Lactation Program Reviews

Lactation Program Review: Lactation Education Resources (LER) Lactation Consultant Training Program & Breastfeeding Specialist Certificate

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Lactation Program Review: 

Lactation Education Resources‘ (LER)

Lactation Consultant Training Program

with ‘ Certified Breastfeeding Specialist’ Certificate (CBS)

Reviewer: Bridget Whiteley-Ross, RN, CBS

Submitted July 9, 2019
Published Sept. 1, 2019

Year enrolled in Program: 2018

How long did it take you to complete the program? 1 year

Certification or Certificate Offered – ‘Certified Breastfeeding Specialist’ (CBS) certificate. See here for a detailed course syllabus.

Name of Instructor(s) – Vergie Hughes, MS, RN, IBCLC, FILCA and many others. Editor’s Note: See here – pg. 4 for complete list of LER Faculty Members.

Delivery of Program – Online delivery for 90 hours of lactation education 

Books & Materials Required – Breastfeeding and Human Lactation 5th Edition. Editor’s Note: LER recommends these books for its courses.

Cost of Program (Including books, materials, application fees, etc.) – $900+ USD

See here for listings and cost of various lactation training programs offered by LER.

# of L-CERPs, Nursing Contact Hours, CEUs, CPEs, etc. offered – 90 L-CERPs, 90 Nursing Contact Hours and 90 CPE Level II.

Editor’s Note: If you don’t need all 90 hours, LER also has an option that offers 45 L-CERP’s, 45 Nursing Contact Hours and 45 CPE’s. See here for more details and pricing.

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

Yes, it meets the full 90 hour IBCLC lactation education requirement.

What did you like about the program?

It had many highly qualified IBCLC instructors, covering a wide and thorough topic range on lactation and breastfeeding.

What did you dislike about the program?  

Some instructors style preferred more than others but all were very informative.

What would you change about the program? 

Lengthy but probably necessary.

How rigorous/time consuming did you find the program? 

A few hours a day will help certify you within several months.

Did you feel this particular program used current, evidence-based resources and training materials? Yes.

Do you feel the program was clear in the scope of practice in which you’re allowed to practice? Yes.

Was there clear delineation between this program’s scope of practice and that of an IBCLC? Yes.

Did the program discuss when and how to refer to an IBCLC if necessary? Yes.

Would you recommend this program to others?  Yes, I would.

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

I would definitely take this program again

Do you feel the course and/or certification helped you obtain your goals?  It gave me a solid start toward IBCLC pathway.

Are you currently an IBCLC? Not yet, working on pathway 1 or 3, trying to figure best Pathway for my schedule.

Are you currently working in the lactation field? If yes, feel free to expand on your position. If no, feel free to describe what type of work you’re doing, if you’d like to be in the lactation field and what you feel are the barriers stopping you.

I’m a registered nurse who worked NICU for years and stopped working but kept an active license. I took a break to raise a family and exclusively breasted my four children, for over eight years, total. I had some issues breastfeeding that i was able to work through successfully and I’m an avid supporter of breastfeeding! I’m currently looking for a way to achieve the hours required to take the IBCLC and i’m finding this to be a bit tricky.

Does this particular program/credential require you to recertify? If so, how long does the credential last and what is required to recertify?

The ‘Certified Breastfeeding Specialist’ credential obtained from LER is valid for 5 years.

Any additional comments you’d like to add?

This course was excellent and addressed issues that increased my knowledge base greatly.

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 online via Google Forms here.

See here for more information on LER’s lactation training programs, along with a comparison of similar lactation training programs.

**Disclaimer – The views and opinions expressed in this review are those of the reviewer and do not reflect those of Galactablog. In order to remain objective and unbiased, Galactablog does not endorse or associate with any particular Lactation Training program. It is the reader’s responsibility to confirm program details (cost, dates, # of hours offered, program requirements, etc.) with the program itself as details can change once this post is published.

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 in addition to a comparison of similar Lactation Training Programs. If you’re interested in Lactation Training Programs that offer a clinical practice component, see here.

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Lactation Program Review: Lactation Education Resources (LER) Lactation Consultant Training Program & Breastfeeding Specialist Certificate

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Lactation Program Review: 

Lactation Education Resources‘ (LER)

Lactation Consultant Training Program

with ‘ Certified Breastfeeding Specialist’ Certificate (CBS)

Reviewer: Anonymous

Submitted July 12, 2018
Published November 12, 2018

Year enrolled in Program: 2016-2018

How long did it take you to complete the program? 2 years from start of coursework and clinical hours to taking and passing the IBCLC exam

Certification or Certificate Offered – ‘Certified Breastfeeding Specialist’ (CBS) certificate. See here for a detailed course syllabus.

