Several months ago, I posted to LACTNET about how I felt regarding the
medicalization of breastfeeding.  I also wrote about the disrespect I would
not tolerate from healthcare providers when we are providing care as team
members in the field of lactation.  IBCLCs have to be able to give our
clients correct information - anything less would be negligent, unethical,
dangerous, and possibly even criminal.  At that time, I expressed my concern
about the changes I saw in our profession since JoAnn Scott died and was no
longer at the head of IBLCE.  I also expressed my concern about the
organizational title that included "Breastfeeding Medicine" and I questioned
the practice of their board excluding IBCLCs who were not MDs (even if they
were icons in the breastfeeding community).  Although I think they have the
right to form their organization the way they want to, it would be collegial
to work with IBCLCs, especially since MDs already have an exclusive
organization in the AAP Breastfeeding Section.

My conclusion is that all of the above force me to think that I cannot
continue practicing the way I have for 30 years.  I will not follow the
Scope of Practice from IBLCE as it stands (it has not been rescinded, as far
as I know).  Will I give up my work, which I love?  No.  Do I appreciate RNs
and MDs who are knowledgeable about lactation and advocate breastfeeding?
Yes.  Do I want them to continue their efforts in supporting breastfeeding
and working in this profession?  Yes.  I never indicated otherwise; my words
were misinterpreted at the time.  All I wanted to do was to separate
MEDICINE from BREASTFEEDING because they do not belong together; I wanted
the SCIENCE behind BREASTFEEDING to be the important factor that we need in
order to support research-based breastfeeding practices.

Lee Galasso, MS, LLLL, IBCLC, RLC

 

 

The above message was prompted by what Jennifer Tow wrote on March 14, 2007:

I guess for me, the question is this--what will we do? Will RNs, MDs and
other HCPs stand beside those of us w/o those credentials and demand
complete overhaul? Do our fellow IBCLCs see the value in our broad range of
backgrounds and see that as something to protect or will they see it as
unnecessary? If we do not completely remodel our credentialing as well as
our marketing, IBCLC will never be an independent profession. I think we are
at a crossroads--IBCLC is an add-on credential grounded in the
medicalization of birth and breastfeeding, designed to serve the status-quo
or it is an independent profession, grounded in our obligation to protect
the biological norm and designed to serve mothers and babies.

 Jennifer Tow, IBCLC, CT, USA

 Intuitive Parenting Network LLC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: [log in to unmask] [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
Sent: Wednesday, March 14, 2007 10:47 PM
Subject: IBLCE

 

I think Gail is quite right in that there is certainly a benefit to an 

MD to be iBCLC. There may well a benefit to an RN, RD or other 

credentialed HCP as well, depending on what the employer values. But, 

the IBCLC itself cannot qualify as a credential, as much as most of us 

might have once thought it did. That, in my opinion, is not an accident 

of circumstance, growth or evolution--it is surely by design. As the 

profession grew, it was designed to make it much easier for HCPs than 

for anyone else to become IBCLCs . If it was meant to be a stand-alone 

profession, this would never have been done. If this profession was 

intended to stand on it's own, then anyone in control of credentialing 

would have designed qualifications that took into account the needs of 

mothers and babies and the broad range of backgrounds from which IBCLCs 

might come, rather than using nursing training as a foundation for 

building the credential. That having been done--there was no other 

possible outcome but the one before us now.

 

 

 

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