We are at a crossroads in Georgia.We have an opportunity RIGHT NOW to change the access women have to receive competent, skilled lactation support in our state.  But we need your help.No matter what position or credential you hold (LLL leader, IBCLC, WIC Peer Counselor) - we all work to provide support for breastfeeding (and pregnant!) moms in our community.  There are simply not enough lactation  support providers to serve Georgia's mothers and babies.  Nowhere is the shortage more keenly obvious than in the number of  Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLC) credentialed in our state. 

According to the U.S. Surgeon General, Georgia needs 1152 IBCLC’s to adequately serve its mothers and babies; we have 336 IBCLCs.  Why aren’t there more IBCLCs in Georgia?  Because we don’t yet have public or private insurance reimbursement for lactation consults.  Without reimbursement, a woman can’t obtain a lactation consult using Medicaid or her insurance for payment; without reimbursement the IBCLC’s pool of clients is limited to self-paying clients; without reimbursement the IBCLC can’t make a living wage in this profession.

In Georgia, 70% of new mothers initiate breastfeeding.   Six months later only 13% are still exclusively breastfeeding.  These numbers indicate that Georgia's moms understand some of the benefits of breastfeeding, but they do not have the support, know-how or resources to successfully breastfeed long enough to reap the health, social or financial benefits.

How do we change this? 

Through greater access to IBCLC breastfeeding support services!  According to the Surgeon General, Dr. Regina Benjamin, “International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs) are the only health care professionals certified in lactation care.  They have specific clinical expertise and training in the clinical management of complex problems with lactation.”  Dr. Benjamin therefore called upon each state to license IBCLCs in her 2011 "Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding" based upon uncontroverted research-based evidence that our women are more likely to begin and continue breastfeeding if they have access to an IBCLC, whether in the WIC clinic or the NICU.  

 Let’s make sure the 70% of our mothers who begin breastfeeding, continue long enough to enjoy the amazing health, social and financial benefits it offers to their babies and to them!  Let’s get Georgia moms the support they need!

Join our cause and please sign this petition calling upon our Georgia State Legislature to license IBCLCs. 

In addition, if you are an IBCLC, please identify yourself by signing the registry below.  The link to the Form is: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?fromEmail=true&formkey=dDZYMGREU3c3aW5mem96ckVmYTJDVkE6MQ The link to the online petition is:http://www.change.org/petitions/georgia-s-legislators-support-the-licensure-of-ibclcs-in-ga


View and Comment on the IBCLC Licensure Legislation by clicking the link below and entering the password located on your outreach letter from SELCA


IBCLC Legislation

  Are you a SELCA member and attending any upcoming breastfeeding conferences?  If so, be sure to stop by the SELCA information booth at each of these programs and pick up your latest piece of "bling", our new SELCA member ribbons.  Attach one to your conference badge, so everybody knows you are a SELCA member.  When they ask you about being a SELCA member, you can tell them what a wonderful organization you belong to, and then send them over to the SELCA booth to find more information. Hope to see you all at the conferences!