Sharon:  I can really understand where you are coming from on the issue of
volunteers vs. paid professionals.  As a retired LLLL, Certified Health
Education Specialist (CHES), IBCLC and holding a PhD, I am often torn by
this.  I see many moms for free or token amounts; however, I also get paid a
good wage from those who are financially able.  As a private LC, I don't
receive fringe benefits and I'm lucky to have a husband who does (for those
outside the US, the important fringe benefits here include health
insurance).   I say all this as a preface for the fact that we in Corvallis,
Oregon have about 5-6 active LLLLs at any given time and fewer IBCLCs, with
me being the only private one.  None of our LLLLs are IBCLCs (I was the only
one) and none of the IBCLCs were LLLLs (except for me).  Having been on both
sides of the fence, I feel that my perspective is different.  None of our
LLLLs have medical training, and as such most feel 'over their heads' when
issues of medications, maternal illness, devices, etc. are involved.  We
have a really good working relationship.  I refer almost all the "easy"
cases to LLL and they send the more complicated ones to me.  It is true that
LLLLs have their APL (Area Professional Liaison--I was one for 2 years) to
ask the harder questions of, but many either don't know about her or are too
swamped by their own lives (hey, it IS volunteer).  It is rather like the
maternity system in many countries where midwives see the healthy, low risk
women and refer those with substantial risk of complications are referred to
OBs, except most midwives get paid at least something.  I've seen many LLLLs
gain huge amounts of experience and patient contact through LLL encounters
and then go on to take the IBCLC exam (passing with flying colors).  Many
RNs have complained to me that they'll never get enough patient contact
hours to qualify to sit for the IBCLC exam.  Maybe LLLLs are like unpaid
interns?  I worked my way through grad school as both research and teaching
assistants, and although my wage on paper was quite good, I usually worked 3
x what I was paid. Does this all make sense?

Chris Hafner-Eaton, PhD, MPH, CHES, IBCLC    [log in to unmask]
mom, wife, educator, lactation consultant, researcher, scientist, author,
organic gardener, photographer, lapidary creator, lousy cleaner.

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