Name of Instructor(s) – Reviewer did not answer. Editor’s Note: See here – pg. 4 for complete list of LER Faculty Members.

Delivery of Program – Combination of In-Person and Online Delivery: Online delivery for 90 hours of lactation education and IBCLC exam prep course and In-Person for the 500 hour Clinical Internship program.

Books & Materials Required – Reviewer did not answer. Editor’s Note: LER recommends these books for its courses.

Cost of Program (Including books, materials, application fees, etc.) – $2,000+ (this includes the 90 hours of lactation education + 500 clinical hours through LER’s Internship program + the exam review prep course).

See here for listings and cost of various lactation training programs offered by LER. See here for detailed description and costs of LER’s Clinical Hours Internship program. See here for detailed description and costs of exam review prep classes.

# of L-CERPs, Nursing Contact Hours, CEUs, CPEs, etc. offered – 90 L-CERPs, 90 Nursing Contact Hours and 90 CPE Level II.

Editor’s Note: If you don’t need all 90 hours, LER also has an option that offers 45 L-CERP’s, 45 Nursing Contact Hours and 45 CPE’s. See here for more details and pricing.

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

Yes, it meets the full 90 hour IBCLC lactation education requirement and I also received 500 clinical hours needed to qualify the clinical hour component required for the IBCLE exam as well.

What did you like about the program?

  • Able to complete coursework at your own pace and whenever it works for you.
  • You can print out all of the power points and there are tons of resources available.
  • The Internship program was so thorough and detailed, absolutely invaluable. It was easy to reach someone for help whenever needed.
  • The Facebook group is very helpful.
  • The exam review course is also thorough. I passed the exam first time -even now after already passing my exam, I am watching LER’s live webinars and still learning new information.

What did you dislike about the program?  I can’t think of anything! Maybe the cost, but it was worth it and my employer covered some of the costs.

What would you change about the program? Just in the 2 years I’ve been a part of this program, they have introduced several new ways to learn. There is always something new. I wouldn’t change anything.

How rigorous/time consuming did you find the program? I completed the program from start to finish (start meaning the 90 hour course work and finish to receiving my exam results) in 2 years while working full time, being pregnant and having a newborn. It was hard and time-consuming but I’m glad I pushed through.

Would you recommend this program to others?  Highly. To me, it is the gold standard. In the professional world, everyone knows LER. You will be prepared for the exam and also clinical practice at the end.

Knowing what you know now, would you take this program again? 100%

Do you feel the course and/or certification helped you obtain your goals?  100%! I couldn’t have done it without LER.

Any additional comments? I just want to thank LER and all of the instructors. My experience is the foundation for my practice and I wouldn’t be where I am now as an IBCLC without the program.

Does this particular program/credential require you to recertify? If so, how long does the credential last and what is required to recertify? The ‘Certified Breastfeeding Specialist’ credential obtained from LER is valid for 5 years.

For the IBCLC credential, we have to recertify every 5 years (via CERPs or retaking the IBCLC exam) and every 10 years (via retaking the exam).

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 online via Google Forms here.

See here for more information on LER’s lactation training programs, along with a comparison of similar lactation training programs.

**Disclaimer – The views and opinions expressed in this review are those of the reviewer and do not reflect those of Galactablog. In order to remain objective and unbiased, Galactablog does not endorse or associate with any particular Lactation Training program. It is the reader’s responsibility to confirm program details (cost, dates, # of hours offered, program requirements, etc.) with the program itself.

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 in addition to a comparison of similar Lactation Training Programs. If you’re interested in Lactation Training Programs that offer a clinical practice component, see here.

Lactation Program Review: Healthy Children’s Lactation Counselor Training Course & CLC Certification

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Lactation Program Review: 

Healthy Children’s Center for Breastfeeding’s  

Lactation Counselor Training Course

By Anonymous, CLC, ALC &IBCLC

Submitted December 25, 2017
Published on November 4, 2018

How long did it take you to complete the program? 5 days

Certification or Certificate Offered – Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC)

Delivery of Program – In-person

Books & Materials Required – The Pocket Guide for Lactation Management by Karin Cadwell, 2nd edition (can be purchased on Amazon from about $25-$35 or purchased at class for $55). A course guide with an outline of all instruction along with a resource appendix is free and included in course costs.

