FAQs
What is an IBCLC?
International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) is the highest level of certification in the field of lactation. It is held by health care professionals who are experts in the art of breastfeeding and the science of lactation. To earn this certification, candidates must complete an intensive academic program, amass hundreds of hours working with mothers and babies and pass a rigorous exam. All IBCLC’s are required to keep up-to-date on breastfeeding research and policies. To prove they have done so, they are required to recertify every five years.
Can't my doctor answer my breastfeeding questions?
IBCLCs complete thousands of hours of academic and hands-on breastfeeding education before they are eligible to become certified. For comparison, pediatricians typically receive only 9 hours of breastfeeding education during medical school*. Only lactation consultants are focused entirely on breastfeeding and its related issues.
*Yardaena B. Osband, MD, et al. "Breastfeeding Education and Support Services Offered to Pediatric Residents in the US." Academic Pediatrics 2011;11:75–79.
*Yardaena B. Osband, MD, et al. "Breastfeeding Education and Support Services Offered to Pediatric Residents in the US." Academic Pediatrics 2011;11:75–79.