>Melisa, I agree with you wholeheartedly. . It does take more than
>schooling. It takes experience, and this is what the IBLCE guarantees.
I agree, and I did say in a later post that this didn't come across as I had
wanted it to. Just as I also said that being a student mw kind of puts me
in this whole name calling debate farther. Right now our state doesn't
allow direct entry, CPM's or and kind of midwife other than a CNM "catch"
babies. Having state licensure to ensure "quality of care" excludes those
midwives who are VERY competent but don't feel the need for certification.
Just as the IBCLE has a governing body, so do mw's, we have the NARM exam,
but that doesn't mean that all midwives will take this exam nor does it mean
that they want to. Many of them get very upset when it is even insinuated
that they must take the exam. It's all part of choice. But at the same
time, does a mw without the NARM certification deserve the same respect
because she also has valid birth experience? of course! Just because she
has chosen for whatever reason to not take the exam doesn't mean that she
doesn't care for her clients just as attentively as one who is certified.
That is all I mean about the whole name calling debate here. Why do I use
the term "name calling"? because that is exactly what it is. There will
always be some of us who will be working to be IBCLC exam candidates, some
of us will get there, some won't. But just as midwives are guardians of
normal birth, I would say that CLCs, CLEs, and everyone in between is
capable of being a guardian of normal breastfeeding relationships. Do I
have bad feelings for XYZ because they are IBCLC and I am not? NO, that is
about as dumb as saying that I would have hard feelings for a CNM or an OB.
I choose to do things this way. Someday, in the course of my practice, I
will have enough hours to sit for the IBCLC exam, but in the mean time, I am
enjoying all of the information I am gaining.
I do think the key to it all is knowing when to refer. Just like I would
never profess to know how to do a c/s, I would also know when to refer a
breastfeeding problem that was out of my hands.
I often times worry that we are given this "bad" name (and by we, I mean
IBCLCs, CLCs, etc.) because of the divisions that we put between us, not
because of the information we share. That is what scares me.
Melisa
~*~*~*~*~
Did you hear? Breast is Best!
Lactation Counselor
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www.nurturingmama.com
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Mom to Harry who changed my life,
Jacob who changed my spirit, and
Elleanor who changed my soul.
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