any LLL leaders that are also IBCLC?

[momtoS]

I am just curious. I am going through the LLL leader application process, and I am wondering about possibly becoming an IBCLC in the future...

[bobbirs]

I know of one...and she said that it is easier/ more likely for a LLL Leader to pass the test for IBCLC than for a nurse to. HTH!
Bobbi

[jeanine123]

I know my old LLL leader in So Cal had just passed her IBCLC right after my oldest was born.

[BiscuitBaby]

I know of 4 LLL Leaders who are also IBCLC.

If you go to an area conference and attend the CE sessions, you will meet some.

[christiab]

You get 500 contact hours for each year of being a LLL, so after 5 years you have accrued enough hours to take the IBCLC exam. You can do it in less time if you do one of the supplemental pathways (H or G), or you teach breastfeeding classes or something similar.

Many LLLeaders become IBCLCs. I will take the exam in 2008, so hopefully I will be one more LLL IBCLC!

[Breastfeeding Insomniac]

I know many LLL leaders who are also IBCLC's and they are all wonderful. I think that having the LLL experience is an excellent foundation not only for the bc hours, but the assistance you provide to new moms not only helps them, it helps you to learn.

[Breastfeeding Insomniac]

Originally Posted by bobbirs

I know of one...and she said that it is easier/ more likely for a LLL Leader to pass the test for IBCLC than for a nurse to. HTH!
Bobbi

I have heard this comment before, and I would disagree. I am not saying that it is harder for someone who is not a nurse, but the IBCLC boards use a thinking style that is similar to the critical thinking training that is drilled into our heads in nursing school. I think my experience with taking state boards exam for my RN, was an excellent prep for my LC boards.

[pumpkinhead]

With respect, I thought that you weren't supposed to discuss going though the LLL leader application process or announce publically that you are a leader? If I'm mistaken in that, my appologies.

[Breastfeeding Insomniac]

Originally Posted by pumpkinhead

With respect, I thought that you weren't supposed to discuss going though the LLL leader application process or announce publically that you are a leader? If I'm mistaken in that, my appologies.

I know nothing of the LLL process, but if this is true, I would be curious to know what the rationale is behind this rule.

[Da WIC Lady]

Originally Posted by pumpkinhead

With respect, I thought that you weren't supposed to discuss going though the LLL leader application process or announce publically that you are a leader? If I'm mistaken in that, my appologies.

Wow, I've only been to one LLL meeting, but I had no idea it was a secret society. :

I would think that that attitude would be counterproductive to recruiting more members and leaders. I mean, how much more public can you get than putting an ad in the paper, which many local groups do? Many of them have at least the first name of the leader so people know who to ask for. As to the process, if it's grueling enough that they have to keep it a secret then maybe that should be a clue. But like I said, I've only been to one meeting, so I have no clue if you're right or not.

Anna

[Breastfeeding Insomniac]

My only guess is that if they are not supposed to talk about becoming a leader, is to keep them out of the leader role until its official. if someone knows your about to be a LLL leader, then they may be contacting the person for bf advice, and I am sure in the letigious society the USA has become LLL has lawyers and leaders are bound by certain policies and procedures, and things they can and can not say. So the thinking may be that the LLL leader in training won't know of all the rules until she finishes training. i.e. I know for a fact that a LLL leader is not supposed to tell you a medication is safe and ok to take (neither is an IBCLC) we can quote Hale's book, and explain what the L1-L5 category means, and mom can make her own educated choice. This is probably something a leader did not know though until training.

[Lil'M]

Leader applicants are not supposed to let other moms know at LLL meetings that they are Leader applicants because they are not covered by insurance nor have they completed the training, so moms should not be seeing them as "almost" representatives of LLL.

In terms of identifying oneself as a Leader online, I believe some of the concern is that LLL is a one-issue organization. If someone is identifying themselves online as a Leader, and then also advocating for other causes (no vax, etc.), that can be considered mixing causes and can make it look like LLL is taking a stand on an issue that they are not.

But it is my understanding that if a Leader is very clear about when she is speaking as a Leader and when she is not wearing her Leader hat, it is less problematic.

I'll try to search for official policy info later.

[menomena]

Originally Posted by Breastfeeding Insomniac

My only guess is that if they are not supposed to talk about becoming a leader, is to keep them out of the leader role until its official. if someone knows your about to be a LLL leader, then they may be contacting the person for bf advice, and I am sure in the letigious society the USA has become LLL has lawyers and leaders are bound by certain policies and procedures, and things they can and can not say. So the thinking may be that the LLL leader in training won't know of all the rules until she finishes training. i.e. I know for a fact that a LLL leader is not supposed to tell you a medication is safe and ok to take (neither is an IBCLC) we can quote Hale's book, and explain what the L1-L5 category means, and mom can make her own educated choice. This is probably something a leader did not know though until training.

Yes...

Leader applicants are not supposed to let other moms know at LLL meetings that they are Leader applicants because they are not covered by insurance nor have they completed the training, so moms should not be seeing them as "almost" representatives of LLL.

In terms of identifying oneself as a Leader online, I believe some of the concern is that LLL is a one-issue organization. If someone is identifying themselves online as a Leader, and then also advocating for other causes (no vax, etc.), that can be considered mixing causes and can make it look like LLL is taking a stand on an issue that they are not.

