is anyone an LC... how do you become and LC -- and what do you DO with an LC?

[Momma Aimee]

DH's question really

We were talking, i am the go to person for lal the wives of his co-workers about everything natural birth and BF....most blow me off as a freak (hey they asked) but one or two have really told there DH who told mine, that iw as helpful

DH asked well what about that woman who came to the room to teach you BF when T was born? WHat is her job title and couldn't you do something like that?"

She was, of course, the hosptail LC ...... not that i was so impressed with HER ... but it got me thinking.....

How does one become a LC ? is there more than one way -- like more than one CBE or Doula group?

What do you do with your LC? do you make enough money to help out the family?

Just wondering about LCs since i don't really know any.

Aimee

[ScootchsMom]

It depends on what exactly you want to do

IBCLC - This is what the hospital LC was. You can get all the info from their site at http://www.iblce.org/info.htm Depending on your level of education their is a large requirement of "hours" you need to acheive in order to even sit the exam.

You can also train as a lactation educator through a group such as CAPPA, and Childbirth International will be coming out with a similiar program soon as well. www.cappa.net

You can also do training as a peer counselor through LLL, but if you are looking for a paying position that is not it.

It all really depends on whether you just want to volunteer to help new moms with "normal" breastfeeding, versus getting into diagnosing extreme problems which is where an IBCLC would come in.

I'm going to be doing the CBI training once it is available. I'm already trained through CAPPA as a postpartum doula and it will fit in well with that since a lot of postpartum work is breastfeeding help. Eventually, once I get the hours under my belt, I want to sit for the IBCLC exam, but that won't be for years! HTH! If you want any further help with it, feel free to PM me.

Liz

[Momma Aimee]

thanks

also -- what are the career possiblities for LCs?

The only ones i have met work at the hospital -- are there LC employee elsewhere?

what do you need to be an LC to do -- and what can you do as a LE (lactation educator, such as via CAPPA for something)??????

Aimee

[Maggi315]

I am an LC in private practice. I would suggest Linda Smiths book about working as a private practice LC, it is a wonderful investment.

I must say, that my homebirth clients rarely need the services of an LC. it's the hospital/c-section/epidural/back to work people who use my services. I am not nearly busy enough as a LC to support myself, most of my income comes from being a midwife. Next month, I will begin to sell and rent breast pumps, but again, don't expect to make alot of money, it's more of a service.

In our area, you have to be an RN to work as a hospital LC. It's a decent paying job, if I wasn't a midwife I would consider it.

Insurance doesn't usually reimburse me in PA, people have to pay out of pocket. Down near Philly, the LC's charge way more than I do, people around here wouldn't pay it.

You can pm me if you need more information. There are yahoo groups for lc students with lots of great information.

[GrannyLC]

LC in a hospital

I am an RN and also an IBCLC. Most hospital (but not ours) require an RN to work as an LC. This is really silly because nursing has NOTHING to do with breastfeeding knowledge or ability to pass the IBCLE (exam). In fact, the best grades on the exam are usually made by those with a LLL background.

There are numerous ways to enter the field but it can take years to get enough hours working with breastfeeding mothers to qualify. I had worked in hospitals , birth centers and with homebirth midwives as an assistant and it still took me about 10 years to get the hours. Each year of college you have decreases the number of hours as well. You can go to IBCLE.org to check out the pathways.

As far as Lactation Edcuators (you can teach Breastfeeding Classes) or Lactation Counselors, you can do private practice but, in most areas, you won't make much money. As an IBCLC, the average salary in a hospital setting is atound $70,000.

Hope this helps.

[Maggi315]

Wow! 70,000! I would love to know if you hear of jobs that pay that, and where they are. Seriously! Around here, the hospitals lc's are paid what nurses are paid, which starts around 20.00 for experienced nurses and goes up to about 25.00. So about 40-50,000/year. And they generally put up with lots of crap, overworked, too many people to see, nurses who don't respect the "no bottle, no nipples", nurses who give sugar water too quickly, hospitals that still separate moms and babies after birth: , 25-30% c-section rates to deal with, formula companies sponsoring all the ceus/luncheons/workshops, formula discharge packs, pens, mugs, etc. Drives me crazy!!!

