Barbara Wilson-Clay - what wonderful courage. This is my sentiment
exactly. Maybe this is what I was groping to express when I wrote that I
believe it premature that IBCLC status be a requisite for voting
membership in ILCA. Honestly, I have never felt myself to be a "lactation
consultant" because I know of these huge gaps in my knowledge. I am,
however, *much* more knowledgeable than the OB nurses at my particular
hospital who are considered by the rest of the staff as the "lactation
specialists". I feel most comfortable with the word "counsellor",
probably because of my psych degree. Awkward thing is that the Hebrew
word for consultant and counsellor is the same word.
One correction for Barbara: I think it'll take much more than 15 years to
be accepted in my city, since I am the only LC (whatever that means,
anyhow!), and at this point in time, when I tell some doctor that I am a
breastfeeding counsellor, he says "a what? What do you DO?" Who asks a
doctor what he does? And who would ask a dietician, say, what s/he
*does*?
Yes, indeed, I agree with Barbara 1000%. I have utterly no
problem with "recognizing" Board certification as being the sine qua non
of this brand-new profession, but give me a break about the voting
business. I feel that ILCA is "my" organization and lactation counselling
"my" profession whether I am Board certified or not. If a resident in
cardiology is allowed to treat cardiology patients before he takes his
cardiology boards and is treated like a member of the cardiology
department staff, why will *the* association of LCs demand a
black-or-white situation of either having to be Board certified or
delegitimatized?
This is a big step and IMO needs much more thought, debate and time
before being put to a vote. Like Barbara says, we need more basic
definitions first.
Judy Knopf in Beer Sheva, Israel (a lot more politics than I'm comfy with)