I would like to suggest that ILCA form an alliance with the National Health Freedom Coalition. I met the attorney (Diane Miller) who co-founded the organization today. She was instrumental in passing one of only 6 health freedom acts in the United States (so far) in her state of Minnesota. She told me that if she had thought of it (if we had been working together), she would have!), she would have specifically included LCs in the list of providers offered safe harbor from the risk of being accused of "practicing medicine without a license". IMO, this is far better than attempting to be licensed, which may inherently restrict anyone other than a doctor (and an IBCLC) from assisting with breastfeeding (including LLLL's). Licensing opens us up to division, as each state licenses uniquely, and it opens us to greater restrictions once the Departments of Health have their claws in us. It would be much easier to maintain a global scope of practice if we were simply protected rather than licensed state by state. 

I know there are those who prefer to see us behave more as medical allies rather than allies for normal infant feeding, but I think that is a mistake. I think we need to be forward-thinking, bold in our ownership of our skills and talents and act to protect our right to practice outside of the control of the AMA/AAP. I certainly think we need to act like a profession rather than a set of useless initials. Aligning with health freedom advocates positions us as advocates for women's rights to drive their own care. Aligning with the medical model positions us as advocates for restriction of women's rights in health care. 

Lest anyone think this is a US issue, restrictions on health care freedom have taken place in CN, the UK, the EU and AU in the past couple of years as well. 




 MN statute:
http://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/bin/getpub.php?pubtype=STAT_CHAP_SEC&year=2006&section=146A.01




Jennifer Tow, IBCLC, CT, USA
Intuitive Parenting Network LLC

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