CLC course through Healthy Children Project

DoulaYvonne · 08-30-2006, 08:54 PM

Hi All!

I was encouraged to post about the CLC (Certified Lactation Counselor) course that I recently took.

This is a week long course 4 1/2 days of instruction, the final day you sit for the exam, that is offered by the Center for Breastfeeding, The Healthy Children's Project. It is mostly an add-on credential. There were a variety of other professional women in the course: dieticians, nurses, LLLL, doulas, etc. We were told that there is an 80% pass rate.

I took the course an hours drive from my home. Many of the participants came from further away and stayed in the hotel for the week. One participant came from Germany just to take the course.

I primarily took it to increase my knowledge and to enhance my credentials for my doula business. They did a very good job in the course objectives. The presenters were both IBCLC's and were extremely knowledgeable.

But, I will state that much of what they taught wasn't intensive enough for me. My background is that of a LLL Leader and as such I am continually challenged, supported and educated. Though I really did enjoy the course because this is my passion, I could have digested even more. For those of you who are considering taking their course (they offer them throughout the country) I wouldn't hesitate. Yet, if you are already well-equipped with counseling breastfeeding women on a regular basis, either as a LLLL, WIC, etc this may not be for you. A lot of the women, probably the majority, were sent there by their workplace. They didn't have to pay the fees and their workplaces got workers with a better idea of the normal course of breastfeeding. The course was about $550, not including travel/hotel/food. A book such as Biancuzzo's or Lawrence's is required for the test also.

One thing they really stress is the counselling aspect. In the 3 part exam that is one of the parts.

I was soooo nervous to take the test ~ it has been a while! LOL! I got my reults about 4-5 weeks afterwards and fortunately I passed!

newbirth · 08-30-2006, 09:53 PM

Yvonne, do you have a link to the program? It sounds interesting. I would like to add breastfeeding counselling to my services at some point, but I'm really not sure I want to do LLL, so this sounds like a good match.

MothertheMother · 08-31-2006, 11:47 AM

Can you go into detail about what this certification allows you to do? I know a local cbe that is signed up for a course that sounds a lot like this one and I wonder if it the same thing (I don't remember the name she used).

DoulaYvonne · 08-31-2006, 03:22 PM

Here is the link to their website:

http://www.healthychildren.cc/

They offer a number of other interesting BF courses too. They also do a few cruises so if you need ceu's you can get a bunch. Most people who take the course do so: a) because they are in medicine and wanted a stonger grasp of bf counseling or, b) are going to sit for the IBCLC exam within 3 years and need to get the requisite 45 educational hours.

Christy, as far as what it allows you to do: only what your scope of practice is now. This is an "add-on" credential. If you are a nurse and your scope of practice allows you to touch breasts, then you may do so as a CLC. But if you are a lay person, being a CLC will not grant you the permission to touch breasts. For me, I can look at breasts, because that is necessary for certain diagnosis, but touching would be outside my scope of practice. I would probably be covered by my LLL insurance.

Hopefully, having the CLC credential will show moms who may not realize what LLL is or does, to know that I have an above average base of knowledge when it comes to breastfeeding. Also, it tells my doula clients that I am not "just a mom who bf her own kids". In my training, I purposefully seek out experiences that were not my own. I never breastfed multiples, so I tried to learn all I could to help a mom who is going through that. Just as I never had a c-section, so during my LLL applicancy time I had to learn more about how to position a baby so that the incision is not being pressed upon, stuff like that. I would still refer a mom to an LC or physician that I felt was beyond my learning and expertise.

Had I not already had the knowledge extended to me by my years with LLL, this course would get an A.

Hope I've helped!