How to Become A Lactation Consultant

Medical professionals looking for a career change, or women with personal experience breastfeeding their own children, should consider exploring how to become a lactation consultant. Today there are more medical specialties to choose from than ever before. Whether it is instructing mothers on the correct way to breastfeed, or problem solving when mother and baby are having issues, assisting mothers with breastfeeding as a profession is one career that can bring you professional and often times personal satisfaction.

What is a Lactation Consultant

A lactation consultant is a healthcare provider who assists women with breastfeeding. For years and years grandmothers have been helping their daughters and granddaughters learn the art of breastfeeding. However, a healthcare provider stepping in where a female relative normally assisted the young mother is a relatively novel approach to teaching how to breastfeed and/or manage issues with new mothers. Learning to breastfeed today can also involve an entire support group.

Lactation Consultant Training

Learning how to become a lactation consultant calls for knowing the necessary training and degree requirements. For instance, the core lactation consultant training program of 45 hours is for those persons who want a credential as a Certified Breastfeeding Specialist while they are earning clinical practicum hours; the latter will qualify them to take the IBLCE certification examination.

Meanwhile, the 90-hour enriched Lactation Consultant Training course incorporates case studies, skills labs, and interviews with practicing consultants. Completion of this training gives a credential as a Certified Breastfeeding Specialist and makes individuals eligible for the exam for IBLCE certification

It is best to enroll in a certified lactation specialist course that meets the approval of the International Board of Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLC). To begin, interested individuals should enroll in a 45-hour class that provides the basics of becoming a lactation consultant; this course can be taken onsite or online.

The next step to become a specialist that is board certified is to complete an additional 45-hour course designed to prepare individuals to take the IBLCE assessment. The completion of 90 hours total of lactation consultant education qualifies interested persons for the IBLCE examination. Again, courses can be found onsite or online with some educational providers offering a selection of courses to fulfill this stipulation. It is advisable to have a mentor as a guide through the process.

Healthcare providers who inquire about how to become a lactation consultant may already be nurses, physicians, midwives, social workers or other specialists. They qualify to participate in a 5-day course that provides the first 45 hours of training. The other 45 hours may be gained through online, distance education, conferences or independent study units. Course selections that provide standardized lactation education are approved by the Accreditation and Approval Review Committee (AARC); candidates working toward this goal should be sure their courses are AARC-approved.

Clinical experiences can be completed for those already working in the medical field. They can spend practicum time with new moms and their infants. You will need to document your time. Activities could include instructing and counseling individual mothers, teaching a breastfeeding class, assisting mothers with a breast pump and so on.

Hours must be for providing direct care to breastfeeding families and cannot include observing or shadowing another provider. A variety of settings with newborns from infancy to children who are weaning is encouraged.

Non-medical individuals need to be more creative and persistent in obtaining practicum sites and experiences. After completing the academic training, individuals could seek the following experiences under supervision:

• Documentation of 500 hours of practice for each year as La Leche League leader
• Counselor in Women, Infants and Children (WIC) agencies
• Volunteer to provide breastfeeding benefits to women in physicians’ offices, specifically family practice, obstetricians or pediatricians
• Volunteer as patient educator in hospitals for individualized instruction or support groups
• Home visitor for home health agencies to make home visitations with nurses to assist mothers with lactation issues

Besides the 90 hours of initial training in human lactation and breastfeeding and 1,000 hours of clinical experience, an individual interested in how to become a lactation consultant must have taken the following academic classes: Anatomy & Physiology, Biology, Infant & Child Development, Nutrition, Research, Psychology and Sociology.

Additionally, candidates for the IBLCE examination must prove completion of the following six general education areas:

• CPR – basic life support such as cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and neonatal pulmonary resuscitation (NPR)
• Medical Documentation – creating and maintaining complete and accurate records on care to patients/clients
• Medical Terminology – basic understanding of terminology used by members of healthcare team
• Occupational Safety and Security – avoidance of allergies and injuries and handling stress and violence for healthcare workers
• Professional Ethics – Ethical and professional behavior and practice of principles such as confidentiality, conflict of interest and informed consent
• Universal Safety Precautions and Infection Control – Knowledge and practice of protecting clients/patients and themselves against disease exposure or spread with appropriate sanitation practices

If healthcare workers have taken any of these courses during their previous academic studies, then a transcript can be submitted to verify courses completed. If these courses are missing from an individual’s educational background, then she will need to fulfill this requirement.

Lactation Consultant Certification

To attain certification as a lactation consultant you must complete and pass the entire course and the final exam. Success in this position rests on knowledge and skills, plus practicum experience to help mothers with breastfeeding. To achieve this, both academic and clinical education are necessary.

Certification is a milestone along the way to the IBCLC qualification. IBCLC offers the International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) certification. While it is not a requirement to become board certified, it is certainly a desirable credential and advantageous when applying for employment.

Specialized Examinations

The IBCLC examination is an annual exam that is comprised of multiple choice questions. The subjects tested are delineated on the IBCLC Exam Blueprint. Application deadlines are February 28 and April 30. Costs are determined by each individual’s country of residence; scholarships are available.

The lactation education and the 1,000 hours of clinical practicum must be finished within five years of taking the board examination.

The exam is offered in each state in the United States and several other countries on the last Monday in July each year. For more information, check the IBCLC website or the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBLCE) website.

Lactation Consultant Responsibilities

Lactation consultants provide overall lactation management services to expectant and new parents. Some of her many responsibilities are as follows:

• Plans and teaches classes for expectant and breastfeeding mothers
• Leads bedside lactation rounds each day
• Counsels mothers on breastfeeding problems
• Selects quality breastfeeding-related supplies for rental and retail sale
• Oversees the inventory and financial aspects of the department
• Plans and teaches professional development for maternity nursing staff
• Communicates with team members on maternity or practice staff
• Organizes and delivers lactation care services to in- and out-patient mothers
• Conducts evaluation of classes, activities and lactation department
• Supports and coordinates with other referral programs
• Organizes posters and educational materials to promote breastfeeding
• Maintains data on services and reports to quarterly to supervisor
• Adjusts schedule to meet needs of family members
• Serves as consultant and resource for facility and community
• Provides support to post-partum patients in need of assistance
• Participated in health-related activities in community

Lactation Consultant Jobs

Consultants work in a variety of locations. While hospitals and neonatal intensive care units are the most common sites, private and pediatric practices and outreach centers such as Women, Infants and Children (WIC) agencies also utilize lactation consultants.

Many individuals choose this career after becoming a Registered Nurse. They may want a job change or realize the need for intimate care of mothers and infants. They may also want to reach out to help new moms have this experience.

Whatever the reason, lactation consultants continue to be in high demand for a number of reasons. First, many mothers long to bond with their newborns through breastfeeding. Second, mother’s milk is more nutritious than formula milk. Third, it is less expensive to breastfeed than to buy expensive formulas. Fourth, there may be a tradition in the mother’s family where the women all breastfed and the new mom therefore also wants to breastfeed, too. Fifth, it’s natural. Nature made women’s breasts to nurture their young.

For these and perhaps other reasons, lactation consultants will continue to be needed to assist mothers in feeding their babies. They will also educate expectant parents, facilitate support groups and help those moms and infants who struggle with feeding issues.

As with most healthcare positions, the salary for a lactation consultant depends on the geographic area in which you work. Hospital settings pay about the same or slightly higher than a staff nurse; physicians’ offices and clinics pay less. The salary range is from $56,871 to $86,362 with the median pay for an IBCLC employed full-time in a hospital setting set at $70,461.

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