Hi all,
 Let me introduce myself.  I am an RN of 4 years and have worked maternal child health for 2 years.  I recently became an IBCLC last October.  I took the test in July 2011 when I was 15 days post c-section with my first child.  Though my personal breastfeeding story has been rocky (and continues to be so), I am passionate about what I'm doing and to help others with it, too.

 I have seen a huge need at the hospital I'm working at to have an IBCLC on staff.  Currently, there is none.  The breastfeeding culture is poor and there is a huge opportunity to improve.  There is a small outpatient support program that is ill-defined where a breastfeeding educator (peer counselor) sees mothers outpatient and gives them electric, hospital-grade pumps.  Because there is no one to help moms on a one-on-one basis while moms are in the hospital, the peer counselors have been making "rounds" on inpatients, too.  They do not consult with a lactation consultant, including myself, unless I happen to be staffing on the maternal child health unit that day.  I am an IBCLC, but I am a staff member without an IBCLC position.  I am going to be teaching a breastfeeding basics class to the staff where I am hoping to begin the change in breastfeeding culture that I think needs to happen to help our moms be successful.

 I was asked to "convince" the "higher ups" that an IBCLC position is necessary.  We are a small rural hospital with about 700 births a year.  Does anyone have any comments, thoughts or suggestions as to how to begin this from nothing?

  I have considered starting private practice and then possibly "contracting" with the hospital, however the peer counselors are paid by the hospital, and I wonder if it would be a conflict of interest since I am a full-time employee.

Thank you in advance for your responses,
Daphne
RN, BSN, IBCLC
NC, USA

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