Dear Lactnet Friends: The climate of breastfeeding support in the US is very different now than it was in 1975, when I started. There are many pioneers of work with mothers and babies that have no breastfeeding credential at all. Folks like Kittie Frantz, and Lennart Righard, and Chloe Fisher, Mavis Gunther, the fabulous Swedish midwives who are too numerous to mention (Svesson, Widstrom, Ransjo-Arvidson etc. etc.) None of the founding mothers of LLL had any credential. One's curiosity and interest, blending with integrity and sincere desire to serve, and openness are the prerequisites to best practice. Today's climate has changed. Nursing mothers groups, the training grounds for many, are dwindling as folks can't volunteer much any more. They are too busy working and earning money. Back in the 80s and 90s, an experienced La Leche League Leader would have been my first choice for a helper. Today, it is more difficult to find such a person. Where is a new person to start when the peer counseling world has shrunk? Where can such a person find opportunity and outlet for their passion? Nowadays, it is often, at least in the US, by taking a course. According to the CDC in the 2014 Breastfeeding Report Card, three types of breastfeeding helpers are counted. La Leche League Leaders, CLCs ("CLCs provide education and counseling about breastfeeding."), and IBCLCs ("IBCLCs specialize in the clinical management of human lactation and breastfeeding.") http://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/pdf/2014breastfeedingreportcard.pdf That is from whence I took my comment. warmly, -- Nikki Lee RN, BSN, Mother of 2, MS, IBCLC, CCE, CIMI, ANLC, CKC Author:* Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Breastfeeding Therapy* www.nikkileehealth.com https://www.facebook.com/nikkileehealth *Get my FREE webinar series* *********************************************** 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