I would like to comment and clarify a few misconceptions about Russian lactation consultants and IBCLC launch background. I have been working with Russian mothers and lactation consultants before most of them started calling themselves lactation consultants since fall 1999.  

The biggest barrier by far is reluctance of local lactation consultants to follow any principles of ethical practice and being governed by mostly American organization. There are no benefits to local lactation consultants in expensive training when they can be making money just like they are now.  The interest arises if any benifits can be obtained, such as trips abroad for seminars and conferences.

We have been trying to promote LLL much before today. In 2003 I started a mailing list for Russian mothers interested in helping other women breastfeed. Some of them were already lactation consultants, trained by a local and very influential breastfeeding support organization Rojana.  However, some of the participants were not affiliated with any organization and were in essence mothers interested in promotion of breastfeeding.  My goals were to slow down very high turn over of LCs, to retain LCs, give ground to exchange different ideas about breastfeeding help and scout out some potential leader applicants.  Massive shipments of LLL literature as well as personal calls to UNICEF to permit mother-consultants to attend 40-hour WHO breastfeeding counselor training thus obtain papers that give some credibility took place.  Extensive support and information was given on how to start support groups, what kinds of possibilities exist in the realm of lactation support and where training can be obtained. They knew about IBCLC training back in 2003-2004, long before Maya Bolman appeared on the scene in 2009. As a byproduct of these attempts local former USSR organization called AKEV (organization of natural feeding consultants) was formed (from a stolen database similar to LACTNET that was created by to slow).  The mailing list died out, LLL literature for leaders was used to create all the rules governing the organization. We dealt with huge copyright infringement and very poor translation quality of our materials, but fortunately those issues were resolved at the time and never repeated to my knowledge.  Promotion of LLL was severely hampered till this day.

Most of the people who were on my mailing list are still LCs today. A few of them are still in top management of AKEV, although there is some turmoil about the division of power and indecisiveness where the organization should be heading. The top management of AKEV knew all along of IBCLCs and LLL training, however purposefully suppressed that information as worthy for Russian LCs from the time their local organization was founded. The reasoning behind all this being – “it won’t work here”.  The organization developed internally, influenced by the local Rojana group and later LLL materials modified to suit their ideas of how breastfeeding consultancy should work.

There is still not much interest in become IBCLCs in Russia because there is no benefit for them to become ones. This opinion was expressed to me in private conversations with many Russian and Ukrainian LCs.  It’s too expensive and they can still make money without all the hassle of becoming IBCLC. Almost all key players in AKEV are on Medela payroll as is possibly the government official who is in charge of breastfeeding promotion in Russia. Medela is pushing for IBCLC training in Russia, but only for MDs, not for lay lactation consultants. 

Further problems with IBCLC promotion is medicalization of breastfeeding that is not currently present in Russia. Their breastfeeding support comes solely from mostly (if you disregard Medela) independent group on LCs who are all mothers with breastfeeding experience. The idea that a male can become an IBCLC or a person without experience in breastfeeding is shocking for Russian LCs.  The promotion of ideas that are not native to Russia is taking place – the concept of choice in feeding, for example, is a completely foreign idea. Also the ethical principles of practice are very different based on the cultural perceptions of what is just and appropriate.  Loca LC’s have poor command of English therefore utilize automated translators for their materials. The result is poorly written materials that are hard to understand as well as the invasion of foreign words that are unnecessary in the Russian language.  


Natalie Wilson
AAPL of NC
LLL of NC

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