Initially I was on Lactnet for several years, took a break of a couple of
years, and recently re-joined:
I am an RN with 35+ years of Maternal-Infant and pediatrics background.
After some years solely in peds I set and met a goal to work in/become
experienced in all hospital in-patient Maternal-Infant Health departments. I
enjoyed working in a wide variety of out-patient perinatal settings also.
Locations were Jacksonville FL, Monterey/Carmel CA, San Diego CA, back to Jax,
then the DC area. In the mid 1980's I learned about being an IBCLC during my
work with the Childbirth Education Department of a large regional hospital
system in Northern Virginia. One of my earliest roles in that job was to
facilitate expectant and new parent breastfeeding classes taught by JoAnne
Scott.
My first LC job was at 'Columbia Hospital for Women' in DC, (originally
opened in 1866 as a health-care facility for wives and _widows_
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Widow) of _Civil War_
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Civil_War) soldiers.) Fascinating work with a most diverse and unique
population. For the large Northern Virginia hospital system, during my 20
years as an IBCLC, I had various LC roles in 3 hospitals including bedside
consults and perinatal education: staff education - nurse and medical, and
expectant/new family education.
My longest stint during that 20 years was in the system's largest hospital
which had a birth rate average of 30 babies daily/10,000+ a year. That
means running full speed most all day seeing moms and babies in various units.
Highlights would be designing and initiating an expectant parents' Baby
Care Class for this hospital system, chairing a committee that worked to
integrate lactation services across the system, publishing an article "A
Breastfeeding Evaluation and Education Tool" (one page tool with brackets) JHL
12:47-49, 1996, and moving from facilitating the hospital systems' New Moms
Support Group which was held off campus, to creating and facilitating the
'Breastfeeding Moms Group' which was and still is held (last I heard) on one
of the Family Centered Care units.
A few years ago, near the 20 year mark, even though I actually enjoy test
taking, I decided not to spend money to entry level re-test after such long
and active duty. I decided to take a break from LC work to have all
weekends and holidays off footloose and fancy free so hubs and I could drive all
over creation to watch our youngest compete as a mid and longer distance
runner for the U of Tennessee.
I would be happy to be re-certified as an IBCLC if I could do so by
spending money on continuing education credits.
Upon return to Lactnet I was relieved to see the appropriately critical
comments by new and familiar Lactnetters regarding that horrid mommy wars
video. Good to be back!
Debbie Tobin
RN, BSN, 20 yr IBCLC -> lapsed
Fairfax County, Virginia suburbs outside the Washington DC beltway
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