Gini Baker, RN, MPH, FACCE, IBCLC -

UCSD Perinatal Health Programs, University of California San Diego Extension

Frequently Asked Questions


How do I become a lactation consultant?

There are several ways to become a lactation consultant. The most professional way is via the International Board of Lactation Consultants exam. The IBLCE gives a certification exam the last Monday of July annually. The pathways for the IBLCE are listed under the Lactation Consultant tab.

The requirements to take the exam on based on candidates individual educational background. Please see the IBLCE Web site for the final decisions on requirements for the exam.

All candidates must have a minimum of the following:
  1. All IBCLC candidates must either provide evidence that they have a license, degree, or registration to practice clinically in a health profession or document completion of background education in each of the following 6 subjects. RN, LVN, LPN, and RD meet these requirements by having a license.
    • Anatomy and Physiology;
    • Sociology;
    • Psychology, counseling, or communication skills;
    • Child Development;
    • Nutrition;
    • and Medical Terminology.
  2. Continuing Education in Lactation of a minimum of 45 hours for candidates taking the exam in English and minimum of 60 hours for candidates who desire to take the exam in language other that English.
  3. Clinical experience in lactation
    1. The requirement of hours is based on the academic preparation of the individual candidate
    2. Please see the pathway chart and the calculation of clinical experience chart under Lactation Consultant on this Web site
  4. Completed application with the IBLCE

Candidates in the UCSD program MAY be eligible to reduce required breastfeeding consultancy by 500 to 1000 hours. Please complete the hours calculation page and email or fax it to Gini Baker, course director for evaluation.


What are the pre-requisites for the UCSD lactation consultant program?

The pre-requisites for the UCSD lactation consultant training program are:
  1. Completion of a lactation course of a minimum of 40 hours, preferably with clinical experience as part of the course.
  2. Completion of all parts of the application for the course as listed under the section on Lactation Consultant and completion of the UCSD application.
  3. Completion of the "hour" calculation page.


What are the requirements for Pathway F?

Pathway F is an accelerated pathway to meet the requirements to take the IBLCE exam.

Requirements for pathway F include:

  1. Pathway F, also known as the "Clinical Competencies Pathway," allows individuals who successfully complete a pre-approved program of a minimum of 500 hours of clinical experience that is directly supervised by a recertified IBCLC to sit for the IBLCE examination without accruing further breastfeeding consultancy practice hours.
  2. Pre-approved plan must be submitted to IBLCE. UCSD assists with this plan. Plan includes:
    • Individualized plan of study and proposed experiences for the student
    • Estimate of the duration of the program in months or years
    • List of the proposed variety of experiences and clinical settings
    • Description of the student's current work responsibilities (if employed in a health care environment).
    • Each mentor must also include a copy of her CV or resume.
  3. Direct supervision is defined by IBLCE as "a gradual process which begins with observation, moves to clinical practice experience under direct observation until the skill is mastered, and culminates with independent practice with the preceptor physically nearby to assist and offer advice and support". The IBCLC remains with the student observing, guiding, teaching, commenting and assisting as necessary to provide a quality learning experience for the student and the highest quality of care for the client. Administrative, classroom, commuting, discussion, chart review, student observation, telephone counseling, teaching a breastfeeding class, study, meeting, conference attendance time and/or similar activities by the student, with or without the mentor(s), may not be included in the minimum 500 hour requirement.
  4. Students should plan to spend a minimum of 9 months to complete a Pathway F program.
  5. Most students will require more than one mentor to provide the opportunities to complete the checklist. UCSD will act as the chairperson for the student. However, each mentor is required to submit all supporting documentation. Please note that, as this is a trial pathway, administrative procedures and deadlines are subject to change at any time. It is the responsibility of the student and her/his mentor(s) to remain current on all aspects of the program by regularly referring to the IBLCE website. www.iblce.org
  6. In addition to the mentor's verification that the candidate can perform all of the skills and knowledge included on the "Clinical Competencies for IBCLC Practice" checklist, a Pathway F examination candidate's application packet must provide a detailed record of the number of hours required to complete the checklist, a student evaluation of the experience, a mentor's evaluation of the Pathway F experience, and the mentor's evaluation of the student. IBLCE provides forms to the student and mentor(s) for this purpose.
  7. All Pathway F applicants must also meet all requirements for examination eligibility as described in the Candidate Information Guide, www.iblce.org, including but not limited to 45 hours of education specific to lactation, health professional background education, if applicable; provision of 2 references (from individuals other than the mentor(s)), transcripts, etc.
  8. Pathway F was primarily designed to give individuals who have considerable but unfocused background and experience in lactation and who do not meet the eligibility requirements of the Standard Pathways A-D an opportunity to prepare for the IBLCE examination. It is not intended for people who have little or no prior experience unless they are willing to invest far more than the minimum of 500 clinical hours, to be determined by the mentor(s).
  9. Facts about Pathway F
    • This pathway requires meticulous record-keeping, including documentation of completion of the Clinical Competencies for IBCLCs. (A copy of the checklist is in the Candidate Information Guide, downloadable from the Document and Forms page of this website. It is also available from the IBLCE office.)
    • A minimum of 500 pre-approved, directly supervised clinical hours must be documented in the completion of the checklist. These pre-approved hours of hands-on clinical experience must be supervised by an IBCLC, RLC who has been recertified at least once.
    • Pathway F stands alone and is not to be used in conjunction with or to supplement Pathways A or B.
    • If two or more recertified IBCLCs wish to apportion the student's supervised practice hours between them, they may do so provided that each IBCLC submits the materials noted below, and that they consult with each other and engage in joint planning to maximize the student's experiences. In this case, all mentors must also prepare reports of completion of the plan and indicate on the checklist which items she/he supervised.
    • A student wishing to utilize this pathway must have their mentor(s) submit the plan for supervised experience to the IBLCE prior to undertaking the program. The plan must include a description of the proposed variety of experiences and clinical settings, the expected duration of the program, and a description of the student's current work environment if she is employed in the health care field.
    • Each mentor must also include a copy of her current curriculum vitae and business card.
    • The mentor's signed report/evaluation submitted at the completion of the plan and the completed checklist of Clinical Competencies for IBCLC Practice must be submitted with the student's application. Please include the total number of hours required to complete the Clinical Competencies checklist in the mentor's report.
    • Pathway F does not include general supervised experience. Nor does it allow the student to count hours spent observing an IBCLC as she consults with mothers and babies, although that may be a valuable learning experience and may be required by mentoring IBCLCs as a prerequisite to be completed by the student prior to undertaking her/his BC practice hours.
    • There are no post-secondary education requirements for this pathway. However, all applicants must complete a minimum of 45 hours of education specific to breastfeeding within three (3) years immediately prior to taking the exam, plus health professional background education in anatomy and physiology, sociology, psychology or counseling, child development, nutrition, and medical terminology if applicable. Refer to the Candidate Information Guide (CIG) or this website for more information on these background courses.
    • Pathway G and Pathway H cannot be used in conjunction with Pathway F. All portions of the application utilizing Pathway F, including letters of reference, CERPs, and evidence of successful completion of the checklist must be postmarked NO LATER THAN May 15. There are no exceptions to this rule.
  10. Please refer to the IBLCE for frequently asked questions about pathway F. www.iblce.org