But it is my understanding that if a Leader is very clear about when she is speaking as a Leader and when she is not wearing her Leader hat, it is less problematic.

and yes.

[Da WIC Lady]

Ok, I could see how it may not be a good idea to publicize, but I was thinking more along the lines of the process like the paperwork and training not that people would see them as something they're not.

As a WIC peer counselor, I know that there are certain things that we cannot do because it would be considered practicing medicine. It's really hard to walk that line sometimes because of how people see you as an authority figure. It seems sometimes no matter how hard I try to explain that I cannot diagnose nor proscribe treatment, only offer suggestions and refer to HCPs, that people take what I say as medical advise or worse, don't actually listen. I've even had one person tell my supervisor that I told her to use Benedryl and Sudaphed to dry up when I told her that those are things to avoid when nursing because they can dry you up. I can understand how the LLL would want to be covered with the way some people don't listen. However, I would think that a requirement that trainees not despense advise until an official leader would be sufficient. Not talking about becomming a leader at all seems a bit extreme.

Anna

[BiscuitBaby]

From the La Leche League Leader Handbook:

Keep in mind that prior to accreditation, the Applicant is not a representative of La Leche League and is not covered by LLLI liability insurance. She can not act in the name of LLL by leading a Series Meeting, helping mothers one-to-one, or speaking to outside groups. An Applicant should not be put in a position where she might appear to represent LLL, even if a Leader is not available. To avoid confusion, we ask that mothers do not introduce themselves as Applicants in public settings, such as Series Meetings or Internet chat lists.

[Da WIC Lady]

Originally Posted by Lil'M

In terms of identifying oneself as a Leader online, I believe some of the concern is that LLL is a one-issue organization. If someone is identifying themselves online as a Leader, and then also advocating for other causes (no vax, etc.), that can be considered mixing causes and can make it look like LLL is taking a stand on an issue that they are not.

I get a similar problem at work. People come in asking me about vax, cloth diapers, older children, medications, baby's rash, and loads of other things that have nothing to do with WIC or breastfeeding. Or they expect me to know the answers to WIC questions that have nothing to do with my job, like specific things you can and cannot get in a food package for postpartum moms or children, or something specific about certification that comes up rarely. It can be hard to get it through to people that just because I work for WIC, or am working at the Health Department, that I don't have a medical degree and don't know everything about WIC, and that if I were to get involved in some of the things they're wanting answers on, I could loose my job. I'm sure LLL leaders run into the same things where people either want them to give advise on issues that are not breastfeeding related or assume that because they are LLL and believe certain things not related to breastfeeding that it's a LLL position.

Anna

[BiscuitBaby]

Not talking about becomming a leader at all seems a bit extreme.

There are other opportunites to talk to Mothers about Leadership outside of Series Meetings. There is a meeting, sometimes called a MILK meeting which stands for Mothers Interested in LLL Knowledge. Mothers can ask questions and learn about the process of becoming a Leader and work with other Leader Applicants through the process.

Prior to being a WIC Peer Counselor, you might not introduce yourself as a Peer Counselor in training. You would wait until you have completed the training and certification process.

[BiscuitBaby]

I'm sure LLL leaders run into the same things where people either want them to give advise on issues that are not breastfeeding related or assume that because they are LLL and believe certain things not related to breastfeeding that it's a LLL position.

It can be difficult to steer the direction of the meeting back to breastfeeding. We had a meeting where the topic was nutrition and a mom went on and on about how cows milk is terrible for you and people didn't need milk for calcium. That is not a position for LLL and we could not let people think that LLL took a stand on the nutritional content of cows milk no matter how interesting I think the conversation might be.

There are a lot of discussions that contnue after the meeting and people can get into vaxing, circ, etc, but not while the "official meeting" is going on.

[Breastfeeding Insomniac]

Originally Posted by Da WIC Lady

I get a similar problem at work. People come in asking me about vax, cloth diapers, older children, medications, baby's rash, and loads of other things that have nothing to do with WIC or breastfeeding

I deal with the same thing also. I think its bc when navigating their way through bf and the health care system, when a mom finally meets someone who can calm her fears and give her true information, confidence, etc. then they feel like we are the ones who can truly be trusted. When I am working with a mom who was completely misinformed about bf by her ped, all of a sudden she loses faith in anything the ped told her.

[Da WIC Lady]

Originally Posted by BiscuitBaby

There are other opportunites to talk to Mothers about Leadership outside of Series Meetings. There is a meeting, sometimes called a MILK meeting which stands for Mothers Interested in LLL Knowledge. Mothers can ask questions and learn about the process of becoming a Leader and work with other Leader Applicants through the process.

Prior to being a WIC Peer Counselor, you might not introduce yourself as a Peer Counselor in training. You would wait until you have completed the training and certification process.

That was the thing that really bothered me about my experience. My title is peer counselor, but I didn't have all the training until I had been on the job for 7 months and was expected to do the job anyway. Scary, isn't it? There wasn't anything I did or said that wasn't within the guidelines of my job description as I would always err on the side of caution and listen then refer, refer, refer. I do a lot more now, but I still end up referring to LCs or MDs a lot.

Anna