professional lactation guides

[Guest guest]

The theme of the current issue of Midwifery Today is Breastfeeding - I haven't

read it all yet but I did read " Meeting the Need: Building Communities of

Lactation Support " by Angelique Chelton, Certified Lactation Counselor. Her

first suggestion includes conducting a survey of local bfing support, are there

IBCLCs CLCs, CLEs, support groups in your area? " Take some time to understand

just what services these professionals are offering and to whom. Please abandon

unsupported ideas that assert that some lactation guides are better than others.

Just as there is no hierarchy between various types of midwives, there is no

hierarchy in professional lactation support. Be willing to consider that

perhaps the letters behind a name don't matter as much as the heart, mind and

experience of the guide. Let's be brave and take into account that all kinds of

lactation guides have something valuable to offer the women in our community. "

I agree that all of the various forms of lactation support are valuable - but

the comparison is wrong. You wouldn't ask a doula to stitch up a torn perineum

or a midwife to perform a c-section.

~ McCormick, IBCLC

Shelburne, VT