since Hector was a pup...." (For you youngun's,
that means a LONG LONG time.).
I was hoping our goal was to move to the IBCLC being a primary credential,
not an add on.
Evidently I was wrong.
Jan Barger, RN, MA, IBCLC/RLC
Wheaton IL
_www.lactationeducationconsultants.com_
(http://www.lactationeducationconsultants.com)
_http://motherofbridebyJan.blogspot.com_
(http://motherofbridebyjan.blogspot.com/)
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