When you have a passion for supporting breastfeeding families, you may wonder how you can turn this passion into a career. As you research your options, it’s important to know the different types of lactation professionals.
Is a Certified Breastfeeding Counselor (CBC) a lactation consultant? This is a common question of those interested in lactation careers.
The simplest answer is that a CBC should not be referred to as a lactation consultant. The long answer explains why.
Here is what you need to know about CBCs and lactation consultants:
What Is a Certified Breastfeeding Counselor (CBC)
A certified breastfeeding counselor is someone who holds a certificate from lactation organizations. To hold this certification, people must show proficiency in the following:
- Understanding the role of healthcare providers in care
- Anatomy and physiology of the breast
- Breastfeeding initiation
- Understanding of a healthy latch
- Knowledge of feeding guidelines in the first two days of life
- Understanding lactation at different stages
- Normal newborn feeding patterns and behavior
- Red flags for latch concerns and who to refer parents to have them addressed
- Basic understanding of medication during lactation and who to refer parents to for more information
- Lactation gadgets, breast pumps, etc.
- Basic nutritional needs of the breastfeeding dyad
- How to educate parents in an evidenced based and compassionate manner
To demonstrate proficiency, assignments, role play, and final exams are required to receive a Certified Breastfeeding Counselor certificate with the International Doula Institute.
What Do CBCs Do?
“In 2018, there were 3.79 million babies born in the US. Of those babies, approximately 80% were breastfed or given expressed breastmilk around the time of their birth. Breastfeeding initiation in the US and other comparable countries is high and shows a lot of women desire to breastfeed. However, not all women meet their breastfeeding goals, and this is where breastfeeding counselors can help.
A Certified Breastfeeding Counselor is a lactation professional who completes a certification course including a final exam. This is a non-medical position, meaning they do not diagnose or treat medical conditions, nor do they practice medicine.” – excerpt from What Is A Certified Breastfeeding Counselor?
A CBC has an important role in helping families meet their breastfeeding goals. When you become certified, you have many opportunities to use your skills professionally including:
- If you are a nurse, using it at your place of employment
- Provide more support for your doula clients
- Work at community programs such as WIC
- Provide private support via email, phone, video chat, in-person, etc.
- Teach breastfeeding classes or provide additional education for your childbirth class participants
- Use your skills to provide support and education via social media, blogging, and vlogging
- Facilitate a volunteer or paid support group
Are CBCs The Same as Lactation Consultants?
While the term “lactation consultant” is not regulated, it is most commonly associated with an IBCLC – Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant. If you are not an IBCLC, using the term can be confusing to parents and professionals.
An IBCLC is a more advanced lactation professional. They have more academic and clinical experience than CBCs.
While there are multiple pathways to become an IBCLC, they typically have the following:
- 90 lactation specific lactation hours
- A degree in a healthcare or science related field or college level health discipline classes
- 1500 clinical lactation hours
- Sit for and pass the IBCLE exam
An IBCLC has extensive lactation knowledge and experience. As a CBC you are not the same as an IBCLC which is commonly referred to as a lactation consultant.
That said, as a CBC, you have a valuable place in lactation support. You can also continue your training to eventually become an IBCLC.
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