Dear Jessica,
       I am happy that you are studying and planning to become an IBCLC.
However, I would like to point out something so that you have a more realistic
view of what you need.  You wrote that once you have earned your BSN, you "will
start earning practice hours for my IBCLC, that will probably take me another
year to get certified."
       I would like to point out that if you worked 40 hours/week as an RN
(and most where I am work more like 30-38), and if you worked every minute of
your job doing breastfeeding work (and you won't:  you'll be checking stitches
and vitals, paperwork, and lots of other non-breastfeeding duties as an RN), it
would take 16 months to get enough hours if you never took a day off or took
a vacation during that time.
       I think you should expect to take at least 2-3 years to get enough
practice hours, maybe more.  Although you could ask your supervisor to sign off
that you have enough hours sooner than that, and your supervisor might do it,
you would be doing yourself and your future breastfeeding patients/clients a
huge disfavor by not really putting in the necessary hours and getting as much
clinical experience as you can.  It is wonderful to be excited about
breastfeeding and to want to "jump in" helping moms as soon as possible.  But you will
do the best job and be happiest with yourself if you allow yourself plenty of
time to get those 2500 clinical hours.
       Wishing you well in your studies,
       Dee

Dee Kassing, BS, MLS, IBCLC
Collinsville, Illinois, in central USA

             ***********************************************

To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail
To start it again: set lactnet mail (or digest)
To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
All commands go to [log in to unmask]

The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html