Vicki, Congratulations on your graduation and welcome to the discussion. I have often wondered, and I think you have the perfect background to answer this: Before you learned about newborns in nursing school, and at the beginning of your hospital practice (if you can remember back that far), how well did you pick up on things like respiratory distress, reflux, and cardiac problems which first manifested themselves as breastfeeding problems? I think many non-nurse IBCLCs are well-qualified to help with breastfeeding in the hospital, but have often wondered if they would pick up on things like a soft grunt (kind of a mewing or sing-songy sound heard with respirations in a baby who is having difficulty breathing--for non-medical Lactnetters, not for you, Vicki) or a baby who doesn't want to close is mouth and is breathing a little fast. I know these things can be learned by non-nurses, but how many of you non-nurse LCs were oriented to these kinds of things. BTW, I know minimally cross-trained nurses who have trouble picking up on these signs at first. Just didn't want you fading back into lurkdom, Vicki. What do you think? Bonnie