Becoming a Lactation Professional Part 1

I get asked about this all the time so I want to give you some info. The lactation professional is not like other careers where you can just go to a college or do a "program" in most cases (there are a few).

The credential that is most highly regarded is the IBCLC, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant.

Unless you are already a healthcare provider spending a portion of your time with breastfeeding dyadic (like a postpartum nurse), achieving the IBCLC is HARD.

In general you need 14 specific health science college courses (unless you are already a recognized health professional). You also need 90 hours of lactation specific education and 5 hours of counseling education.

Additionally you need clinical hours, and there are three different pathways ranging from 300-1000 clinical hours. For most people the hours are the hardest part to complete.

I did Pathway 1 and got most of my hours through volunteering with La Leche League.

and getting my hours through volunteering with La Leche League. I need 1000 hours total. Pathway 1 is for volunteers or recognized health professionals working with breastfeeding stars.

Pathway 2 is for students in a college level Lactation program (there are very few of these). Pathway 3 is available for people who can find an IBCLC mentor to work with, it is structured but not part of a college program.

Once you complete those requirements you get the pleasure of taking a big scary test!

Not sure about the IBCLC?

There are several other credentials out there which are easier to obtain, yet do not have the recognition of the IBCLC. One is the CLC-Certified Lactation Counselor, which is what I have. It is a 52 hour course plus an exam. I completed mine in 2017 and it was a week long course, and I know that due to Covid they have made some changes. the CLC is the most widely recognized in the US, other than the IBCLC.

The CLC course is offered by Health Children Project and the test is administered by ALPP.

Some other credentials are:

CLE - Certified Lactation Educator: this is accredited by CAPPA

CBS - Certified Breastfeeding Specialist: accredited by LER

WIC Peer Counselor - WIC has their own training program for their peer counselors

In most cases the education hours that you do for these programs would count towards your 90 lactation hours, so in some ways they are a "stepping stone"

What you want to pursue depends largely on your future goals. If you are already a birth worker looking to add another feather to you cap and offer even more support to your clients, then any one of those would be good.

If you are not already in the field, very few people work full time in lactation with something other than the IBCLC. Even for an IBCLC, if you are not an RN, it can be hard to find a job, and the best option may be a private practice.

Like I said above, the CLC is the most recognized credential in the US other than the IBCLC. With the CLC, you may have opportunities in medical practice settings or you could have a private practice which is what I'm doing right now.

I love hearing about others' paths in this field, drop me a comment below and let me know what you are doing!