Lactation Program Review: 

Certified Lactation Educator (CLE) Training Program

through  CAPPA Academy

 Reviewer: Kay Miller

        October 5, 2015

How long did it take you to complete the program? ~2 months (accelerated program)

What year did you complete the program? 2010

Certification or Certificate Offered – Certified Lactation Educator (CLE)

Scope of practice for a Certified Lactation Educator (CLE)

Delivery of Program – Combination of an in-person 20 hour Lactation Educator Training over a period of 3 days + certification requirements via CAPPA Academy (now completely online). CAPPA now has traditional, distance and accelerated options for those wishing to certify. See here for details.

CAPPA’s current Lactation Educator Training locations, times and dates

Books & Materials Required – The initial three-day training provided a manual and handouts that corresponded with the PowerPoint. After taking the 20 Hour Course, individuals who certify are required to read the manual (provided) and four additional books from this list and one of the following texts in its latest edition: Hale and Hartmann’s Textbook of Human Lactation OR Jan Riordan’s Breastfeeding and Human Lactation (preferred textbook).

Cost of Program (Including books, materials, application fees, etc.) – $400 (early bird) + $55 CAPPA Membership + $35 Hug Your Baby +$175 CAPPA Academy = $665 + cost of 5 additional books.

If you don’t want to be certified and just want to take CAPPA’s 20 hour Lactation Educator Training, then you just pay the cost of the 3 day workshop (usually around $400) and all other materials are provided for free.

# of L-CERPs, Nursing Contact Hours, CEUs, CPEs, etc. offered – 21.5 L-CERPs (guaranteed through 2015).

Do this program’s hours meet partial or full requirements for the IBCLC exam’s lactation specific training requirement?

Yes, partial (21.25 hours).

If yes, how many hours of lactation specific training are counted for the IBCLC exam?

It counts for 21.25 hours towards the 90 hour IBCLC exam lactation education requirement.

Name of trainer(s): Laurel Wilson

What did you like about the program?

• I greatly appreciated that the program was comprehensive, current, and evidence based.
• I appreciated the emphasis on continuing education. I appreciated Laurel being approachable and available to me even after the initial 3-day workshop was over.
• I loved that the class wasn’t just lecture; there were also various activities, role playing, and practice time incorporated in to the workshop.
• After completing the full certification process, I feel that I had a very well-rounded foundation, and was excited to continue my education in the lactation field.

What did you dislike about the program?

When I completed the program, it was all in paper format. CAPPA has since gone to a partial online format with CAPPA Academy which streamlines the process and offers great benefits to the certification candidates.

How rigorous/time consuming did you find the program?

When I was completing the program, I was working two jobs and homeschooling my two children. I am also a single mother. I was able to carve out time to work on the program requirements, and completed the program in 2 months (accelerated version), but did have up to two years to complete it. While the program does take time, effort, and energy, it can be done, and with the quality of education you receive, it is well worth it!

Would you recommend this program to others?

Absolutely! It is a great way for those just entering the lactation field, those desiring to continue their education, and/or those wishing to enhance services already being offered to patients/clients. I would recommend the course to anyone working with breastfeeding families.

Knowing what you know now, would you take this program again? 

Yes! I have referred many to the CAPPA Lactation Educator program. I actually took Laurel’s workshop again in 2011 because I enjoyed it so much.

Do you feel the course and/or certification helped you obtain your goals?

Yes, I do. I have been able to serve many families by teaching classes both privately and in hospital, birth center, and other settings. It has also served as a stepping stone in my goal of becoming an IBCLC (planning to sit for the IBLCE exam in 2016).

Additional Comments?

I enjoyed the program so much that in 2011, I decided to join CAPPA’s faculty, and I have been teaching the CAPPA Lactation Educator workshops here in the US ever since.

Does your program/credential require you to recertify? If so, how long does the credential last and what is required to recertify? Yes, my CLE credential is good for 3 years. I need 15 CERPs to recertify – all of which can be earned at the annual conference, which is FREE to all CAPPA members. You can read more on CAPPA’s recertification process here.

Would you like to write a review of a Lactation Training Program that you’ve taken? If so, don’t be shy! You can access the review form directly from Galactablog. Or directly online via Google Forms here.

**Disclaimer – The views and opinions expressed in this review are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Galactablog. It’s also important to note that these views are not the only source of information about this particular lactation training program. See here for more program details on CAPPA, along with comparison of similar Lactation Training Programs. If you’re interested in Lactation Training Programs that offer a clinical practice component, see here.