Well, since we're going around on this one again, here's what I think:

Jan's right, in everything she said about the credentialing process.
Theresa's right - there are people possessing every bit as much skill and
knowledge and experience out there, with different initials after their
names. Cheryl's right - as a person entering the profession, without the BIG
set of letters, it's not very helpful or positive to be looked down on by
those whose ranks you aspire to join. I'm sure there are others out there
who are not sure that those particular initials are the ones they *want*
after their names. And they're right too.

I think we must find ways to look at these issues not as a turf war, and not
as a "mine's bigger than yours, so ha-ha-ha" contest, and not in terms of
"my initials are the only *real* ones, so your ABC or XYZ doesn't really
count". We do need to work towards standardization of what these initials
can be expected to mean, in the ways Jan spoke about so well. But we will
*never*, ever get there by scorning someone else's initials, or background,
or preparation! That route of thinking only leads to divisiveness among
ourselves, and doesn't serve the common cause that we share at all well.
That's like going backwards to the kind of hazing mentality that I bet we
all agree is stupid. (I think of it as a traditionally masculine
hierarchical model, but I know I'll get blasted for saying that!)

I don't want that for our profession. Nor do I want anybody who feels
qualified to do so just hanging out their shingle as a BFing expert. I agree
that we need to have definitions and standards for what various initials
mean in terms of experience, skill, & didactic training. Doesn't mean all
the initials have to be the same; I expect slightly different things from an
IBCLC than from a LLLL, for example, or an OD vs. MD, and I don't mean that
one is "better" or more skillful than the other. And I mostly don't care at
all that the general public doesn't know or care what IBCLC means. But I do
care that those who need to know the differences should be able to tell from
the letters after my name what kind of background/training/experience I
have. And I hate to have us squabbling amongst ourselves; that's how "they"
have kept "us" down, whoever "they" and "us" might be in any given
situation. Not to be too cliched about it, but "united, we stand; divided,
we fall".

Cathy Bargar RN IBCLC, Ithaca NY - who worked for many years as "the
breastfeeding specialist" in my hospital OB dep't with no more "credentials"
than that I cared about BFing & thought it was important & was willing to go
a little further than most to learn all I could about how to help moms &
babies.

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