I began as an LLL Leader in 1990 and volunteered at WIC for several years, while as a Leader I also designed what might be the first peer counseling program in 1992 that paid its counselors and I ran that hospital clinic-based program for several years--supporting 1000 low-income families through peer support. I trained 40 peer counselors, including several teen moms and within 1 year we had increased bfing duration from 2 weeks to 4 months (including a teen population of 25%). I did not become IBCLC until 1996, so most of that time, I was representing LLL. When the hospital became BF, I was one of a tiny minority pushing for Step 10 to be taken seriously. It wasn't of course and has not been to this day. 


As an IBCLC, I have provided a free mother-to-mother support group to my clients for years, first in-person and now on-line, bc mothers are the best support for other mothers.


For some reason, Jaye chose to interpret my comment completely out of context, ignoring the entire first part of my post, so I will repost it here:

My original post:
<<While I agree with Nikki that there are many ways to help bfing mothers without the IBCLC credential, and certainly my own background in LLL attests to that belief, I do not see the examples she gives as the best ones to illustrate her point. All of the above are medical providers--nurse, midwife or physician, while Heather has none of those backgrounds. 

I think that in the US, both LLL and Breastfeeding USA are excellent options for someone motivated to support bfing mothers w/o a credential and often those qualifications can lead to surprising opportunities. For example, I wrote a grant and developed and facilitated a clinic-based peer counselor program while I was an LLLL--before becoming IBCLC. Sometimes, you have an idea or incentive no one else does and you can create something new. And, who knows, Heather, perhaps once you have accumulated hours as a volunteer, you will feel so much closer to the IBCLC credential (especially as you have already taken the CLC course), that you will be find the other requirements seem more within reach and you will achieve your full goal. 

One thing I do wonder about is the comment that "I realize that a breastfeeding mother needs an IBCLC (and in some cases an RN/IBCLC) to provide advice in and out of the hospital setting. ". There is no situation in which a mother might need an "RN/IBCLC to help her breastfeed. If an RN or an MD or a JD or PhD or anyone else happens to be an IBCLC, then the other credential is not relevant to breastfeeding. The IBCLC is the only credential ever required to assist a breastfeeding mother, unless the concern is a medical one. We have simply got to stop tying the IBCLC credential to the medical field or we will never be the profession we are meant to be. >>



My post simply stated that <<when>> a mother needs an IBCLC (not that a mother <<only>> needs an IBCLC), there is no need for that IBCLC to have any other credential--to assume such is necessary only further medicalizes the profession, which benefits no one. In most cases, bfing moms simply need support from family, friends, other mothers and the community. When they need a bit more guidance, a volunteer such as a peer counselor (or a paid PC), a support group, LLLL and other such support beautifully meets that need. When they need clinical intervention, the IBCLC is appropriate. Nowhere is it necessary that the IBCLC have any other credential. That does not mean we do not bring all of our background, knowledge and skills with us, because we surely do. Certainly, one of the boons of Lactnet has been exactly that--that any discussion benefits from the many different backgrounds that breastfeeding supporters come from. It is one of the benefits of not demanding that IBCLCs have a shared medical background--but rather that those with a medical background offer their own perspective, equal in value to that of any other perspective. Diversity has always been the greatest advantage of this profession--to narrow our perspective (such as happens when we reduce access to those without medical credentials) would be a terrible loss. 


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




"There is no situation in which a mother might need an "RN/IBCLC to
help her breastfeed. If an RN or an MD or a JD or PhD or anyone else
happens to be an IBCLC, then the other credential is not relevant to
breastfeeding. The IBCLC is the only credential ever required to
assist a breastfeeding mother, unless the concern is a medical one. We
have simply got to stop tying the IBCLC credential to the medical
field or we will never be the profession we are meant to be. "

While I understand the sentiment behind the above statement and agree
with it to a degree, I actually have to disagree with it as a whole.

To say that the IBCLC is the only credential ever required completely
ignores the many other peer to peer/mother to mother support people
out there helping on a daily basis.  Not everyone needs to be an IBCLC
to help a mother breastfeed.  And the IBCLC credential is certainly
not required to do so.

In regards to other credentials being relevant or not, I think they
all can add something to the IBCLC's repertoire in helping the mother
to breastfeed and in a variety of different ways.  Breastfeeding isn't
just putting the baby to breast these days - those are the easy cases
many of us wish we could see at least once or twice a year.  Those are
the cases where mothers do not necessarily need an IBCLC to help - A
PC, LLLL, BfUSA BC, CLE, or good friend experienced in nursing can
help just fine.  However, these other credentials lend themselves to
the breastfeeding mother in a myriad of ways that can be very
important to her.  We encompass so much more as IBCLCs these days it
is important, I feel, to recognize what we each have to offer with our
other skills and credentials.

I truly believe there are times when the RN aspect as an IBCLC comes
in VERY handy.  I know there are many times in my own career where
being an RN would have helped me help a mother get the assistance she
needed much faster.  Also, having a bit of a medical background could
certainly help the mother who has special needs that require medical
assistance in relation to breastfeeding.  While I have learned more
medically related stuff than I ever thought possible over the past 18
yrs in the field, I certainly do not have a medical background.

Breastfeeding has become medically entangled due to birth practices,
our need to know about medications and how they may or may not impact
mom and baby; the need to know about hormonal issues in moms with low
milk supply; the need to know about structural issues and how they
affect the baby's ability to suck; the need to know how the nervous
system is affected by those structural issues;  the need to know how
different medical conditions in baby and/or mother may or may not
affect breastfeeding; How gut health may or may not affect milk
supply; how to recognize t-t and how to ensure that ties are properly
revised.  As IBCLCs many of study, research and teach this stuff.
And it is ALL Medically important.  Many of us IBCLCs know more about
these medically important issues than the Medical Profession moms have
to work with in order to help get these things resolved.

The fact that these are ALL medically related issues says to me (at
least) that as much as we may NOT want the IBCLC field to be
medicalized, it already HAS BEEN both out of necessity and by the
IBLCE pulling it that way.  Whether we agree with it or not, I
seriously doubt it will change so I think the key is to not become SO
ingrained into the medical model that we lose sight of what IBCLCs are
primarily all about, what we started off as - helping mothers to
breastfeed and understanding, promoting and assisting others in
knowing what normal breastfeeding is all about.

I would love to see the argument between the 'sides' medical vs
not-medical stop and rather, start embracing what we all have to
offer.  In-fighting is a problem and it shows the world not a very
pretty picture.  I have been privy to many discussions both public and
private over the last year that sadden me - people who just are so set
in their 'place' that they refuse to see what is offered by the 'other
side'.  There truly is a medical ground...  We need, as a profession,
to stop saying this or that is the end all be all of Lactation
anything.  We need to start honoring each others contributions - when
we see that we are lacking in education we need to go look for it.  We
all need to be the best we can be, and work together to help the
mothers - because when it comes right down to it THEY are why we are
all here in this field - to help THEM and the Babies.  So...Let's do
it.

Warmly,
Jaye Simpson, CLE, IBCLC, RLC, CIIM, BC



 

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