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Tue, 22 Jul 2008 08:17:42 -0400 |
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Dear all:
I mean NO offense to the vast majority of IBCLCs who are RNs and work in hospitals ---
this is one important avenue for lactation. However, I have to admit that I am quite
shocked by how severe the imbalance is among IBCLCs. This SHOULD be a profession
that is balanced by meeting the needs of women BEFORE the birth --- even backing into
education of girls, DURING the process of birth which is a VERY short interval of time ---
and LONG AFTER birth which can be up to five years or more.
While we do provide clinical services, there should be AT LEAST if not greater emphasis
on prevention of problems and promotion of healthy infant feeding practices. I do not see
that in the statistics that follow:
74% of IBCLCs are RNs
6% are MDs
1% are LPNs
64% of IBCLCs are working in hospitals
3.5% are working in a physician's office
5% are working in private practice
Where is the community outreach in these statistics? If we are to ever succeed as
being more than just a profession that assists mothers in the first 3-4 days of their
infant's life, predominantly in a hospital setting, this huge imbalance needs to be
rectified. We need OTHER professions to enrich how we practice --- we NEED more
IBCLCs outside the hospital --- we NEED more than a medical model because so much of
breastfeeding is about interacting with the mother infant dyad and assisting them to
develop a healthy relationship to feeding.
We should have an active network of interaction between birthing centers, hospitals and
those who work with mothers BEFORE and AFTER the short window of the birth. Seems to
me the pyramid is upside down.
Best regards, Susan E. Burger, MHS, PhD, IBCLC
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