Going too Far

I’m all for people being passionate about their jobs. It’s what makes most people successful at what they do. To be truly successful one has to have not only a strong belief that what they’re doing is the right thing, but they also need to be emotionally intelligent and know when to say when. Those two qualities differentiate the good from the great managers.

Without the ability to admit your ideology might not be perfect for everyone you run the risk of alienating the very clientele you seek to cater to.

Some cases in point are highlighted in a recent article. The story talked about how doulas can be a wonderful addition to the delivery room but not when they have such tunnel vision as to jeopardize the birth. Think it doesn’t happen? Read the article.

The other example pointed to lactation consultants who are so focused on “breast is best” that they can’t accept that mitigating factors might be responsible for someone not being able to breastfeed. The end result can be disheartening at best for the mother and father and at the worst, psychologically debilitating. Again, I urge you, read the article.

But there’s something else that really surprised me. And here I’ll quote the article “…since 2003, the number of lactation consultants certified by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners, which requires 2,500 hours of practice and 45 hours of course work, has increased 15 percent to nearly 9,000. But most consultants are not that well trained. Dozens of groups offer certification after completion of one- to five-day courses, and there are at least six different acronyms signifying lactation credentials. How can a sleep-addled mother differentiate among a C.L.E., a C.B.E. and a C.L.C.?”

Good question. Shouldn’t there be one standard for everyone who gets certified as a lactation consultant? Seriously, I’d bet my house that most new mothers don’t even know there are different certifications and which one means what. Wouldn’t it behoove all sides if there were less confusion and more unification?