I agree that this issue needs to be addressed. The waters are, indeed,
muddy.

Without an established, recognized and uniform curriculum it is difficult to
define "pre-IBCLC" as each preparatory program has its own requirements. A
student nurse can be assumed, in this day and age, to have completed a
fairly standardized course of training -- whether she is in Paducah,
Kentucky or San Diego, California. (Sorry to non-US netters; I am not
informed enough to compare to your systems but I'll bet the same is true
where you are). I've known some folks employed as LCs who wouldn't even
qualify as student student LCs!

Presently, I think the general public uses LC as a generic term. I am
concerned that terms which incorporate "Lactation Consultant" in the name
need to have a standardized form -- such as "student Lactation Consultant"
-- than can enter the lexicon in a uniform manner so that we can rid
ourselves of the many variations now in existance. To make us a credible
field we must hold to our highest standards.

If there were a standardized course of study for LC, then the hours required
for certification would be expected to be earned during one's internship,
right? This would require we all provide sites for student LCs to gain
experience. In the long run, think what this field would gain if all LCs had
the same basic information under their belts. This uniform standard could
change the perceptions of LCs from "nurses with extra knowledge" to
"lactation specialists."

Thank you, Judi, for opening this discussion.

Margery Wilson, IBCLC
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, Massachusetts
USA