Cost of Program (Including books, materials, application fees, etc.) – $600-800

# of L-CERPs, Nursing Contact Hours, CEUs, CPEs, etc. offered – 45 Nursing contact hours, L-CERPs, CPEs; 4.5 CEUs for CNMs

Do this program’s hours meet partial or full requirements for the IBCLC exam’s lactation specific training requirement?  Yes, partial hours (it meets 45 of the required 90 hours of lactation education).

What did you like about the program?

  • Gave a good basic knowledge to answer questions of the pregnant or nursing mother.
  • Gives the CLC a good starting range of information on many aspects of lactation.
  • Allows an RN or other medical professionals to add to their current knowledge base and support breastfeeding.

What did you dislike about the program?

  • This is a basic knowledge course, it does not actually teach enough to start a practice to assist a mother who is struggling or has a special need. This is enough information to hold a support group or discuss basic questions about lactation.
  • The CLC scope of practice is very muddled and unclear. The instructors will not discuss comparison to IBCLC and make it clear that they feel their teaching is equivalent and encourage private practice. See here for Healthy Children’s comparison paper between CLCs and IBCLCs.

What would you change about the program?

  • Be more understanding and informative that this is a basic knowledge course and does not give the amount of information needed, the scope, or the ability for a CLC to start a practice to help mothers with problems concerning lactation and instead gives the ability to answer basic questions for “normal” cases only.
  • The CLC would be excellent for those looking to answer questions about lactation for pregnant mothers or hosting in support group settings. Advanced, specific, or “abnormal” individualized patient care should be referred to an IBCLC. The scope and ability must be set very clearly and not over exaggerated.

How rigorous/time consuming did you find the program?

  • Extremely, the exam is comprehensive and involves a great deal of information that may have only been given a brief allotment of time to be taught.
  • Participants should understand that they should study the information they were taught each day after the course time.

Would you recommend this program to others?

Yes, depending on their intentions in the field and their prior knowledge base.

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

I would. This was a great starting point for my path to IBCLC.

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

  • I do, it gave a good amount of basic knowledge.
  • Overall this was a good stepping stone and would encourage it as such.
  • I do not recommend taking only the CLC if intending to private practice helping mothers with lactation problems.

Does your program/credential require you to recertify? If so, how long does the credential last and what is required to recertify? Yes, every 3 years. Recertification requires 18 hours of continuing education.

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 reflect those of Galactablog. In order to remain objective and unbiased, Galactablog does not endorse or associate with any program in particular. It is the reader’s responsibility to confirm program details (cost, dates, # of hours offered, program requirements, etc.) with the program itself. 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 Healthy Children’s Lactation Counselor Training Course, along with a comparison of similar Lactation Training Programs. If you’re interested in Lactation Training Programs that offer a clinical practice component, see here.

Peer Support Training Review: Breastfeeding USA Breastfeeding Counselor Training

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Lactation Program Review: 

Breastfeeding USA’s Breastfeeding Counselor Training

By Stormy Miller

Submitted January 18, 2015
Published February 22, 2018

What year did you take the program? 2014

How long did it take you to complete the program? 4 months (September – December)

Certification or Certificate Offered – Certified Breastfeeding Counselor (CBC)

See here for requirements to apply for Breastfeeding USA’s CBC program

Delivery of Program – Online

Books & Materials Required – Education fee ($50) – includes access to e-book – Counseling the Nursing Mother: A Lactation Consultant’s Guide by Anna Swisher & Judith Lauwers.

Cost of Program (Including books, materials, application fees, etc.) – I paid $75 total – $25 to join Breastfeeding USA and the $50 education fee.

# of L-CERPs, Nursing Contact Hours, CEUs, CPEs, etc. offered – 45 Nursing contact hours, L-CERPs, CPEs; 4.5 CEUs for CNMs

Do this program’s hours meet partial or full requirements for the IBCLC exam’s lactation specific training requirement?  No, they do not. The hours of training only count towards my Breastfeeding Counselor credential. However, if I decide to pursue pathway 1 to qualify for the IBCLC exam, BF USA is a recognized peer support group and my volunteer hours will meet the clinical hour component of pathway 1 (it will take 2 years (500 hours per year) of volunteering as a Breastfeeding Counselor providing individual/in-person group support OR 4 years (250 hours per year) if I provide only telephone and email support) for me to earn the 1000 hours of clinical hours required to qualify to sit for the IBCLE exam .

What did you like about the program?

