Barbara wrote <<Physical Therapists are FEEDING specialists.  We are
supposed to be BREASTfeeding specialists.  If we present ourselves to
consumers as such, we have a moral responsibility to try to understand what
we are doing.  That includes EDUCATED use of therapeutic tools.>>
I absolutely agree re: the educated use of therapeutic tools!!  The time is
far PAST when we (the collective "we" who care for mothers and babies) can
cavalierly toss devices at feeding problems, when in fact the problems need
careful, thoughtful and sensitive analysis before they can be understood,
much less resolved!
I have a minor comment on PT training, however. PTs are well trained in
general areas of muscle activity. After they get out of college, some
acquire extra training in oralmotor function; others specialize in hand and
forearm rehabilitation related to carpal tunnel syndrome, or getting
athletes back on the field after knee injuries, or repatterning kids with
gross motor coordination problems so they can do better in school.
Occupational therapist training has some overlap with PT training, and
speech therapists have some overlap with OT and PT.
Lactation consultants must know some of the PT body of knowledge, plus some
of the OT and ST field. However, that ain't all. We also need to come up to
speed on legal issues related to maternal-child health, lots and lots of
"medical" issues related to infant feeding, a whole load of growth and
development stuff, maternal psychology, family theory, biochemistry, and a
bit of biomechanics tossed in so we can make the pumps work. And that's just
a partial list.
This field is so interesting and probably controversial BECAUSE it's so
complex. Just when I think I have a good grip on a certain issue, the next
mom walks in my door with a very different problem entirely. That's why we
need MANY people from MANY backgrounds and types of training in this field.
What one of us doesn't know about, someone else does. Collaboration is the
name of the game, IMHO.
Linda J. Smith, BSE, FACCE, IBCLC
Bright Future Lactation Resource Centre
Dayton, OH USA
http://www.bflrc.com