There are many much-needed and wonderful breastfeeding supporters, all
working hard to help breastfeeding mothers and families. It can be
confusing, to hospitals, insurers, policy makers, and the public as to just
what all the various letters mean. Distinguishing between counselors,
educators, specialists, consultants and other descriptors is difficult,
especially as many of these terms are used interchangeably. Each program
has differing requirements, education, and training. The IBCLC has 2 to 9
times the amount of lactation specific required education compared with
other credentials. The required 300-1000 hours of clinical practice is
unique and important. To help clarify the differences among all of the
providers, the US Lactation Consultant Association has prepared a new
publication entitled, "Who's Who in Lactation? An Inventory of
Breastfeeding Support: From Confusion to Clarity." This free publication
can be downloaded from

http://uslca.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/USLCA-Whos-Who.pdf

It is hoped that the table of breastfeeding service providers will
illustrate the preparation requirements and help sort through the alphabet
soup of lactation support.

Marsha Walker, RN, IBCLC
Weston, MA

             ***********************************************

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