  • Online and self-paced – can go at my own pace and with working full time and having a young breastfeeding toddler at home it is hard. I have been doing the lessons during my pump and lunch breaks at work.
  • Price! The price is one of the main reasons why I did the program. Very feasible, even for a mom like me that has a tight budget! Especially not needing to buy the book with the ebook being included. Some candidates purchased the book because they prefer to have the hard copy and they also loan out the book with payment of a deposit.
  • Comprehensive course – learned a lot of information; evidence-based Quizzes are open book and can retake to get a better score. Some you can take again as a refresher with no limits. As a breastfeeding mom and having a lot of technical/health science experience, I breezed through the material pretty quickly. Having experience definitely helped.
  • Requirement to enroll is that you have breastfed for 12 months, and I think that is very good and adequate. It is a peer counselor program instructors and tutors are very friendly and helpful and gave a lot of helpful additional resources, like extra readings from Nancy Mohrbacher’s website and a few others.
  • Gave enrichment to further explore the topics for the lessons. Volunteer opportunities within the company after being accredited. After being accredited, counselors can start up a chapter in their area if there isn’t one already established, even if there is a LLL there in the area.

What did you dislike about the program?

  • The lessons do reference page numbers a lot and with the e-book there is no page numbers. That was a little hard to get through. Had a little confusion on which section(s) to read. They only had 1 license when I first started for the e-book, so a lot of times when I tried to access the book someone else was viewing it. But they recommended emailing the pages or chapters to your email address to view later and that helped a lot! By the time I finished they purchased another license so that has been helping.
  • At first the modules were a little hard to navigate but it got easier at I got adjusted. They actually just reformatted it which it looks a lot better!
  • Some lessons take forever being graded and waiting on feedback.

What would you change about the program? Nothing that I can think of (see dislikes).

How rigorous/time consuming did you find the program?

Because it was self-paced it wasn’t too bad. I work full time and have a 14-15 month old at the time and was still able to do the work. I actually did most of the lessons on my lunch break and pump breaks.

Would you recommend this program to others?

I would definitely recommend it to others. Especially moms that just want to help other moms and have that passion and drive.

now, would you take this program again? Yes.

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

Yes, it helped further my knowledge even with personal breastfeeding experience. And will help with the daycare project to help and support working moms. I felt like this course really prepared me for the “counseling” aspect.

Does our program/credential require you to recertify? If so, how long does the credential last and what is required to recertify? No, it does not.

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 reflect those of Galactablog. Please note that date of review submission and date of review publishing may be different. It’s up to the individual reader to double check pricing, program requirements, etc. 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 along with comparison of similar Lactation Training Programs and here for mother-to-mother peer breastfeeding support training programs (mainly USA based).

Lactation Program Review: Healthy Children’s Lactation Counselor Training Course & CLC Certification

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Lactation Program Review: 

Healthy Children’s Center for Breastfeeding’s  

Lactation Counselor Training Course & CLC Certification

By Anonymous

Submitted May 29, 2016
Published February 6, 2018

How long did it take you to complete the program? 5 days

Certification or Certificate Offered – Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC)

Delivery of Program – In-person

Books & Materials Required – The Pocket Guide for Lactation Management by Karin Cadwell, 2nd edition (can be purchased on Amazon from about $25-$35 or purchased at class for $55). A course guide with an outline of all instruction along with a resource appendix is free and included in course costs.

Cost of Program (Including books, materials, application fees, etc.) – $730-800

# of L-CERPs, Nursing Contact Hours, CEUs, CPEs, etc. offered – 45 Nursing contact hours, L-CERPs, CPEs; 4.5 CEUs for CNMs

Do this program’s hours meet partial or full requirements for the IBCLC exam’s lactation specific training requirement? Yes, they fulfill partial hours (45 out of 90 hours required).

What did you like about the program?

The instructors were very knowledgeable and kind. They seemed to enjoy teaching very much. They were always happy to answer any questions the students had. Even though I have worked in the medical field for 16 years and breastfed two children I learned a lot of things I didn’t know. They presented it in a way that was easily understood even if you didn’t have a medical background or had never breastfed before . They didn’t overload us with homework at night, what homework we did have was interesting and helpful to our learning .

What did you dislike about the program?

They said many times during the week this course would focus mostly on the counseling aspect, and it seemed to for the most part, but the exam questions were based mostly on the medical aspect. I also felt we should have watched more videos on a proper latch so we would be better prepared for the LAT/video portion of our exam. I wasn’t as confident about the LAT portion as I was the multiple choice part of the exam. I also felt sorry for anyone taking the multiple choice who didn’t have a very solid medical background..

How rigorous/time consuming did you find the program?

My kids are older so they stayed with family . I booked a hotel near the training site. I did take off work of course because the training site was two hours from my hometown. I felt it was very comprehensive and I was a little brain dead by bedtime every night , but it was doable if you stay focused.

What would you change about the program?

