Becoming an IBCLC … without being an RN
First, I have to SHOUT IT FROM THE ROOFTOPS - I DID IT!!!!
Whew. Thanks for letting me get that out. It has been a dream since 2016, and a goal since 2020. And here in December of 2023 I am standing here, a ROCKING passing score on the Intentional Board Certified Lactation Consultant exam. I AM AN IBCLC. I am cheering for myself. I am so damn proud because it was not a simple thing to do…but grace and grit got me here.
Now for the meat and potatoes - HOW???
I started my practice as “just” a Certified Lactation Counselor with the Healthy Children’s Project. It was a perfect entry into the lactation space; it gave me a solid understanding of the breastfeeding and the basics of helping along the normal course of the mother/baby dyad - latch, understanding milk supply, etc. For me, this wasn’t enough - the class covered a lot, but I wasn’t settling for being a peer support and “lower level” lactation professional. I dove into ANY continuing ed (see home page for a growing list of my courses) to be BETTER, to learn MORE. Any time I came across something that I couldn’t answer/know from my training? I got more training.
I networked with other LCs - IBCLCs and not, I got to know them (or some, I didn’t and that is okay too - not everyone wants to work as a collaborative community and I understand that). More than anything, I put my palms up and put into the universe that I DO NOT KNOW IT ALL and I WANT TO KNOW MORE - I became a sponge. From the moment my eyes opened to the moment they fell closed, you can guess correctly that lactation was where my mind was.
I volunteered with La Leche (still do!) as a leader to have the opportunity to see MORE moms and babies. When my local group wasn’t “busy” enough, I volunteered with La Leche League International Breastfeeding Support on Facebook that has over 60,000 parents in the group and and endless need for support.
In order to become an IBCLC, I knew that Pathway 3 was best for me - I couldn’t secure an IBCLC Mentor for less than $10,000 ish and I wasn’t working in a space (ie: nurse in a hospital) to have the ability to work with new dyads and count those hours; so Pathway 3 looked like LLL Leadership - but 1,000 hours of volunteering (generally, full time work equates to 2080 hours a year) felt daunting, so I wanted a way to figure out MORE.
I’m ever thankful to Althea, Brecklyn and the midwives at Tender Gifts Birth Center who gave me the opportunity to work with their clients and host a breastfeeding support group - (that whoa! has become the Breast group around!) in trade for their supervision of my hours. We learned together, all of us with different things to bring to the table.
I didn’t leave that to be enough…when I saw a new private practice IBCLC (but not a new IBCLC - she’d worked at WIC for over a decade) come onto the scene about 6 months after me? I REACHED OUT TO HER - not just to scope my “competition” but to also be like “LETS DO THIS TOGETHERish and make US BOTH GREAT!” She’s been my saving grace. I paid her for mentorship for observation of clinical case review, for bouncing “what the heck” off of each other and gaining her professional experience and friendship. I couldn’t have done it without her!
So, if you’re reading this and thinking about HOW can I do this, too? I am sharing a few resources that helped me along my path.
Becoming an IBCLC and Beyond on Facebook is a good wealth of information.
Want to Be an IBCLC? of Facebook
A bit dated now, but I had this earmarked for a long time - How do I become an IBCLC without a healthcare background?
Understanding IBCLE (which is the accrediting board that certifies IBCLCs), is important too. Here is a quick review of the Pathways that you can take to gain access to sit for the exam:
If this is intriguing but you are still like OMG. Let’s chat. Working with someone who can help coach you through this, cheer you on when it is hard? That is priceless and I can’t wait to do that for you and the rest of the upcoming leaders of this field! As I stated above, even with the hours with La Leche and seeking midwives and providers who were willing to supervise my hours (which I could only do since I was a Certified Lactation Counselor with a private practice), paying a “mini mentor” to help me through my learning and be a seasoned professional to use as a sounding board was the most important part of what I did to get here and be GOOD at my job from the “start”.
