I am a little concerned when I hear people say that we that we need to only
certify IBCLCs who have been through a four year lactation program in order
to "be like the other professions" for several reasons.

Until quite recently, even the professions mentioned, like law and medicine,
allowed for self-study (i.e., "reading law") and apprenticeship, followed by
exams to lead to the professional qualification.   In fact, the state of
California still allows lawyers to qualify in this way, if I'm not mistaken.
The state of Louisiana allowed this in the case of professional engineers
(P.E.s) until the past 10 years.  This allows for the "lateral entry" of
very qualified individuals who have not gone the typical route.

Also, when I was working on a master's degree in education, I saw the same
angst in that profession.  There was great concern over the public's view of
the professionalism of teachers and a move toward requiring more and more
education and examinations for a profession once populated by the recent
graduates of their own one-room schoolhouses - often with a great deal more
success.  I don't think the move to greater requirements changed anything
except made it much harder for those highly qualified lateral entry
teachers.  For example, it is nearly impossible for a chemistry professor to
get hired to teach high school chemistry unless he gets an education degree!
Several states are in the process of changing this and going back to eased
requirements for lateral entries (highly qualified, but not typical
applicants, perhaps those changing careers...)

And finally, I am extremely concerned that a move to requiring a four year
degree in lactation, or a nursing degree, would eventually put us in the
same place we are in many states in regard to midwifery.  In my state of
North Carolina, there is no legal option for lay midwifes, so that one
midwife I know, who has delivered far more babies safely than most young
OB/GYNs, is at constant risk of being arrested for practicing medicine
without a license.  I do *not* want to see a time when experienced mothers
don't dare to help other mothers breastfeed or even when that experienced
mother who has been a lay counselor for years can't do a lateral entry into
our profession, when she knows far more than the single girl who just
graduated from college.  I do understand that an experienced lay counselor
may not know a lot about dealing with premies in the hospital, but some of
the nurses I've known who got their IBCLC knew practically nothing about
introducing solids or weaning, either.  Both can be remedied by some
experience outside their expertise.

I think our profession needs to work for state licensure of IBCLCs, and
inform the public what to ask for.  I think one of our problems may be how
awkward our "initials" are.  My own friends can't remember how to ask for an
IBCLC at the hospital without getting the letters mixed up.  I tell them to
ask for a board certified lactation consultant.  Perhaps the move to RLC may
help.

BTW, I agree that adding an "allied professional" certification that
requires less than the IBCLC is way too early in our profession's
development and will only encourage cheapskates to hire the lesser
credentialed person, since there is not yet an expectation that the LCs be
only IBCLCs.

My two cents :-)
Melanie Young
IBCLC, LLLL
Johnston County, NC USA

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