I would incorporate more latch videos with each training day. If you aren’t a visual learner you may struggle with trying to spot what was wrong or right about the videos in the short amount of time we had to asses the videos then write down what we saw . I would also ENSURE the testing area on the day of the test had no excess noise. Our testing area had an enormous amount of excess noise nearby and the instructors were aware of that noise problem during our classes all week. We voiced our concerns that this noise would be untolerable while taking a test. They told us it would be taken care of but wasn’t . I feel if they had been more proactive earlier in the week by test day we wouldn’t have had that problem.

Would you recommend this program to others?

Yes, I think the instructors were on target with what they taught. I would just tell others to watch ALOT of videos on a baby latching on , proper latch, poor latch so they would be better prepared for the exam .

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

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

Yes, I wanted to obtain my CLC for private practice . And I feel this course was a great start.

Additional comments?

Require a quiet test area on test day. You paid a great deal for this course and most people traveled to get there, and took time away from their families . So you deserve a good environment for test day.

Does your program/credential require you to recertify? If so, how long does the credential last and what is required to recertify? My CLC credential lasts is good for 3 years. Recertification requires 18 hours of continuing education.

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 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 Healthy Children’s Lactation Counselor Training Course, along with comparison of similar Lactation Training Programs. If you’re interested in Lactation Training Programs that offer a clinical practice component, see here.

Lactation Program Review: Healthy Children’s Lactation Counselor Training Course & CLC Certification

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Lactation Program Review: 

Healthy Children’s Center for Breastfeeding’s  

Lactation Counselor Training Course & CLC Certification

By J.H.

Submitted November 24, 2015
Published December 24, 2017

Year Enrolled in Program – 2015

How long did it take you to complete the program?  5 days

Certification or Certificate Offered – Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC)

Delivery of Program – In-person

Books & Materials Required – The Pocket Guide for Lactation Management by Karin Cadwell, 2nd edition (can be purchased on Amazon in various formats from about $30-40) or can be purchased in class for $55. A course guide with an outline of all instruction along with a resource appendix is free and included in course costs.

Cost of Program (Including books, materials, application fees, etc.) – $525-625 (discounts for early bird registration and groups of 4+). Additional costs include application and exam fees – $120 and 175 extra hours option (must be combined with full course and exam) – $350. See here for current pricing.

# of L-CERPs, Nursing Contact Hours, CEUs, CPEs, etc. offered – RNs: 45; RDs: 45; CLCs: 45 Contact Hours; IBCLCs: 45 L-CERPs; College Credits: 3, MCH 330

Do this program’s hours meet partial or full requirements for the IBCLC exam’s lactation specific training requirement?  Yes, partial (it fulfills 45 of the 90 hours required).

What did you like about the program?

  • Well-organized.
  • A lot of really interesting data was presented.
  • It gave me a real understanding of lactation physiology and how that relates to the things nursing parents can do to increase the chances of establishing a long, healthy breastfeeding relationship with their baby or babies.
  • It was fast-paced, but facilitators did a good job of answering questions.
  • The manual given to students was well-formatted and well-designed. It left space to take notes on the right side of every page.
  • The take-home review exercises were a fun way to consolidate the information learned each day.

What did you dislike about the program?

  • The start time (8:15 am was brutal for me).
  • Although data offered citations, it was generally the name of the researchers and publication information. It was often not clear what type of studies had been done, how large those studies were, and if results have been replicated…though the results were presented as facts.
  • Some of the competencies necessary to display during the course involved activities assigned before the actual topic had been taught and discussed.
  • Scope of practice of the CLC was not clearly defined.
  • There was refusal to discuss the differences between CLC and IBCLC. (They literally said they could not tell us.) I felt this really minimized the substantial difference and is something that new CLCs need to understand.
  • Part of the exam did not feel like a fair assessment of our knowledge. Everybody I have spoken with felt extremely unsure of how they did on that portion and passing it is required to pass the exam.
  • I don’t like that it takes 6-8 weeks to get exam results and that they don’t give you more details about your score.

What would you change about the program?

  • Increase and expand upon the focus on counseling skills.
  • Although we did learn some basics, I felt a little short-changed in this area, considering the way Healthy Children describe the course. Incorporate more information about the origin of data.
  • Define scope of practice more clearly.
  • Restructure part of the exam and provide students with details about their score (in a timely fashion).

How rigorous/time consuming did you find the program?