I think it's a great thing to do, don't get me wrong, we NEED more LC"s, we need to have them on the floor 24/7 (our area hospitals only have them mon-fri 7-3, god help you if you deliver at 4pm on a friday, you're on your own!).

It does take years, there needs to be a better system, most people don't have 5-10 years to devote to hands on breastfeeding volunteerism. I am also a LLLLeader, you can get 500 hours/year. But if you don't have a bachelors degree, you need 4000/hours. That discourages most women from doing it, it's not attainable! heck, you can become a nurse and finish nursing school in much less time.

A better system for clinicals would be a great idea. I know there is a program or two that does that, but having it more accessible to the general woman who has a family and can't move would be ideal. if we made it easier to become LC's, and more people were available to do the work, it would be a wonderful thing!

[Momma Aimee]

thanks everyone.

ABout the college degree .. i read it to be ANY college degree cuts the required hours down for IBCLC .... is that correct?

then people who already have a degree in a medical field, that is another pathway? correct?

[ldsapmom]

There is a new pathway F you may wish to look at at iblce.org.

[Maggi315]

The medical pathway is only for doctors, nurse practitioners and such, not nurses. There is a new pathway, though.

And yes, my understanding is any bachelors cuts down on the hours. i took most ofmy ceu credits online through a course through health-e learning, out of australia. they have 10 different breastfeeding courses, some anatomy and others ,which were great. their practice exam course was wonderful! I don't have the web address right here on this computer, but you should be able to google it, i think the womans name is denise something? It's been about 5-6 years since I took them, but it was a nice way to get all the credits without having to leave my kids and go to expensive conferences.

good luck!

[Momma Aimee]

And yes, my understanding is any bachelors cuts down on the hours. i took most ofmy ceu credits online through a course through health-e learning, out of australia. they have 10 different breastfeeding courses, some anatomy and others ,which were great. their practice exam course was wonderful! I don't have the web address right here on this computer, but you should be able to google it, i think the womans name is denise something? It's been about 5-6 years since I took them, but it was a nice way to get all the credits without having to leave my kids and go to expensive conferences.

excellent -- i would like to do as much of my course work as possible at home -- two young kids you see

I will look this place up

Thanks

Aimee

[Momma Aimee]

http://www.health-e-learning.com/

looks AWSOME

THANKS

[Momma Aimee]

i have another question

I e-mailed -- over a month ago -- to IBELC asking some questions...

I know it is, or at least has been, exam time for them ...

i still have not heard back -- should i e-mail again? Or what?

Aimee

[Momma Aimee]

question about teh IBLEC exam

it is given ONCE a year, correct?

when?

and is it the same time every year?

[ldsapmom]

July.

[CarsonBookworm]

My Mom is an IBCLC who was an OB RN before she embarked on her path to certification.

I'll forward your questions to her and see if she can offer any additional insight.

I do remember that she attended a long-term Lactation Education course (or more than one) at the UCSD Extension, worked with some BFing Moms and took the big exam in July 2004 or 2005. That's all that I know as an outsider.

HTH

[Momma Aimee]

i have been reading about the reqirments to sit for the LC exam .... and i am wondering ... with all the required course work ... how much money did you spend to get it all done?

I see a lot of awsome distastance learning options -- has anyone done all their courses distance, or do you have to "classroom" at least some?

Aimee

[laoxinat]

Shouldn't this be posted in a BFing forum? I keep looking at it thinking it is about labor coaching

[Momma Aimee]

actaully posted in both places

I see a lactation consultant as a birth professional .....

Aimee

[wombjuice]

Originally Posted by Momma Aimee

I see a lactation consultant as a birth professional .....

So do I.

[laoxinat]

Originally Posted by Momma Aimee

actaully posted in both places

I see a lactation consultant as a birth professional .....

Aimee

ITA!!! I was just cornfused.But that happens easily