HOURS

Get the clinical hours you need to become an IBCLC, without being a healthcare professional.

If you are a Pathway 1 candidate who has earned the Certified Breastfeeding Specialist (CBS) through LER, you can obtain the 1,000 hours required to apply to take the IBCLC exam through the LER HOURS program. LER HOURS is an IBLCE-recognized breastfeeding support organization. 

An application is required to join the LER HOURS program. A $250 fee covers the application process and your first year of participation in LER HOURS. Subsequent years cost $89 per year. (Any student who is not accepted will receive a $150 refund.)

How to Apply

Once you complete your purchase, you will automatically be enrolled in the application process, which involves the following steps: 

• Case Study Exercise. Following your purchase, you will receive 6 case studies covering a range of lactation support situations, of which you must complete 3. Case studies include multiple choice and free text questions, and you will be required to provide references for the resources you use.
• Attestation. You will also receive the CBS Scope of Practice, Standards of Practice, LER Privacy Policy, and LER Discipline Policy. You must sign and attest to these documents. 

Once You’re Accepted

Upon successfully completing the application, you will be admitted to the LER HOURS program and receive the following: 

• Clinical Hours Tracking Tool. This Google spreadsheet is specially designed for tracking your clinical hours as you accrue them. The spreadsheet automatically calculates your remaining hours needed. It also allows you to categorize your clinical experiences by IBLCE Exam Detailed Content Outline (DCO) area. This is a valuable tool in preparing for the exam, because it allows you to see which areas you have the most experience in and which ones you need to spend more time studying. (Note: You are not required by IBLCE to accrue clinical hours in every DCO area; the tracking tool is designed to help you evaluate your own personal areas of more and less experience.) 
• Practice Protocols. These documents are important tools for any lactation care practice. We will provide you with well-designed sample protocols.
• A Community of Peers. You will be added to our LER HOURS Facebook group, where you can connect with others on the same path.
• Expert Clinical Support. The LER staff comprises IBCLCs, CBSs, and veteran La Leche League Leaders, with decades of cumulative experience providing lactation support. As you work with lactating families, you will have access to the experienced LER staff to discuss cases, answer questions, and guide your professional growth. 

Important Notes

To apply, you must be a CBS in good standing. 

Participation in LER HOURS puts a stamp of approval on your clinical hours, but it does not automatically provide or guarantee accumulation of clinical hours. You are responsible for locating lactating families to support. We can assist you in this process. 

LER became an IBLCE-approved breastfeeding support organization (BSO) in August, 2021. If you earned your CBS prior to August, 2021, and you are accepted into the LER HOURS program, you may document and count all the clinical hours you have accrued, beginning on August 1, 2021. 

Once accepted, you may renew your participation in the LER HOURS program for multiple years. However, to count toward exam application, IBLCE requires that all clinical hours MUST be accrued within the five years immediately prior to exam application. Hours accrued more than five years prior to exam application will not be counted by IBLCE. 

For more information, contact support@lactationtraining.com