Moms don't always know when they've seen a real IBCLC, either, as many people here have been discussing. The mothers I speak with on the phone often refer to a "lactation nurse" who told them such and such, and I know our local hospitals use non-IBCLCs on the weekend or when the regular, lone lactation consultant is on vacation. Whenever I hear crazy things and actions attributed to a "lactation nurse" I ask them if they were an IBCLC. They usually have no idea. During one IBCLC's vacation my LLL co-Leader received a call from a woman in the hospital getting instructions "from the lactation consultant" on scheduling and limiting the time on the breast to 10 min per side. My friend didn't know the IBCLC was on vacation and so knew that the woman *had* to be getting the story wrong. When she went up to the hospital to visit the new mom she first asked the nurses if she could speak with the lactation consultant. The nursed looked over her shoulder and asked a bunch of nurses behind he
r, "Hey, who's being the lactation consultant today?"

Conversely, exhausted moms don't always get the story straight and may misquote the LC. Or they may remember what they want to remember; I know that I have been misquoted as a LLLL, because the mom who misquoted me (and she was a repeat offender) told me, "Well I told my doctor that my La Leche League Leader said blah blah blah" Aaak! No, I didn't say that, not even close. When I would remind her of how our conversation actually went and the information that I actually shared with her, she would just say, "Oh. I guess I got confused. But don't you think I'm right?"  This particular mom was afraid to express her own thoughts and so would displace whatever she wanted to do as being *my* opinion. Very frustrating.

That said, I have also heard unfortunate things from moms who said the lactation consultant twas *definitely* an IBCLC ("spent 5 minutes with me and handed me a nipple shield.") I am more likely to hear this when the mom gave birth at one of the larger hospitals in the area.

Chrissy Bodin

 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: Winnie Mading <[log in to unmask]>
> Molly writes about frustrations about what clients tell her they were told by 
> hospital based LCs.  Please remember you are getting this second hand.  While I 
> am sure there are some "weekend wonders" practicing in some hospitals, not 
> everything that happens in the hospital is under the control of the LC.  Many 
> times some docs would tell a mom to "supplement with an ounce after each feeding 
> 'until your milk comes in'".  No amount of evidence would convince these docs 
> that this was not necessary and counterproductive to establishing normal 
> breastfeeding.  Unfortunately, the "pecking order" would limit just how much the 
> LC could counter this order.  An LC may not even be aware that such an order had 
> been given.  "They told me at the hospital" and "I saw the hospital LC" may not 
> always go together!  "They" could be almost anyone and the mom may assume the LC 
> is aware of or has control over information given by others.
> 
> Winnie
> 
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