Bonnie wrote:

<I have often wondered, and I think you have the perfect background to
answer this:  Before you learned about newborns in nursing school, and
at the beginning of your hospital practice (if you can remember back
that far), how well did you pick up on things like respiratory distress,
reflux, and cardiac problems which first manifested themselves as
breastfeeding problems?

I think many non-nurse IBCLCs are well-qualified to help with
breastfeeding in the hospital, but have often wondered if they would
pick up on things like a soft grunt (kind of a mewing or sing-songy
sound heard with respirations in a baby who is having difficulty
breathing--for non-medical Lactnetters, not for you, Vicki) or a baby
who doesn't want to close is mouth and is breathing a little fast.  I
know these things can be learned by non-nurses, but how many of you
non-nurse LCs were oriented to these kinds of things.  BTW, I know
minimally cross-trained nurses who have trouble picking up on these
signs at first.>

I'm a LLLL that is planning to sit the "EXAM" in a year or so.  Your
concern is one I've had and is the reason  I would like mentor with/shadow
an in-hospital LC for at least 6 months before the IBCLE.  I feel very
competent once the baby is home, but, my experience with babys less than
one day old is limited to two (Lorin and Samantha) and I have little or no
hands-on experience with premature infants.

I guess what I am saying is that I know where the holes in my knowledge are
and I want to fill them in before I am IBCLC (hopefully in 2000).



Alicia, LLLL in the Bluegrass (Lexington, KY)
aka Post Poster and AS for Kentucky
and academic nomad
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