Becoming a LC

ZoePaigesMommy · #1 January 30th, 2012, 09:05 PM

Before having baby I was a criminal justice major, but after this incredible bond I have had with her I have thought about becoming a LC. I want to be able to encourage other women to do this, to have this experience. Am I crazy?! Who should I get in touch with to guide me in the right direction?

mgm78 · #2 January 31st, 2012, 05:10 AM

IBLCE | International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners

lunarmagic · #3 January 31st, 2012, 08:06 PM

That's great! Yes, IBLCE is a great starting point for info. I briefly looked into it (but decided it was not the right path for me!).

Brookem · #4 February 3rd, 2012, 12:57 AM

I'm doing it right now. I am in the middle of the craziness to become certified! If you have any questions I would be happy to answer questions. The IBLCE she gave you is the best resource. The basic requirements (given that you said you were in criminal justice I am assuming you do not have a background in the medical field) are:

Completion of:

- 14 college level courses, 35-42 credits (any college of your choosing)
- two program for human lactation management (must be accredited)
- 1,000 hours of verifiable work in which you work first hand with lactating mothers - supervised by a recertified LC
- state board testing, offered once per year on the last Monday of July.

If you can do this all at a full time pace, you could potentially have it completed in 2.5 years. The kicker is that the drive to do this comes from having babies - which leaves us NO TIME to dedicate 50 hours a week to education! So, it can be completed at your own pace, everything except the Lactation Management program itself, which is two back to back terms. There are online versions of this as well so you aren't restricted to fall/winter term, etc.

Hope I helped. Go for it! It takes some time and dedication but it is really exciting once you get started!

andi2284 · #5 February 3rd, 2012, 06:19 PM

I have looked into it too, but was intimidated by how long it would take to complete all of the requirements. I would still like to do it someday, but I might start out by becoming a lactation counselor first, then slowly work towards being a lactation consultant.
Good luck!