Well, let's see, Linda, I was an LLLL for 18 years and I was on the committee that wrote the bfing policy for the first BFH in CT. I wrote a grant and designed and ran a peer counseling program for 4 years that was embedded into a hospital--educating 40 peer counselors and working with 1000 clients plus 1000 more women who were not in our program. I volunteered at WIC for several years before that. 
In 1994, I refused to allow the "Breast is Best" initiative into Hartford Hospital bc I told them it was going to become the best marketing campaign the AIM companies had ever seen and I would not continue my program if they did. They didn't--but most everyone else embraced it willingly. You all know where that went. 
I was the person who picked up the phone and called my representative, asking him to introduce the first bill in CT to protect mothers nursing in public.  It didn't pass that year but with more support, it did the following year--many other states followed CT--few came before. I was a founding member of the CT Bfing Coalition and the Association of CT Lactation Consultants, of which I was a board member for 5 years. 
I have given away more hours than I have ever been paid for in trying to affect policy for women (not only as to infant feeding, but also birth) and in simply supporting moms in my own free support group and on-line.
I have spent hours of my own time making sure women in CT have access to excellent care for TT including follow-up bodywork. I have given countless hours away to colleagues who email me privately--and through posting here and on other professional pages about the issues I think define the foundational concerns for this profession going forward--birth trauma, structure-function, inflammation, gut health and tongue -tie. 
I have also bathed my share of cats. 
And, I am pissed as hell at this situation and I cannot say I appreciate being told to, in effect, "get a hobby". Frankly, I don't have time for my hobbies, given how much of my time and energy I give to women and children.  I barely manage to give my own children enough time.
You may think this is in-fighting, but only in a profession dominated by women would we be told to "make nice" when our profession, our livelihood and the well-being of our clients is at risk. It is disrespectful and inconsiderate to those of us outraged by the constant deception from the IBLCE, HB (whose actions are blatantly intentional) and lack of responsiveness by ILCA/USLCA on this issue for many years now to tell us to make better use of our time. The fact is, I don't have time for this, so, it must be pretty important for me to keep posting about it. 
This was shared with me on another page:
"CLC candidates receive the same didactic lactation education as current IBCLCs, but are required to demonstrate proficiency in both counseling techniques and lactation assessment prior to certification. I cannot find that IBCLCs are required to prove counseling ability or assessment skills prior to sitting for their exam. IBCLCs do have a Clinical Competencies document found here http://www.iblce.org/upload/downloads/ClinicalCompetencies.pdf which details the specific skills IBCLC candidates are to have at the time of certification (note: CLCs are trained to do the exact same things). A lack of definitive testing of counseling and assessment skills is likely because IBCLC candidates would learn and demonstrate these skills during a required apprenticeship to a practicing IBCLC. IBCLC candidates will have somewhere between 500 and 1000 client contact hours during this apprenticeship.
These hours of required apprenticeship are the major difference between the training of IBCLCs and CLCs. Does this mean that IBCLCs have more experience and are therefore more qualified than CLCs? Not necessarily."
http://www.hearthsidedoulas.com/blog/2011/06/18/Lactation-Guidance-Whats-In-A-Name-Part-II.aspx"

Really? This is not an errant CLC or two spitting into the wind--this is institutionally sanctioned or it would not be happening. These people are very confident that they are equal in their ability to provide clinical care to breastfeeding mothers--and in fact, consider their exam better preparation than we have. 

Be complacent, if you choose. Certainly, many IBCLCs, especially those not in PP, are far less likely to be harmed by this. But, when you value your credential, you also value your colleagues and you value your clients. And, we, your colleagues, many of us with decades of experience as well, are telling you this is serious deception, serious destruction and that it is indeed causing great harm to us as LCs and thousands, perhaps ultimately millions of dyads. 

I am not going to be quiet about this simply bc it's inconvenient for anyone else that I am not, and I do not appreciate being "reprimanded" by anyone as if anyone else is in a position to instruct colleagues as to what might be defined as appropriate response to this outrage. 

Jennifer Tow, IBCLC, USA & France
Intuitive Parenting Network, LLC



Coach Smith here again.

 

Please remember that there are bad apples and unscrupulous people in every
profession and endeavor.

 

Many people who have falsely claimed to hold medical degrees, disabilities,
military ranks or awards, professional licenses, qualifications, and/or
specific skills are now serving hard time in prison.  Movies have been made
about some of these charlatans!

 

I'm not losing sleep over a few people who inflate their credentials, as
long as nobody's actually getting hurt. And I don't mean a competitor losing
some business opportunities. If we can't prosecute formula companies that
release shipments of their product containing bugs, melamine, or bacterial
contamination, they there's not much hope of actually going after someone
who exaggerates or inflates their credentials. Heck, if there's no feasible
way to stop licensed clinicians who give REALLY bad advice about
breastfeeding, then.

 

Save your energy, colleagues. Put your energy into POSITIVE actions
including any of the 20 Action steps in the US Surgeon General's Call to
Action on Breastfeeding. Work on legislation to protect mothers from being
harassed from BF in public, or join a team at a hospital working on
implementing BFHI, or offer to train the local Emergency Preparedness agency
on appropriate infant feeding policies during disasters, or write positive
supportive articles for your local newspaper or online news source, or..Or
go bathe someone's cat. 

 

Just QUIT the infighting! 

 

Linda J. Smith, MPH, FACCE, IBCLC, FILCA

Bright Future Lactation Resource Centre, Ltd.

6540 Cedarview Ct, Dayton OH 45459

ph 937-438-9458 / fax 937-438-3229

www.BFLRC.com 










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