Hello everyone!!  I have been lacneting for way over a year now, and everytime
I wanted to introduce myself I found getting bogged down in mail but now I am
all caught up . . . so here it goes.  My name is Yvonne C. Bannister I am a
CBC, LLLL, and an IBCLC (recent 1997).  Prior to all of this I was a
Biochemist from Texas A&M University (made famous amongs our circle by our own
Kathy D.).  My husband Roy is a Toxicologist also from TAMU where me met and
fell in love. We have 2 boys (5 & 2 years who continue to nurse) and a little
girl due in May.

I am glad to note that there is now an organization that is willing to follow
and help one who is interested in becoming IBCLC.  I know when I was looking
at gaining clinical experience I wrote several letters and spoke to a few LC
and received only one response.  Unfortunately this LC was not doing any home
visits, but did come to 2 of my own and was a tremendous amount of help as a
learning resource for me.  I had another recent IBCLC who was in the same area
as myself and although I made myself available according to her schedule to
accompany her in some home visits, she never called me. However, I was very
privilaged to accompany an IBCLC/home visiting nurse in a lot of her visit
which included both baby-well visits and LC visits, what a wonderful
experience. I strongly feel that having a hands-on walking home visit with
IBCLC is a very important part of being IBCLC and should be a requirement to
sit for the exam!

I have had some wonderful experiences working with Spanish and Teenage moms
and I truly love what I do.  I also enjoy teaching breastfeeding classes and
training counselors-to-be.  I am currently working on certification as a labor
assistant and a childbirth educator.  I look forward to helping many, many
moms and to working closely with many of you.  Lacnet is a wonderful resource
of information and support.

See ya,
Yvonne

Yvonne C. Bannister, IBCLC
Private Practice/Baby's BestFeeding
"A mother holds her baby . . . who holds the breast and gets the best"