Regina,
I think I have "spoke" with you in the past about WIC and LCs. :)
Another problem is some WICs do not even employ an IBCLC! It is state run,
and in Wisconsin they are not required to have one (seems a RD is good
enough for breastfeeding, sigh...) This is a sore point for me as the WIC I
work with as a Peer Counselor does not "have funding" for a IBCLC, even
though I AM one. So what they get is a REALLY over-qualified Peer
Counselor. :( We serve THREE counties.
I mentioned to the RD who is the Breastfeeding Coordinator that it is sad
that the smaller number of moms a WIC serves, the less likely the moms are
to get good breastfeeding help (it seems WIC in the Metro areas have an
IBCLC)and the reply I got is "Well I think they are getting great help from
you." Yes they are, but meanwhile I have to work two part-time jobs while
my husband works a full time and we are still digging deeper in debt! (by
the way we have NO private practice IBCLCs to refer to, and there are NO
IBCLCs in the one local hospital)
I can't afford a membership to ILCA! I need to figure out how to afford
CEUs!
So.....for WICs to have more IBCLCs, they need to actually decide to employ
them. :( I know, I have a very narrow view of my local area, but I can't be
the only area like this!
~Ann Marie Mackin, IBCLC, LLLL, WIC Peer Counselor
-----Original Message-----
From: Lactation Information and Discussion
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Regina M. Roig-Romero, Bs
Ibclc
Sent: Tuesday, July 22, 2008 9:57 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Huge Discrepancy in LC Breakdown
Susan hit a nerve on a topic I was just looking into myself a couple of
months ago. She said:
<<I mean NO offense to the vast majority of IBCLCs who are RNs and work in
hospitals --- this is one important avenue for lactation. However, I have
to admit that I am quite shocked by how severe the imbalance is among
IBCLCs.>>
I agree completely; three cheers for the nurse-LCs doing the work that they
do in the hospitals, BUT....that is a huge imbalance.
Susan again: << I do not see that in the statistics that follow:
74% of IBCLCs are RNs
6% are MDs
1% are LPNs
64% of IBCLCs are working in hospitals
3.5% are working in a physician's office 5% are working in private
practice>>
I came up with similar figures. According to IBLCE, there are 11,104 IBCLCs
in the Americas, 9,503 of whom are in the USA. 64% of all of them are
hospital-based. 82% of the nurse-IBCLCs work primarily in hospitals.
What also disturbed me was that of the 9,503 IBCLCs in the USA, 320 work for
WIC. That's 3.3%, folks. According to the USDA WIC serves 45% of US infants
- in fiscal year 2004 they served 2 million babies.
45% of all infants in the U.S. have THREE PERCENT OF THE LACTATION
CONSULTANTS? What's wrong with this picture???? How are we supposed to
raise the duration rates in this country if nearly half of our babies (and
the poorest half at that) only have access to an LC while in the hospital?
WIC moms in general cannot afford a private practice LC, so if they don't
get one from WIC, they're not getting one, period.
Part of the problem is salary - WIC does not pay as much as hospitals do.
One can't blame an LC for choosing what's best for her and her family. But
this definitely needs to be addressed if we are to make further progress.
Then Susan addressed the medical/non-medical angle: <<We need OTHER
professions to enrich how we practice --- we NEED more IBCLCs outside the
hospital --- we NEED more than a medical model because so much of
breastfeeding is about interacting with the mother infant dyad and assisting
them to develop a healthy relationship to feeding.>>
It has been quite beneficial here at WIC in Miami for some of our WIC PCs to
be able to become WIC IBCLCs. For a woman to go from being a WIC participant
to being a WIC Lacation Consultant makes for one heck of a fine IBCLC, one
who can serve that population particularly well, knowing it as they do from
the inside.
Another way of looking at this is from the perspective of our rates of
breastfeeding initiation, intensity (exclusivity) and duration. Per the CDC
by 6 months of age only 41% of US infants are still breastfeeding at all -
only 11% exclusively. And yet initiation is 74%. Why? I'm starting to think
that one of the reasons is that that's where our LCs are. Put 3/4ths of
your profession at the front end of breastfeeding and guess what? The front
end of breastfeeding is going to go a lot better than the other 99% of
it....
Regina M. Roig-Romero, BS IBCLC
Senior Lactation Consultant
Miami-Dade County Health Dept WIC/Nutrition Breastfeeding Program
7785 NW 48 ST, Suite 300
Miami FL 33166
(786) 336-1333 x162
(786) 336-1345 fax
(786) 336-1336 Breastfeeding Helpline
Please note: Florida has a very broad public record law. Most written
communications to or from State officials regarding State business are
public records available to the public and media upon request. Your E-mail
communications may therefore be subjected to public disclosure.
Confidentiality Notice: This electronic message, including any attachments,
contains information that may be legally confidential and/or privileged and
is intended only for use by the individual and or entity to whom it is
addressed. If you are not the intended recipient, any unauthorized
disclosure, review, copying, distribution, or use of the contents of this
information is prohibited and may be unlawful. If you have received this
electronic transmission in error, please notify the sender immediately and
proceed to delete it.
***********************************************
Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]
Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask]
COMMANDS:
1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail
2. To start it again: set lactnet mail
3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome
|
