Jennifer said,
<<The whole idea of lactation consulting as a university degree program also suggests that many more people will become LC's, never having had or bf children. How might that impact on the profession? More medicalized? More theoretical? Less empathic, mother-to-mother?>>

I wanted to respond to this because I have known 2 wonderful IBCLC's who were unsuccessful at breastfeeding their own children.  Both were OB nurses who found, too late for their own use, the wonderful help of breastfeeding supporters.  One helped me 16 years ago with my own daughter, whose
breastfeeding problems I had not expected considering I had successfully and extensively, breastfed her 3 older siblings.  This lady took the first IBCLC given, with my encouragement as the local LLLL at the time.  I never asked her specifically, but I was told she was not successful breastfeeding
her own 2 daughters.  The other is a friend who sat the exam a few years ago, is as dedicated an LC as any, but was also unsuccessful breastfeeding her daughter, much to her sorrow.  I think it's great if a woman  who becomes IBCLC has breastfed children, but I don't think they should be
disqualified -or that they can't be as effective- if they lacked that experience.  There are plenty of moms out there needing help, to use everyone who is so inclined to dedicate themselves to giving that help, provided they obtain the knowledge and skills to do so.
Now, having said that,  she also said,
"<<there are requirements for counseling hours which serves to ensure the
candidate has "real experience with real mothers/babies" >>
With all due respect, these requirements have ensured nothing"
How true!  I happen to know that our state WIC has made an admirable concerted effort to certify counselors in every WIC clinic in the state.  This is an ongoing effort and has done much to promote and support breastfeeding among those clients.  However, I also understand that a few who are sitting
the exam are using work hours, not all of which are dedicated to helping breastfeeding moms, to meet this criteria.  I worked with a patient who repeatedly expressed serious doubts about her ability to breastfeed, gave a pacifier after being cautioned against it, and ultimately went home formula
feeding, who, I found out, was one of these counselors!  I agree there should be stricter criteria for meeting the requirements.
I think any laxness in the certification process makes my own certification more suspect.  While I don't want to make this a specialty that requires just book knowledge, not the counseling skills and such, at the same time, it IS a specialty.  We are called on to work with unusual situations and
physiologic conditions.  We are supposed to be THE EXPERTS, the one you call when normal things aren't working normally and I think that requires above and beyond knowledge and skills.  Same idea as going to a GP for check-ups and run-of-the-mill things like flu and UTI, but for more in-depth
problems and situations, you would consult a specialist.  Those situations come up unexpectedly in the hospital frequently-at least here they do!  I am still rankling over the NP who calls herself a lactation consultant-and has no credentials AT ALL in the field!  For us to make this certification
exclusive (in other words, you can't call yourself this unless you actually ARE certified), I think there have to be stricter, more formalized criteria.  Sure didn't mean to go on and on about this, but this is an area where I think we are weak, at least it is a legitimate reason any detractors
could nail us.  "Well, anyone can call themselves a lactation consultant".  Or, "well Suzi Lactation Consultant (who isn't certified, just calls herself that) told me ...(insert some phrase that is utter nonsense, or worse yet, harmful to baby, mom, breastfeeding or all 3.  This situation happens
here all the time!  For instance, this NP, passing herself off as a 'lactation consultant' told the mom of a sick baby, whose 3 month old was hospitalized, receiving supplements, she should stop pumping because at 3 months, her milk was down to about 7 -or 10 or something- calories per ounce and not
worth feeding the baby.  It also, she said, no longer had "white cells" in it, so was of no immunologic value!)." What does that do to our credibility as a profession?!
Marsha, who also has to say that my nursing skills have benefited me greatly in this business.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Marsha Glass RN, BSN, IBCLC
Mothers have as powerful an influence over the welfare of future generations as all other earthly causes combined.
John S. C. Abbot
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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