Hi, this is my first time posting on Lactnet, though I've been lurking for a long time (even long before it was a profession for me) and love the things I learn here.  I just feel like I need to weigh in on this recent discussion because it is really effecting me and I can't stop thinking about it.  

I am a Certified Lactation Counselor and was educated through Health Children.  

First off I'll say that I am very clear with my clients that I am a CLC.  When someone calls me a lactation consultant, I correct them.  On my website I provide a clear explanation of what my certification is, and provide links to where I received it and who accredits it.  When someone asks me for help, I do my best to make sure that they know what they are asking.  Do I go over all the ways that makes me different from an IBCLC in detail?  Not so much.  No more than you'd expect a physician's assistant to go over the difference between themselves and a doctor in detail with every patient they see.  

When I was first certified (only about a year ago) and I started helping mamas I knew that I might not be qualified to help in all cases.  IBCLCs have had more training and generally are also nurses--and these days nearly have to be in order to achieve that "gold standard" of certification.  I've always had it in mind that if something I encountered that was beyond my scope of practice, I would refer the mama to someone who had more training than I do.

But in a year of helping mamas and babies breastfeed, that hasn't happened yet.  And its not because I'm "dangerous" or a menace to breastfeeding relationships everywhere.  Its because I'm good at what I do.  And its because, most of the time, a breastfeeding relationship between a mama and baby just needs a little help and support.  I don't deny that there are bigger problems out there, and that I may not be equipped to handle them.  And it may be that I'm not seeing most of them because I am very clear about who I am and what I do, so when mamas are having bigger issues they pass over me and go see an IBCLC.  Either way, I do know that I am passionate about breastfeeding, passionate about helping mamas and babies achieve their breastfeeding goals, and I know that I do a LOT of good work in my community--which is not at all breastfeeding friendly, and so I'm constantly climbing an uphill battle.  Perhaps sometimes I help a mama with something that I could use more training for.  But the only people here fighting the good fight in my town are the midwives and doulas, and ONE (only ONE - and she doesn't even live here, she comes in twice a week) IBCLC.  Should I quit doing what I do because someone might mistake me for something else?  If a mama can't get in touch with the IBCLC and needs help should I tell her she just has to wait because its "beyond my scope of practice?"  Hopefully you see how ridiculous that would be.  

I don't misrepresent myself.  I DO do everything I can.

And to boot, there are actually some really bad IBCLCs out there.  I've had to correct some pretty awful advice given to mamas by IBCLCs they encountered in the hospital shortly after delivering their babies (mamas in this area have to travel an hour or more to get to a hospital to deliver their babies, so these aren't women I know or work with).  I'll never forget the time a mama was told she was "drying up" by an IBCLC because she "only" pumped 5cc--when the baby was just a few days old....  My point is that a bad IBCLC can be doing as much damage (or more, because it is considered the "gold standard") than a bad CLC.  

I keep seeing this conversation framed as CLC vs IBCLC.  I think this is a mistake.  There is a place for every one, and the focus should just be on an insistence that people do their jobs well.  I don't care if a CLC inflates her certification (something I don't do) as long as she is helping the mothers she works with.  I don't care if an IBCLC has the gold standard in certification if she is sabotaging the mothers she helps.  I think there needs to be less anger about what title anyone has and more anger about people who are just screwing things up all around.

That's about all I have to say.  I hope I've been able to add something valuable to the conversation.

Leah Marie

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