I thank Regina for her LACTNET post.  For 20 years, I have been pushing for exactly what she so eloquently wrote about. I am currently employed by WIC, starting out from the “other side” of the fence (my two children are WIC graduates) when they were 3 years old and a newborn, respectively.  My son is now 21.  My passion for nutrition and maternal health piqued my interest in the field and I have been working for WIC for nearly 18 years, becoming an IBCLC five years ago.  I have a MS in Nutrition, but alas, due to funding cuts, have been tossed around in a county health department, working in different education programs for the last 8 years.  For most of that, my IBCLC hours were allocated for 4 (yes, 4) per week. FINALLY, with special “extra dollars”, I am now able to work a whole 20 hours a week as an IBCLC in an area with a population of 100,000 (WIC caseload of 4,000) and I am the ONLY practicing IBCLC in the ENTIRE county.  It is not enough.  I should be seeing every WIC postpartum mom who is breastfeeding – nearly all are high risk (low income, first baby, have to go back to work at Wal-Mart in less than 6 weeks because they need the income, the list goes on and on).  I do not issue breast pumps for every mother who walks in the door. I sometimes spend up to an hour working with a new mom and baby who were discharged from the only delivering hospital in town–(which is not baby friendly by the way) and now has breastfeeding issues. The baby was given bottles and won’t latch on.  Mom is discouraged and pulls out the formula that came with the diaper bag.   

 I wish I could do more…..but not for free.  I have seen many moms on my own time. 

 The bright side?  On the Governor’s desk is a state bill that will require health insurance to cover the cost of referrals to an IBCLC (and rental of pumps).  He can either sign or veto in 3 days.  

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