Yes Christine! So many NEW things each and every year. The mothers teach me a lot! I'm fascinated by a lot of the new products but the research is often lacking for support of the new "stuff." So, thankfully the most important things are still free. Skin to skin, hand expression, following infant feeding cues etc. As for specializing - I'm all in. If someone wants to get really good at "tools," I will defer/refer to them for sure! Just like some specialize in newborns, some in NICU, some with multiples - it's great to have these experts around and as our profession grows I think we'll see more and more of that - which is a good thing because we can't all be expert in every area. Great post - thanks for sharing.
Thank YOU, Mary! I think it's so important to normalize this specialization that we ALL know is happening. I also think it will be critical to ensure that specialization in the very things you mentioned continues to be highly valued. It would be easy for that to be minimized in this environment of change - I know you will be joining me in championing the IBCLC who is particularly skilled in supporting lactation when tools are not part of the picture.
I’ve been an OB nurse for 7 years and lactation counselor for 5 years. Brand new to IBCLC, 6 months in! So many tools and tricks to learn, as well as mental/ emotional/ cultural reasons for breastfeeding stopping.
Yes Christine! So many NEW things each and every year. The mothers teach me a lot! I'm fascinated by a lot of the new products but the research is often lacking for support of the new "stuff." So, thankfully the most important things are still free. Skin to skin, hand expression, following infant feeding cues etc. As for specializing - I'm all in. If someone wants to get really good at "tools," I will defer/refer to them for sure! Just like some specialize in newborns, some in NICU, some with multiples - it's great to have these experts around and as our profession grows I think we'll see more and more of that - which is a good thing because we can't all be expert in every area. Great post - thanks for sharing.
Thank YOU, Mary! I think it's so important to normalize this specialization that we ALL know is happening. I also think it will be critical to ensure that specialization in the very things you mentioned continues to be highly valued. It would be easy for that to be minimized in this environment of change - I know you will be joining me in championing the IBCLC who is particularly skilled in supporting lactation when tools are not part of the picture.
I’ve been an OB nurse for 7 years and lactation counselor for 5 years. Brand new to IBCLC, 6 months in! So many tools and tricks to learn, as well as mental/ emotional/ cultural reasons for breastfeeding stopping.
I can honestly say I still learn new things from parents all the time, even after 21 years!