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 *********************************************** 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