In addition to many of the advantages that you have mentioned for
hospitals to employ Non Nurse IBCLC's, I think that if you come from
another discipline, you bring so much more to the profession. Being an
IBCLC is not just plugging babies onto the breast. In fact, that is a
very small part of the profession, as I see it. Anyone should be able
to learn to help a mother latch a baby and assess milk transfer. It is
not rocket science, (although with the basic misunderstanding of these
simple issues, you might think that it is.)
I come from a background of psychology and education and without this, I
don't think I could do my job. Much of our job should be teaching!! Not
only teaching moms, but also teaching nurses, and other HCPs. This
requires certain skills. It is not enough just to get the information
across to your listeners, but you also have to be able to assess
information transfer. Did the baby get the milk? Did this group of
nurses/parents/OT's/ docs understand what you are trying to teach them?
Did they get the information?
I have students who are lawyers, computer experts, social workers,
doulas. Each brings with them something special that she learned in her
other profession. And each one brings the passion that is such an
important part of being an IBCLC. If you don’t have the passion, it does
not work.
Let's keep the profession full of people from all walks in life who can
share their knowledge and expertise in other areas. Where would we be
without the Dianne Weissingers, Barbara Wilson-Clays, Cathy Gennas, not
to mention the founding mothers, most of whom were not directly in the
medical profession. Breastfeeding is NOT a medical issue. That is what
people have to understand.
Esther Grunis, IBCLC
Lis Maternity Hospital
Tel Aviv, Israel
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