Dear Friends,

Several years ago when I started the Maternal & Child Health:  Lactation Consulting program through a joint partnership with Union Institute and Health Children, it was explained to me that the government offered Healthy Children a grant to develop this program in effort to increase the professionalism of the lactation consultant.  Further, I understood the IBCLC credential to be the minimum standard of those educated enough to assist clients with lactation needs.  Therefore, the hope as I understood it, was to increase the number of degreed consultants and therefore, the respect for the complexity of the profession.

Like many of you, I've watched facilities wanting to market a lactation program, exaggerate an interested employee's experience so they can sit for the exam and then with their new IBCLC, promote a "so-called service" they have no intention of fully developing.  Those signing our applications often don't understand the profession or the process for certification and therefore have no respect for what they are signing their name to.  The deception is enormous.  Families within the community, those we strive to serve, are thoroughly confused with whom they should trust has the experience to serve their delicate lactation needs.  

When I entered the Union program as an RN, I was quite dismayed to discover none of my nursing credits would transfer except to fill electives.  Their explanation - nurses are not trained in the complexities of lactation.  It is my hope lactation consultants can carve out their own profession, unique from nursing or any other entity it currently attaches itself to, through respectable degree programs.  Unfortunately it seems the current programs don't seem to be produce the numbers to serve their purpose.  I trust those adjunct faculty with Union here on Lactnet can further expand on this, offering more accurate information on the vision of the program, but if we place our attention towards how to improve and make these programs more accessible, the younger generation of consultants can build a solid foundation to be respected.


Penny Lane RN, BA, IBCLC
Maternal & Child Health: Lactation Consulting
Believe - Birth & Breastfeeding Resources
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