Becoming a Lactation Consultant
Lactation consultants are experts that give advice mothers on matters breastfeeding. Their breastfeeding advice include, best breastfeeding practices, appropriate breastfeeding equipment and problems associated with breastfeeding. Many people want to learn how to become a lactation consultant. If you are looking for more information, we should be able to point you in the right direction.
Motivation to Join The Profession
There are various reasons that motivate people to take up this profession which include, passion, better salaries in lactation consultancy, family influence and peer pressure, availability of vacancies and attractive salary packages.
How to Become a Lactation Consultant: Details of The Steps
Becoming a lactation consultant involves having appropriate academic qualification, training and experience. International Board for Lactation Consultants (IBLC), a body mandated with providing certification exam for lactation consultants, outlines three ways of becoming a lactation consultant.
Part 1 – Qualifications
- One must demonstrate that she has completed relevant education program which must include mandatory 14 core health sciences including, biology, human anatomy, nutrition, medical documentation etc.
- One must get minimum acceptable and appropriate lactation specific clinical experience.
- One must then get lactation specific education which mostly requires mandatory completion of 90 hours of course work.
All these must be undertaken 5 years prior to applying for IBLC exam.
Part 2 – Entry Levels
First category
This is for those already in the medical/health profession. Apart from meeting part 1 requirements, they need to have to have 1000 hours of lactation clinical practice supervised by certified IBLC practitioner. This experience must be acquired 5 years prior to IBLC exam.
Second category
For non-health professionals interested in becoming lactation consultants, they can take appropriate recommended academic programs in order to achieve the health sciences course requirement for lactation consultants.
They then need 300 hours of lactation specific clinical practice which must be supervised by IBLC certified practitioner.
Third category
This category is for those who want to go through a mentorship program. While one undertakes health sciences academic courses, an IBLC approved mentor is assigned to guide her throughout the course. On completion, one must take 500 hours of directly supervised clinical practices which must be taken 5 years prior to the exam.
Part 3
After all requirements have been met, then one can submit application to IBLC and book exams which are offered twice per year.
Tips/Advice for Someone Being Certified
Getting certified is not a mandatory nor a legal requirement in lactation consultancy. However, it
’s advisable and ethical to get certified as it enables one to offer high quality services whilst eliciting a higher level of assurance and confidence in the customers.
Before one can complete all requirements of the IBLC exam which can take years, one can get a certificate like breastfeeding specialist certificate. This can show that one is on the path to get fully certified. Getting certified can also aid one’s growth within the industry.
Info About Being Certified
IBLC is an organization that gives certification for lactation consultants. It has strategic centers in large cities around the world from where the exams are done. You have to meet all specified requirements before you can apply and sit for these exams.