I am interested in becoming an LC in private practice, but need to be very careful before starting my education as this would be a complete career change for me (from software development), and I am the primary (and often the sole) income for a family with very tight finances. I've been lurking on LACTNET to see if this would be an acceptable place to ask some very basic questions. I think it is, although I don't think there is anyone here as close to the beginning of the journey as I am (if I decide to do this). My first question is, what does the journey to becoming an IBCLC look like for someone who isn't in the field of health care already? I have, of course, looked at the IBCLE website to see what the pathways are, but I find that most of my questions aren't answered. The pathway that most appeals to me is #2, as I learn very efficiently in classroom settings, but I haven't been able to find a program that will work near where I live (20 miles north of Seattle, WA, USA and happy to commute for an education). I've also looked for distance education Internet courses, but haven't found any. Am I correct in understanding that there are very few programs in lactation education that meet the requirements for Pathway 2, and that for most women who are not in health or medicine now the only option is really pathway #3? My next question is, are there any intermediary steps I can take to start earning an income in the field of lactation support to pay for the rest of my education? I realize that an education for a profession does not come without a cost, and I realize that lots of experience working with mothers and babies is key to being a superior LC. However, because my family depends so heavily upon my income, I really need to consider if I can afford to invest the unpaid time and the expenses needed to become an LC. I am currently on a contract and will be receiving unemployment when that contract ends next March, and probably won't find a new job in a hurry due to the economy. That will give me some room to get started without going broke. However, if I am going to do this instead of focusing on my current career, I need to know how soon I can make some money to supplement or replace unemployment insurance. If my hope of being able to start earning an income before I'm done with my education isn't realistic - is it possible / reasonable to get the clinical experience I will need while working full-time during normal working hours? Would I be able to get those hours of experience during the evening or on weekends? I've heard lots of sources say that you will often need to pay someone to supervise you while you get your clinical experience. How much does this usually cost? Finally, is my image of private practice as an IBCLC realistic? I imagine myself earning $20,000 a year or more after expenses doing 30 hours of work a week average, plus about 5 to 10 hours a week of continuing education or volunteer work. I imagine myself working out of my own home in the suburbs (as opposed to having an office in the city), working primarily evenings and weekends, with occasional daytime work by appointment, and making most house calls evenings, nights (as in, "Call me at 3 AM!" - something I could have used when breastfeeding was an middle-of-the-night LC) or weekends. I would try to do most of my job as house calls, although I would have an office for visits in my home, since getting the children to cooperate with making the house a pleasant atmosphere probably won't be easy and will require them leaving the house with Dad for the duration. I likely would follow up my IBCLC with certification as a post-pardem doula and would try to specialize in night support. My motivations for becoming an LC are (a) to find a more meaningful and fulfilling job while meeting my family's financial needs (b) to provide mothers with the knowledgable lactation care I wish I'd had so they don't have to spend hours hunting online and in books the way I did to find adequate information and (c) to have a more flexible job so I can be more involved with my own children and so my husband can afford to work (childcare expenses virtually erase his income if he works the same hours as me). My breastfeeding experience so far is just nursing my twins to 2.5 years, and during those years I dealt with late lactogenesis (my milk came in 6 days after a needed C-section) and 4 days of supplementation with an SNS and finger-feeding, mild nipple-confusion, lactose overload, mild thrush, mild repeat mastitis, overactive letdown, nursing strikes, oversupply (the root cause of many of the previous issue, I've no doubt), return to work at 8 months, pumping (I never got the hang of hand-expression), and dealing with excess lipase (my milk soured so my children wouldn't eat it if I went 30 minutes without scalding expressed milk). Any other advice you may have is also welcome. Feel free to reply to me off-list. I really hope that this is not too off-topic, as I know that this list is intended for people who are already lactation professionals - if it is, I apologize in advance and will not post again unless I succeed in becoming a lactation professional myself :-) Thanks, -Ethel [log in to unmask] *********************************************** Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html To reach list owners: [log in to unmask] Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask] COMMANDS: 1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail 2. To start it again: set lactnet mail 3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet 4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome