What is an IBCLC?
IBCLC stands for International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. An IBCLC is a healthcare professional that specializes in the clinical management of lactation.
An IBCLC has been certified by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBLCE). The IBLCE certification program holds the prestigious National Commission of Certifying Agencies (NCCA) accreditation, which is a mark of quality for certification programs. The certification is recognition that an individual has met eligibility requirements, and has passed a rigorous exam that assesses knowledge in breastfeeding management. The IBCLC exam is given around the world to those that have met requirements. Because it is a global exam, each IBCLC around the world has the same scope of practice and same level of professional standards.
IBCLCs work to fill the gap in infant feeding, particularly in lactation. Some maternal care providers do not offer support with lactation - parents are often referred to their pediatrician since it pertains to the baby. However, pediatricians may refer moms back to their maternal care provider because lactation deals with the birth parent producing milk. This can lead to lactation ending sooner than expected or desired, or a lot of difficulty while making it through feeding.
When you work with an IBCLC, you will be working with someone who has passed 14 college level health science courses, completed at least 90 hours of lactation-specific education, and finished 300-1000 hands on supervised clinical hours. They will also have applied for and passed a rigorous 175 question board exam covering topics from pharmacology to infant development to anatomy and physiology. While there are many other levels of breastfeeding support, families can rest assured that their IBCLC is the gold standard of lactation care!
For more information, please visit:
IBCLC exam requirements (current as of January 2018)
IBCLC exam content outline (all of these topics are covered)