As an IBCLC (1988) not an RN I am still not sure what I may be doing wrong.

If I tell a woman who has had several breast infections and now has a painful
lump and continued soreness which her MD has been treating forever with
antibiotics,  if I tell her that she may have an abscess and should ask her 
MD for further investigation am I guilty of diagnosing a medical condition?

If i tell a woman that it is possible that she may have thrush and refer her to a 
website which has information about treatments for thrush which she may 
want to discuss with her MD am I again guilty of diagnosing? 

And what about the woman I saw yesterday whose MD told her she did not
have enough milk and that she should supplement with a bottle after every
feeding. Then she had a baby who was refusing the breast so she called me.
So I helped her with latching and positioning after we had done the STS latch
(thanks Dr Smillie) and the baby had an amazing breastfeed and fell asleep.
So when she asked me what about the supplement I asked her what she 
thought and she had to agree the baby had had her best feed ever and appeared
full. So today she is doing great feeds and not supplementing and I am probably
guilty of telling her to follow her mothering instincts. But had she continued to 
follow her Mds advice would the breastfeeding now be lost? Did her MD watch
her breastfeed? Of course not he is too busy. Did her MD refer her to an LC?
No she heard about me from a friend. What should I report to her MD?

How much breastfeeding will be lost if we all quit? I hate to think.

Ruth in Ontario, where many Lactation Consultants practice as such never
having taken the IBCLC exams.

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