Extremely rigorous. “Lactation bootcamp” would not be an understatement. There is a lot of information to absorb and activities to complete during those 5 days. I would find it impossible to work a full time job while taking this course (unless given the whole 5 days off) and, personally, would have found family responsibilities to be rather overwhelming to juggle during that time. My brain felt completely full by the end of the course each day and I could not have made it through the week without having quiet time to decompress each evening. (I was fortunate enough to stay in a nearby motel, so I could focus exclusively on the class). It really was like learning the material of a 3 credit course, condensed into 5 days.

Would you recommend this program to others?

It depends what your goals are. It is a solid, informative program. It is not meant to prepare you to deal with significant breastfeeding problems, but does provides a strong knowledge base about lactation.

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

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

Absolutely. I am a doula and my goal in taking this course was to gain a strong knowledge base to draw from in helping my clients initiate and be successful in breastfeeding. That is the area in which this course really shines. I walked out of there with a much clearer understanding of the anatomy of lactation and what factors contribute to setting breastfeeding parents up for success.

Does your program/credential require you to recertify? If so, how long does the credential last and what is required to recertify? Yes, the CLC credential is good for 3 years. Recertification takes 18 hours of continuing education.

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. To the best of my knowledge, the information is accurate as of the date published, but it is up to the reader to do their due diligence and to confirm prices, required books, dates, number of CERPs offered, etc. It is 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 Healthy Children’s Lactation Counselor Training Course, along with comparison of similar Lactation Training Programs. If you’re interested in Lactation Training Programs that offer a clinical practice component, see here.

Lactation Program Review: UCSD Lactation Educator Counselor (CLEC) Training Program

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Lactation Program Review: 

UCSD Lactation Educator Counselor Training Program 

with Lactation Educator Counselor Certificate  

By Anonymous

Review Submitted December 1, 2017
Published on December 13, 2017

How long did it take you to complete the program? 2 months

When did you take the course? 2014

Certification or Certificate Offered – At end of course, students are “Certificated Lactation Educator Counselors,” or CLECs.

Delivery of Program – Completely online. You can find dates and the delivery medium here of available classes here and read more about the program here.

Books & Materials Required – The textbook, Counseling the Nursing Mother: A Lactation Consultant’s Guide by Anna Swisher and Judith Lauwers (2015). It’s available to rent, to buy (in both hard cover and Kindle) on Amazon.

Cost of Program (Including books, materials, application fees, etc.) – $695 (as of December 2017) + $72 for book via Amazon.com= $767 total.

# of L-CERPs, Nursing Contact Hours, CEUs, CPEs, etc. offered – 45 L-CERPs, 4 CE units in Reproductive Medicine BRN/RD: 45 CE hrs. BRN

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

Yes – partially (45 hours).

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

45 hours are counted towards the 90 hour lactation education IBCLC exam requirement.

Trainer: Ginni Baker

What did you like about the program? I liked having videos to watch rather than simply PowerPoint slides with voiceover. It’s hard to do that for 45 hours’ worth of education! The price is also more reasonable than other courses.

What did you dislike about the program? Virtually everything else.

What would you change about the program? I’d update the videos, ensure that everything is based on evidence or clearly stated as anecdotal, and ensure that it is inclusive and appropriate for a wide audience.

How rigorous/time consuming did you find the program? The program was more intense than what I have seen from in-person 45-hour courses. There were lectures plus assignments, including a fairly involved assignment where you create your own breastfeeding class.

Would you recommend this program to others?  I can only speak for the online portion, but no, I would not recommend it to others based on my experience. I felt like communication was poor; there was one instance where I asked specifically about a contradiction between the lecture and assignment and was not given a clarifying answer. The lectures videos were outdated when I watched them. There were some points where language used was offensive, and anecdotal evidence offered as fact without clarification that was anecdotal.

Knowing what you know now, would you take this program again? No. I would try to find an in-person class if at all possible.

Do you feel the course and/or certification helped you obtain your goals? No. I took the course mainly as a prerequisite to apply for the Hybrid Lactation Program (UCSD’s pathway 2 program), and found out after going through the course and applying that any 45-hour course would have counted for a prerequisite, and I was a CLC at the time.

Yes. It helped me to get a job with WIC. In my case, it helped me obtain more credentials as a postpartum doula. The certification is beneficial to doulas as well.

Does your program/credential require you to recertify? If so, how long does the credential last and what is required to recertify?

The “Certified Lactation Educator Counselor” certificate is good for 5 years, after which, one needs to take the Refresher Lactation Educator course.

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.

See here for more program details along with comparison of similar Lactation Training Programs.

