Re: lactation professionals long post

[Guest guest]

The CLC course is a good course for what it is. The issue I have with it is the

manner in which it implies that a CLC has qualifications equal to or better than

an IBCLC.

The CLC course manual states " CLC is a designation awarded by ANCC and ALPP to

those who successfully complete the CLC exam. (ANCC= the American Nurses

Credentialing Center; ALPP = the Academy of Lactation Policy and Practice). CLC

is a certificate of added qualification for those who have successfully verified

their competency while completing a 40 hour course of training. "

then it states: " What are IBCLCs?

International Board Certified Lactation Consultants are people who have passed

the exam developed by the IBLCE, which tests minimum technical knowledge in

breastfeeding and human lactation. "

the ALPP is the organization that administers the CLC exam and this link will

take you to their page on

designations:http://www.talpp.org/forms/Making%20Sense%20of%20Designations.pdf

where they state that IBLCE candidates only need 45 hours of classroom as well

as unsupervised practice hours and that's it..

HUH? did I write the same exam they're talking about? Even under the 2011

pathway for volunteer counselors, there was way more to it than what they

imply...

I also disagree with them, in that, even once breastfeeding becomes the cultural

norm, we will still need persons with a more in-depth understanding of

breastfeeding to help the population that has more in-depth problems.

After my almost 20 years as an active LLL Leader, taking human relations

enrichment courses, going to numerous conferences, reading 100s of Leaven

magazines and numerous Lactation texts, taking a University level Human

Lactation course and having 7 years in EMS with all the recerts and

anatomy/physiology, psychology, medical terminology, CPR, biology, helping 100s

of women, and then doing intensive study to write the exam - by the previous

description - I have less qualification or competency verification than a CLC

who has a course with ANCC designation... I don't think so.... and I have spoken

with women who have taken the course in the past and cannot get work anywhere as

CLCs because they have no clinical experience..but this possibility is not

broached.

I've wanted to say this for a long time...

Interesting note: every instructor I had for the CLC course (there were 3) is an

IBCLC... nuff said.(I took it expressly as a refresher for the IBCLC exam...)

Celina Dykstra, IBCLC, LLLL

>

> Can someone please clarify for me what the parameters are for the CLC and the

CLEC?

> Tow, IBCLC

>