One of the best things I've ever done was to work for a year as a  hospital IBCLC.  And IMNHO all IBCLCs benefit from working for a period of time in a variety of settings.  Those who have worked exclusively in the hospital would benefit greatly from seeing mothers at day 2-4 postpartum, and 1-2 weeks, and 1-2 years.  Those who have worked exclusively with the WIC population or LLL population or ???, would benefit greatly from working in other settings.  Broaden your horizons, push your boundaries, see the world through another set of lenses, assume good intent.

The real point is not just how much time, it's also the point in time at which mother/baby(s) are seen, and in what setting, and the impact of external forces.  So many interruptions in the hospital setting from family to photographers to physicians to meals.  All these check points, pressure, white boards facing mothers with tally marks of feedings/pees/poops; yikes!  Now you have a glimpse into my no longer working in the hospital setting.

My background --  Marriage, Family Therapist who became an LLLL, who was persuaded to take the exam to become an IBCLC.  Until that year in the hospital, I worked exclusively in the outpatient setting.  First in a clinic where we had pretty much as long as we needed, usually 1.5 hours per appointment, then at WIC where we had 1-1.5h, then on to an outpatient clinic where I get 30-45 minutes (don't even get me started!), and in the midst of the year spent working in the hospital.

I'm the mother of 4, 3 of whom were unmedicated births in a hospital birth center, 1 born at home.  Longest hospital stay was 24 hours, shortest 6.  Why I paid for that last one for the use of the hospital for 8 hours is beyond me; should have asked for an hourly rate!  


Mary L. Wagner-Davis, MS, MFT, IBCLC, LLLL
California

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