Lactation Program Review: Lactation Education Resources (LER) Lactation Consultant Training Program & Breastfeeding Specialist Certificate Credential

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To all of my Galactablog subscribers, followers and all of those who submitted lactation program reviews – I want to sincerely apologize for the exceptionally long delay on publishing program reviews. I have a backlog of reviews that were submitted but never published. So I’m playing catch-up now. Galactablog is now up and running again, so stay tuned for lots of reviews. Ready, set, go!

Lactation Program Review: 

Lactation Education Resources’ (LER)

Lactation Consultant Training Program

with Breastfeeding Specialist Certificate 

Reviewer: ECB

Reviewed on December 21, 2015
Published on November 30, 2017

Year enrolled in Program: 2013

How long did it take you to complete the program? 2 months

Certification or Certificate Offered – Breastfeeding Specialist certificate

Delivery of Program – Completely online

Books & Materials Required – The textbook Breastfeeding and Human Lactation, 5th Ed is recommended by LER. Course materials (power point lectures, bibliographies and lectures) are all online.

Cost of Program (Including books, materials, application fees, etc.) – $895 (as of 12/21/2015). ***Edited to add: Current cost (as of review publication date) of the “Lactation Consultant Training Program Enriched” course is $975.

# of L-CERPs, Nursing Contact Hours, CEUs, CPEs, etc. offered – 90 L-CERPs, 90 Nursing Contact Hours and 90 CPE Level II. ***Edited to add: Now the same course, “Lactation Consultant Training Program Enriched” offers – 86 L-CERPs, 4 E-CERPs, 90 Nursing Contact Hours and 90 CPEUs.

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

Yes, it meets the full 90 hour IBCLC lactation education requirement.

What did you like about the program?

  • I could set my own schedule while taking the classes. I was able to go back through any of the classes within a year period to refresh before the exam. All of the classes were online, so this worked well between raising children, working and school.
  • Prior to sitting the IBLCE exam, I retook the 90 hours in a 10 day period of time. I did not purchase any additional exam packets, etc. I felt that all the material on the IBLCE exam was covered in the 90 hour course. The company allowed me to extend the 12 months for an additional 2 months so I could review prior to exam.
  • I’m happy to say that I passed with a decent score and currently have the lovely initials IBCLC behind my name.

What did you dislike about the program?

  • A few of the topics were dry, but I don’t think that had anything to do with the educators. Merely the actual topics – they were on the exam, so a necessary evil, in my opinion.

What would you change about the program? N/A

How rigorous/time consuming did you find the program?

As stated before, I was able to finish the first time before my internship in about 2 months. The 2nd round for a refresher before the test was done much quicker.

Would you recommend this program to others?

Absolutely and have done so already. I felt it was a good value for the money and had me completely prepared for the exam.

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

Yes. It was very appropriate and a very well-respected program among IBCLCs I now know professionally.

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

Yes. I was able to sit the exam and pass on the first try.

Does your program/credential require you to recertify? If so, how long does the credential last and what is required to recertify? I have to recertify every 5 years for the IBCLC credential. I can either retake the IBCLE exam or I can take 75 CERPs to recertify.

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.

See here for more information on LER’s lactation training programs, along with comparison of similar lactation training programs.

**Disclaimer – The views and opinions expressed in this review are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Galactablog. It’s important to note that these views are not the only source of information about this particular lactation training program.

Lactation Program Review: Lactation Education Resources (LER) Lactation Consultant Training Program & Breastfeeding Specialist Certificate

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Lactation Program Review: 

Lactation Education Resources’ (LER)

Lactation Consultant Training Program

with Breastfeeding Specialist Certificate 

Reviewer: Anonymous

December 10, 2015

Year enrolled in Program: 2015

How long did it take you to complete the program? 9 months

Certification or Certificate Offered – Breastfeeding Specialist certificate

Delivery of Program – Completely online

Books & Materials Required – The textbook Breastfeeding and Human Lactation, 5th Ed is required by LER. Materials are all online power point presentations and lectures.

Cost of Program (Including books, materials, application fees, etc.) – $716

# of L-CERPs, Nursing Contact Hours, CEUs, CPEs, etc. offered – 90 L-CERPs, 90 Nursing Contact Hours and 90 CPE Level II.

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

Yes, it meets the full 90 hour IBCLC lactation education requirement.

What did you like about the program?

  • It’s online!
  • You have up to 12 months to complete it.
  • No schedule to follow.
  • Clinical video modules were more helpful and clinical scenarios were useful.

What did you dislike about the program?

  • The lectures were outdated and sometimes had misinformation.
  • The main mode of education was clicking through slides with little to no interaction. Had to click for every single slide, which was annoying.
  • No workbook or actual assignments.
  • Content was moderate. I felt I learned as much from LER’s training as from my La Leche League (LLL) training.

