Jul 274 min read

What is the difference between a lactation counselor and a lactation consultant?

There are many more credentials that you may come across in your search for breastfeeding/lactation support than just the two named in the blog title. It's truly an alphabet soup of support. This can be a good and a bad thing. It is overwhelming and confusing to the families and consumers. Today I’m going to break it all down and explain it. It is critical to be an educated consumer especially when it comes to healthcare.

You’ll notice that the groups below have a small amount of education and no hands-on training in comparison to the IBCLC. In contrast, the IBCLC has extensive education, and hands-on training underneath an IBCLC, sits for a rigorous exam, and continuously completes ongoing education.

Let’s start with La Leche League. This amazing support group has chapters in 80 countries. Their leaders have breastfed, nursed, chest fed, or suckled a child for 12 months or more, have read the Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, have communication skills, and are non-judgemental. La Leche League provides in-person groups, phone support, support in Facebook groups, video calls, social media, and online help forms. This is a wonderful community resource.

A Certified Breastfeeding Counselor or CBC is a registered nurse who has “Exposure to working with lactating women (OB/Mother Baby experience in nursing school is accepted to fulfill this requirement)”, (Breastfeeding Counselor Certification Examination, 2023)and sits for an exam. They provide basic hands-on breastfeeding support, guidance, and education.

A Certified Clinical Lactationist or CCL is encouraged to have experience with lactating parents. They undergo 90 hours of lactation-specific education and take an exam. They provide basic hands-on breastfeeding support, guidance, and education.

A Certified Breastfeeding Specialist or CBS has undergone a minimum of 45 hours of lactation-specific education. They then sit for an exam. Their scope of practice includes education, support, advocacy, and referral to IBCLCs, Physicians, and other practitioners where needed. They are capable of “Conducting an assessment of both mother/parent and infant and devising a plan of care in uncomplicated breastfeeding situations”. (Lactation Education Resources, 2024)

A Certified Lactation Educator or CLE undergoes 3 days of educational training and must observe one consultation with an IBCLC or CLC or watch Jack Newman's Visual Guide to Breastfeeding. They also must attend one group support meeting such as La Leche League or similar. A CLE then sits for an exam. A CLE provides education and guidance. They are not clinicians and do not perform exams or provide pre and post-weighted feedings.

A Certified Lactation Counselor or CLC undergoes 95 hours of lactation-specific education. For some pathways, they must complete a one page skills checklist of basic lactation skills overseen by a CLC, IBCLC, ANC, or ANLC. A CLC provides education, and guidance and completes an assessment.

An IBCLC or International Board Certified Lactation Consultant completes 14 health science subjects or they are already one of the following: Dentist, Dietician, Midwife, Nurse, Occupational Therapist, Pharmacist, Physical Therapist or Physiotherapist, Physician or Medical Doctor, Speech Pathologist or Therapist. IBCLCs complete 95 lactation-specific education requirements. They complete 300-1000 hours of Supervised clinical experience working with lactating parents and babies/infants. They then sit for a rigorous international exam. Every five years IBCLCs must complete 75 hours of specific education to recertify and maintain their Certification. IBCLCs provide education, and guidance and perform an in-depth lactation-focused examination of the parent and the baby. They evaluate milk intake and the latch. They provide a clinical assessment followed by an individualized care plan. IBCLCs are trained to assess and manage advanced and complicated breastfeeding challenges.

Notice that IBCLCs are the only professionals who undergo many hours of supervised training under an IBCLC.

An IBCLC is the Gold Standard in lactation care. As an IBCLC I am grateful that there are so many different people who can support breastfeeding and chestfeeding parents on different levels according to their scope of practice. We need everyone to give parents the help they deserve. Many parents are reaching their goals because they were supported by any one of these valuable members of the team. Even with all these supporters, we still do not have enough for everyone who wants or needs one. This is the single biggest challenge to breastfeeding/chestfeeding in this country.

Unfortunately, anyone can call themselves a Lactation Consultant. Check credentials to learn more about an idividuals' qualifications. If you are looking for education, and support troubleshooting basic issues while nursing or lactating, you may find wonderful help with some of the people who have breastfeeding education. If you are not seeing improvement quickly or you aren’t finding answers, it is time to reach out to an IBCLC.

~Cathy Walker, MA, RN, IBCLC

Registered Nurse and Lactation Consultant