Dear friends;

I have really enjoyed and appreciated the comments about LC credentials, and
nipple confusion, if I may use that term. I would like to address both
topics briefly.

As a student LC, and a LLL leader for eight years, I have had many calls
about a baby not wanting to latch on. Our local hospital declares there is
no such thing as nipple confusion, and the calls come in. It really is up to
the mother, don't you think, to decide how she wants her infant fed, and she
is the one who is responsible to be informed, and assertive to that
end....well, a bit of idealism here. I liked the early comment that there
was no such thing as nipple confusion, she had seen babies go back after
considerable time and effort on the mother's part. In that light, maybe
there isn't this confusion. There was a happy ending. This Lactnetter sees a
bigger picture, good triumphs over all. Sometimes we need to take a more
laid back approach, not get our nighties in a knot over this. There is just
so much we can do in a day, and it is one baby/mother at a time. Hopefully
there will not be a problem in this respect, hopefully the mother will be
very motivated (key element in our work), and the baby will soon be
breastfeeding on demand. We are there to lend information and support. But
sometimes, the ending isn't happy, and we are disappointed because we want
the gold standard  for the mothers and families we work with. Nevertheless,
we have to accept the not-so-happy ending. I have really enjoyed this
interchange between us, and thank all who contributed to the discussion.

As a student LC, who is near the end of my course, anticipating the day
when I can go out and make a home visit as a professional, and hopefully sit
for the IBCLCE in 1997, I also want the credibility from the medical
community in my region. It has been interesting to me to hear from you about
certification vs. licensing. Doesn't the government take away some autonomy
with licensing? We need to keep talking about this until we come to a
resolution, which will probably be revised from time to time.

There is another RN-IBCLC in my county. I have been thinking to ask her
about helping me get started with home consults. I feel very book learned,
and do well with phone counseling, but also feel the need for a mentor. I
would like some feedback from those of you who have done this, from either
side of the coin, to help me formulate what might be acceptable for my
collegue and myself.

Thanks for all the mentoring you do for me, via Lactnet. Keep it cookin'!

Joya Bezette
LLLL, Student LC
Southern Utah