What would you change about the program?

  • Update the lectures.
  • Need to have innovative content delivery and improved interaction with varied delivery mode.
  • Incorporate better accountability for the student. It’s easy to just click through slides and not get much out of it. This sets a low bar for expectations in lactation education.

How rigorous/time consuming did you find the program?

Not rigorous. Easily completed at night after kids in bed.

Would you recommend this program to others?

Not really. I just don’t think I got that much out of it other than the “check mark” of having completed the 90 hours. I think it needs updating and needs to require students to learn and work a little more.

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

No. Wish I had done the Childbirth International (CBI) program. It takes longer and requires more, but I think it has more accountability with an actual person following your progress. I would have learned more instead of just clicking mindlessly through slides.

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

Yes- I got my 90 hours, but I don’t feel I learned terribly much, which is sad.

Does your program/credential require you to recertify? If so, how long does the credential last and what is required to recertify? No, we don’t have to recertify.

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.

See here for more information on LER’s lactation training programs, along with comparison of similar lactation training programs.

**Disclaimer – The views and opinions expressed in this review are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Galactablog. It’s important to note that these views are not the only source of information about this particular lactation training program.

Lactation Program Review: Union Institute & University

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Lactation Program Review: 

Union Institute & University’s 

MA in Health & Wellness with a Concentration in Lactation Studies

By Anonymous 

November 20, 2015

What year did you enroll in the program? 2012

How long did it take you to complete the program? 2.5 years

Degree, Certification or Certificate Offered – Master of Arts (MA) Degree in Health & Wellness with a Concentration in Lactation Studies. Union Institute & University (UI & I) also offers a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Maternal & Child Health with a major in Human Lactation.

Delivery of Program – Online

Books & Materials Required – Via partnership with The Healthy Children Project, Inc. (HCP), the program requires you to become a Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC) in order to do your clinical hours.

Cost of Program (Including books, materials, application fees, etc.) – $40,000+

Do this program’s hours meet partial or full requirements for the IBCLC exam’s lactation specific training requirement? Yes. This program fulfills the entire lactation education requirement needed to sit for the IBCLC exam.

What did you like about the program?

I liked having classmates who were also working in lactation that I could bounce ideas off of. It was nice to not have to explain what a “lactation consultant” is over and over again. I still keep in touch with many of these students and consider them to be trusted colleagues.

What did you dislike about the program?

Overall, there were quite a few things I disliked about the UI&U program.

  • The Lactation faculty consisted of two professors who seemed to play “good cop/bad cop” with the students.
  • The program offered no help whatsoever in finding a placement for internship hours, and I was told at one point that I couldn’t complete my hours in the state where I live – when I was already halfway through the program!
  • I felt that we received very little instruction as to how to complete assignments.
  • In our final semesters, many of us scrambled to answer others’ questions on the online message board as the instructors very rarely checked in.
  • I was often confused and lost, and when I spoke with faculty I was told that I was doing things wrong.

What would you change about the program?

  • I strongly feel that this program should help their students to gain internship placements. So many of my classmates had their schooling delayed by a semester or more because they couldn’t find anywhere to earn their internship hours.
  • This program sorely needs more involved faculty members and a better designed curriculum.

How rigorous/time consuming did you find the program?

I finished my degree in 2.5 years while usually being enrolled 3/4 or full-time, working part-time, and taking care of my 3 kids including one who was born during my program. At times the program was very time consuming (mostly dealing with internship hours and when writing my thesis) but for the most part, I was able to complete it during nap times and during one full day of school a week.

Would you recommend this program to others?

For the most part no, I would not recommend this program. If you are looking solely for a program to meet Pathway 2 requirements and give you the knowledge to pass the IBLCE exam, look elsewhere. If you are already an IBCLC, if you would like to specialize in breastfeeding research, or if you have a deep interest in gaining your graduate degree within the lactation field and you are highly self-directed and self-motivated, then yes, I’d recommend this program.

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

No, I would not take this program again. It’s very hard to admit that you feel you made a mistake that cost your family almost $50,000. There have to be better ways to get meet IBLCE requirements, which was my main purpose in joining this program. I am left with huge student loans and a bad taste in my mouth.

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

I know that the course helped me, on paper, to meet IBLCE’s requirements before sitting for the exam. I’m not convinced that the education I received really fit the bill of IBLCE’s intentions when setting those requirements.

 

Does your program/credential require you to recertify? No. My Master’s degree never expires!

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 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 similar Lactation Training Programs that also offer clinical practice components and here for general Lactation Training and/Certification Programs without the clinical component.