Hi.  I've been lurking for a while so I'll briefly introduce myself.  My name
is Susan.  I'm an IBCLC, LLL Leader, and mother to 4 children (all were
breastfed). Brief enough?

Pat wrote that if someone is saying they are an LC and are not certified they
should be reported to ILCA.  She said she wasn't sure of the legalities but
that they couldn't do that.  I wish that were the case.  While I agree that we
should call ourselves what we are, anyone can hang out a shingle and call
themselves an LC. They may have loads of breastfeeding knowledge or zip.
There are no legal restraints on this yet.

I don't mean to open a can of worms here, but having the initials (IBCLC)
doesn't assure me that this person is well trained to handle breastfeeding
difficulties well.  I've met too many people who have taken classes or
workshops for training, who were able to pass the exam.  They went on to do
more damage than good.  I feel that if you step into the situation you stay
with it until the difficulty is resolved. If it's beyond your level of
expertise then you refer them to someone who can help.  I'm sorry to say I
don't see that happen often enough.  Moms are sent home no better off than
when they started.  Some are worse off because they are given incorrect
information or told to 'just keep trying and your baby will get the hang of
it'.  I'm afraid this attitude does more damage to the image of an LC than
someone who isn't certified.  I'll step off this soapbox.  Now I remember why
I'm afraid of heights ;)
Sue