Ever wonder about the alphabet soup behind your breastfeeding helper’s name? A Lactation Consultant is a Lactation Consultant, right? The RN who helps you in the hospital and is called the Lactation nurse is an LC, right? What about your Doula? Or Midwife? or the RN at the Ped’s office? Maybe. Probably not. Who knows? There is so much confusion about this subject even in the lactation world. How is a pregnant woman or worse yet, a sleep deprived new mom supposed to know?
In this article, I hope to give you the information about some of these “credentials” so that you can make informed decisions about where you seek breastfeeding information and help.
First of all, WHO says who is “certified” or not? In the US, the organization is:
National Commission for Certifying Agencies
“The National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) was created in 1987 by NOCA to help ensure the health, welfare, and safety of the public through the accreditation of a variety of certification programs/organizations that assess professional competence. Certification programs that receive NCCA Accreditation demonstrate compliance with the NCCA’s Standards for the Accreditation of Certification Programs, which were the first standards for professional certification programs developed by the industry.”
To find a list of organizations that are approved to offer “certification”: NCAA Accreditation
CBE – Certified Breastfeeding Educator
-Lactation Consultant Services
“An optional certification process (Certified Breastfeeding Educator™) is conferred by Lactation Consultant Services™ and is available for participants who incorporate breastfeeding assistance with other perinatal health care. Certified Breastfeeding Educators™ are not qualified to function as lactation consultants.” source: http://www.lactation-consultant-services.com/overview.html
Not on NCAA’s list! Just take a 3 day course and become “certified”. Food for thought.
CLS – Certified Lactation Specialist
- Lactation Education Consultants
“The Certified Lactation Specialist Course is designed for the aspiring lactation consultant or nurses, physicians, midwives, dieticians, breastfeeding assistants or others desirous of improving their knowledge base and skills in working with the breastfeeding dyad….During this very practical course, participants will be taught how to use appropriate counseling skills, how to teach mothers and families, and most importantly,
how to function hands-on as a clinician.” source: http://www.lactationeducationconsultants.com/course_clsc.html
Again, not on NCAA’s list! This is a 5-day course to “certification”.
CBC – Certified Breastfeeding Counselor
-Prepared Childbirth Educator, Inc.
“This 2 day certification program will cover pertinent topics such as: The role of the healthcare professional, Anatomy and physiology of the breast in the new millennium, Getting started with latch on and suck assessment, Guidelines for the first 48 hours as well as the first week, Nutritional needs of the nursing dyad, Identifying and evaluating normal, deviations and problems, Management of common problems and special needs, Medications, Lactation gadgets, Empowering women and their infants with breastfeeding classes and hospital support, Becoming board certified” source: http://www.childbirtheducation.org/breastfd.html
Once again, not on NCAA’s list! This is a 2-day course.
CLE – Certified Lactation Educator
“The purpose of the CAPPA lactation educator program is to provide childbirth professionals comprehensive training in breastfeeding education. When a candidate completes the certification program they will be qualified to teach, support, and educate the public on breastfeeding and related issues. When all requirements have been satisfactorily completed, candidates will be issued the CAPPA credential “CLE”, Certified Lactation Educator.” source: http://cappa.net/get-certified.php?lactation-educator
Yet again, not on NCAA’s list! This is a 2-day course, followed by coursework to be turned in within 2 years.
CLC – Certified Lactation Counselor
“The Center for Breastfeeding’s Lactation Counselor Certificate program is a forty hour course designed to provide a solid, up-to-date, research based body of information regarding lactation as well the art of counseling.” source: http://www.healthychildren.cc/CLC.HTM – This is a 40hr (5-day) course.
Certification for CLC is provided by: “The Academy of Lactation Policy and Practice, Inc. is a non-profit organization that provides a national credentialing program in Breastfeeding and Human Lactation for nurses, physicians, dietitians, WIC personnel, peer counselors, independent lactation counselors and others.” source: http://www.talpp.org/
However, ALPP is NOT on NCAA’s list of certifying organizations! Food for thought. I guess anyone can credential anyone????
IBCLC – International Board Certified Lactation Consultant
“An International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) is a health care professional who specializes in the clinical management of breastfeeding. IBCLCs are certified by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners, Inc. (www.iblce.org) under the direction of the U.S. National Commission for Certifying Agencies. IBCLCs work in a wide variety of health care settings, including hospitals, pediatric offices, public health clinics, and private practice.” source:
ILCA
The requirements for the IBCLC credential are extensive. For complete information, visit: IBLCE
Check it out! IBLCE *IS* on the NCAA’s list of credentialing organizations!
Whew! That’s a lot of info to digest. I guess the point of this article is to let you know that not all “certifications” are the same. Unfortunately, you will have to figure out yourselves what certification you want your breastfeeding helper to have. Some are more educated than others. Some have more hands-on training than others. And within all the certifications are the people who actually sport the alphabet soup behind their name. Some are more competent than others. Some are nicer/prettier/more empathetic/smarter/dumber/meaner etc. You get the picture. The breastfeeding education and resulting “certification” is only a FIRST step.
Hopefully, this article has given you some information that will make it a *little* bit easier to navigate the alphabet soup and decide on where you want to take a breastfeeding class or get your breastfeeding information/support.
Disclaimer: I am an IBCLC so of course, I am partial and quite proud to be “certified” by an organization that is approved by NCAA.
