As a La Leche League Leader, I was often frustrated with the fact that anyone can hang a shingle and call him or herself a "Lactation Consultant." With the training and experience I have received through LLL, I could probably do the same and provide better assistance than what is provided by many "LCs" out there. However, I could not do so in good conscience. I would not call myself a Lactation Consultant unless I earned the IBCLC credential. I simply do not have the experience with complicated cases to do mothers and babies justice.
I am shocked when a mother calls me after her consultation with an "LC" has been less than fruitful and I, as a lay person, am able to help her resolve the issue. Even worse are the situations when a nursing dyad are facing real challenges that require the help of an experienced IBCLC. When I ask these mothers if the LC was, in fact, an IBCLC, they often do not know.
I attended a breastfeeding class before the birth of my first child. The instructor made a point to tell us that anyone can call herself an LC, but only someone who has met stringent guidelines can use the term IBCLC.
I realize that there are many non-credentialed LCs out there who do excellent work. With the disappearance of Pathway F, it is harder for non-LLLLs, non-nurses, and individuals without a college education to qualify to take the exam. I am very sympathetic to their situation. Still, I agree with others on the list who have expressed concernt that the myriad of "initials" used by breastfeeding professionals confuse the general public. It waters down the profession when one can call oneself an LC without any training or certification. When I was a new mom, I had read everything I could get my hands on about breastfeeding and assumed that I could easilly help mothers as an LC. I figured the LLL accreditation process would be a walk in the park! I have a background in the biological sciences, and my mind holds on to information very well. Boy was I wrong! I learned more about difficult breastfeeding situations, as well as a ton about communication skills. I would have been
ill-prepared, despite the tens of thousands of pages I had read, to serve as a lay counselor before I went through the accreditation process.
It would be alarming to the general public if anyone who felt he or she was capabile of providing quality care could call themselves "nurses," "physical therapists," or "dieticians." Is our work as breastfeeding supporters (whether in a lay or medical capacity) any less important?
By the way, I am in no way trying to minimize what people like Certified Lactation Educators do. They do excellent work, and someone like a childbirth educator who also has a CLE may be able to provide a mother with excellent information about the normal course of breastfeeding. If more mothers in my community took a good basic breastfeeding course delivered by a good CLE, I would receive fewer calls as an LLLL!
Kellie Whitney
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