Is the lactation educator-counselor necessary before becoming the consultant?

Yes. A lactation course that is a minimum of 40 hours didactic is a pre-requisite of the lactation consultant course. UCSD CLEC and CLEC online.


How many clinical hours do I need to take the exam?

Please see the pathway listings under the Lactation Consultant tab. Each pathway is based on individual academic background. These clinical hours can be teaching and/or working with clients or visit the IBLCE at www.Iblce.org for exam requirements.


The exam is in July each year, is there a one week/month course to complete the class and take the exam?

Not from UCSD. The lactation consultant is considered a "advanced practice" professional. Therefore, the academic and experiential training is intensive and comprehensive. La Leche League has a wonderful "leader" designation that is appropriate for those wanting to assist with minor breastfeeding concerns in their community.


I must have liability insurance and a CPR certification. Do you have an insurance company you could recommend to get the liability insurance?

There are several "professional liability" companies available and you may want to do an internet search for them. Although this is not a personal recommendation, UCSD has had several students use the following site for their insurance. I would strongly suggest you use a company that let's you print the policy online. Insurance companies are quite slow in getting you the policy. The coverage the UCSD student needs is $1/3 million.
Student Blanket Professional Liability Insurance Application (pdf file)


Where do you get CPR?

You can get CPR certification thru health facilities, hospitals, and the American Red Cross. Please check with the education department at the local hospital for CPR classes in your area.


What is the difference between the different titles, Lactation Specialist, Lactation Counselor, Lactation Educator, Lactation Educator Counselor?

Lactation is currently a 3 part profession:

  1. Lactation Specialists, 18 hour Programs
    Usually meets the educational requirements for the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI)
    Usually 16-20 hours in length
    General audience is health professionals such as nurses

  2. Lactation Educator, Lactation Educator Counselor, Lactation Counselor
    Usually about the same content from program to program, title to title and each individual sponsoring agency calls the program what they want to call it. UCSD only recognizes programs with minimum 40 hours of classroom time.
    General audience is individuals desiring to teach Lactation classes and/or continue to the clinical level of lactation consultant.

  3. Lactation Consultant
    Lactation Consultant Training Program is offered by UCSD.
    Graduates of the program are "Lactation Interns" until they have enough clinical hours to meet the requirements for one of the pathways of the IBLCE.
    It is the intent of the UCSD lactation consultant training program that all UCSD lactation consultant students use the IBLCE exam as the certification for lactation consultant.

Please read all parts of the Web site... www.breastfeeding-education.com


Why is personal liability insurance required for the lactation courses? How much is required? How or where do I purchase the insurance?

While UCSD has never had a lactation student need to utilize this insurance, it is a requirement of the individual facilities/hospitals for student clinical placement.

The amount required is $1million/$3million defined as:

Up to $1,000,000 per claim professional liability coverage
  • Your coverage protects you for settlement of a claim or damages awarded of up to $1,000,000 per occurrence.

Up to $3,000,000 aggregate professional liability coverage
  • Your coverage protects you with up to $3,000,000 aggregate liability protection. This is the maximum limit available to protect you against multiple claims within the policy year

While UCSD has no relationship with any insurance company, past students have reported excellent results with Health Providers Service Organization which can be reached at:
Healthcare Providers Service Organization
159 E. County Line Road, Hatboro, PA 19040-1218
Phone: 1-800-982-9491 | Fax: 1-800-739-8818
E-mail: service@hpso.com

If you have any professional license such as RN you must insure as that professional even though you are a UCSD student in this class. If you are not a licensed health professional please choose the category of "Medical Technician".


Where do I obtain an acceptable background check?

Please download information and forms here:
Breastfeeding Education
More information
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