Recently, I read a mother said she was told by a medical professional that “lactation consultants” refer tongue tied babies to dentists/doctors to get commissions. I was shocked. Horrified.
This couldn’t be further from the truth.
An IBCLC is ethically bound to uphold the values of a profession that has been around for over 30 years. Our code stipulates that we: “…avoid conflicts of interest…[and]….(e)nsure that commercial considerations do not influence professional judgment.” For more information, please see IBLCE’s website (our registering body). If we were to benefit from referrals, this would be in conflict with our code.
As an IBCLC, I work with or use the input and wisdom of a range of health professionals – from Doctors, Dentists, Speech pathologists, Physiotherapists, Occupational therapists, possibly more I have forgotten. Sometimes when I visit you and your baby, other issues are noted that are out of the scope of practice of an IBCLC (or also in my case as a registered nurse). This is where getting the opinion and/or treatment from those I refer to, will ensure you and your baby get the best of care.
When you see an IBCLC, you are seeing someone who is accountable and has guidelines on what we can and cannot do (and we have awesome standards to keep our education up to date too!). If you are considering seeing someone who was a “lapsed” IBCLC or is just calling themselves a “LC”, how do you know they will maintain the ethical standards that guide their practice? Who are they accountable to if they are not registered with anyone for lactation care?
You can always ask to see the IBCLC’s registration number and check they are still registered here
Feel free to check I’m on the registry 🙂
