This bothers me - the idea that breastfeeding is "alternative medicine". Gee whiz. Like eating real food is an alternative diet whereas having a can of ensure and a handful of vitamins is the real deal. This is really getting to me. Where are all the dietician/nutritionists, etc. out there? There are definitely "alternative" nutritionists who push herbal supplements over real food here in the USA and say that real food is just not good enough because -- fill in the blank (you don't eat the right kinds of food so your milk isn't any good). Is anyone else out there as incensed by this ridiculous notion? I can understand if you have a physical problem that prevents digestion so you have to eat unusually to accommodate it (or you might die). Where is the common sense? It makes sense to change things when death is the alternative, but. To me, any other reason is ridiculous and just a product of easy times.
-----Original Message-----
From: Lactation Information and Discussion [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Lydia de Raad
Sent: Wednesday, July 22, 2009 1:04 PM
Subject: Re: CAPPA Lactation Educator Program
> If you are comfortable sharing with us, is there a reason you have
> decided
> *not* to go for IBCLC? I am curious to know how the IBCLC exam is
> perceived, by those who don't have it, but clearly have a demonstrated
> interest in breastfeeding promotion and management.
---Elizabeth, although I am not Nicki, I feel the need to answer your question for myself :-) I am a longterm (over 10 yrs) LLL-leader and have worked on many publications in Dutch, including the Womanly Art and the Breastfeeding Answer Book. In all those years people told me: taking the exam would be peanuts for you.........and if I didn't respond, the nex remark would be: so you would finally be a réal LC.
Well. That's what it is to me: I feel real already :-)
I don't know how it is in other countries, but in the Netherlands the LC is not a "real" (official registered medical) profession, it is seen as "alternative treatment", like homeopathy for instance. Nevertheless most LC's come from a medical background, i.e. nurses, midwives etc. I am not always enthousiastic about their counselling skills, but besides that I see and feel that LC's medicalize something that should be normal. If you have A Problem, you go to an LC. If you breastfeed, or are pregnant and want to breastfeed, you go to an LC. Eeeeeeeh........breastfeeding and problems are not in the same sentence to me :-)
I strongly believe in the connecting power of women in the same episode of their lives: mother-to-mother-support. I am not a great believer in HCP's telling mothers what to do. What is, unfortunately, what I often see in LC's. Here. I hope it's better elsewhere.
Lydia, LLL, Netherlands
~~~ The art of medicine consists in amusing the patient while nature cures the disease. - Voltaire~~
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