>When I refer to another LC from the
>"list" for our area, I will have no idea, unless I know them personally,
>whether or not they have the experience necessary to remedy an issue.

And that's why I make "blind" referrals to an IBCLC/LLLL if I can.  I have
been burned by RN/IBCLCs who don't value the longterm relationship nearly as
much as they do the first couple months of milk, and I've burned by LLLLs
who don't understand that every generality has an infinity of exceptions.
But the LLLL who worked to become an IBCLC is someone who understands to the
depth of her being the importance of a long and luscious bfing relationship,
and who has dug, as Christine is digging, to get answers to all the
questions she comes up with.  And she really understands how to support a
mother while she finds those answers.  I've never been anything but pleased
with the IBCLC/LLLLs I've run into.

I remember my own first experience trying to help a woman latch a baby.  We
spent (blush) 45 minutes, with me trying to give her the right words, but
nothing worked.  And all the time, I was making a sort of scooping motion
with my lower jaw.  "What is it I'm doing with my jaw?" I wondered, but had
no words for it and no way to translate the idea for the mother.

Finally I pulled out the couch she was sitting on, stood behind it, and
"became" (with her permission, of course) her arms, holding her baby and
breast as if they were my own.  And whoosh!  The baby went right on.  (Thank
you, Maureen Minchin and Breastfeeding Matters for the idea!  I'd ordered
the book from LLLI ;-)  )  Together, we analyzed what I had done that was
different from what she had been doing, and she had no problems from then
on.

What made it work, besides her misplaced faith in my abilities, was my
*strong* commitment to helping her get it to work and the years of
experience I'd had breastfeeding my own children.

I wish the ILCA directory would put an asterisk next to those of us who have
a background as lay breastfeeding counselors.  Some of us might wish to
*avoid* those people, and that's fine, but others of us would seek them out.
Certainly it's pertinent to note it - it's a whole lot more pertinent than
my MS based on dustbathing behavior in Bobwhite quail, for goodness sake!
And I think some of the names with asterisks would come as a surprise to
many of us...
--
Diane Wiessinger, MS, IBCLC, LLLL  Ithaca, NY
www.wiessinger.baka.com

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