Hi friend! Am an aspiring IBCLC myself. Currently a postpartum doula and prior, was a career nanny of 12+ years. Thank you so much for making this video. Super insightful! I love your platform. <3
Thank you for this informative video. I use to work in the hospital many years ago (as a PCA). Whenever I’d have to go to L&D that’s where my heart was. I wanted to become a RN, then life happened. Had babies and dedicated everything for them. Now that my youngest is in school I have been really looking into becoming a LC.trying to do all my research and sadly my area doesn’t offer much info. I have found programs in other states and just trying to do research online through other social media platforms. This is encouraging considering I’ve found other ibclc’s saying you basically can’t get a job as an IBCLC if you aren’t an RN or even work at places like WIC because you have to be a dietician first. So thank you for your information.
Thank you for this video. I have longed to become a LC for years. Especially with my own BF experience with my preemie. I am trying to find my path for this (I have dedicated so much of my time/life for my kids and have felt like I have no identity). I know I am meant to do more than just be a mama and I am terrified to step away from being just a SAHM. I loved this video and your personality, just you speaking about this was very calming. 🤍 So inspiring.
Which program did you use for the 95 hours? I’m a nurse interested in pursuing pathway 1 but man, there are so many programs to chose from. LER, GOLD, Evergreen, and so many others. Which would you recommend? Thanks and I don’t know you but I’m super proud of you! So inspiring and your videos are thorough and straight to the point.
Please do more videos like this! They are so helpful, and if you could specifically talk about what teach to all first time moms or every mom that is breastfeeding. Thank you so much. Please keep making videos.
This was SUCH a good video! Lol this is my 3rd time watching and I don't even work in the medical field - I'm a math teacher lol. But I just get so inspired by the fellow Houston mom who just does it all with so much grace. Seeing the life of a working mom in a care field is SOOO inspring! <3 <3 <3
New subscriber here . My question is my baby is 6 months old who was exclusively breastfed but due to medical conditions couldnt feed for 2 weeks and fed formula is it psossible to resume ?
“…considered quitting your job and working in a coffee shop…” I feel so seen!!! lol. As a nurse considering doing an LC certification, I’m so happy I found your channel!!
Have you heard of The Lactation Network? It’s a billing service for private practice IBCLCs. I am set to take the test in September, and I’m looking into doing that, because hospital LC sounds exhausting. 😅
i have!! there’s a lot of ins and outs with that too but it’s definitely on my list to prioritize when i phase out of the hospital! it’s def exhausting but there’s pros and cons for sure. but i am TIRED haha
I am finishing up my lactation counselor certification. I love your channel. It’s really helpful for me! After I complete this, I’m pursuing to be an IBCLC!
I'm reading between the lines and I hear you. I feel the same way as an L&D nurse turned LC...the hospital environment is just brutal and the burn out is real!
I need hand-holding to get started! I was thinking of going for CBS and then work on IBCLC. I don't know where to start like where to start. my long-term goal is to work for myself but I want as much experience in as many fields/environments as possible.
so I'm probably the worst person ever to ask any insurance or formality questions because I'm still learning. BUT I used the CM&F group when I was in private practice! I haven't looked into new options yet but I will be soon and will def update you :)
These are my concerns exactly!I just had my first baby and my lactation consultant was a god send after a traumatic labor/ birth! I had a successful bf journey and I want to be that person for other mothers and I m just doing research before I get started! Thanks for your transparency ❤
I'm so glad you had a positive experience after a traumatic beginning! Your experience and compassion will definitely motivate other families going through any feeding journey! I'm excited to see where it takes you!!
It seems impossible to be an IBCLC if you are not a nurse . I'm a RD btw. Meaning hard to get hired. I'm on an IBCLC group and we discuss this all the time
This is a very honest video. Yes! Being an IBCLC is both fulfilling and frustrating. The lactation consultant hate is real. Most of us are highly empathetic people who care deeply for other moms and just want to help make their experience better, whatever that experience is. Some people can be judgemental towards us and think that we have an agenda. Some will not respect your authority over a doctor or a nurse even though you are the one with lactation specific training and the other healthcare professionals have little to no lactation training. If you are quickly able to fix a problem they love you, but if there is too much struggle trying to get things worked out, people get frustrated with you, not just the situation. Being an IBCLC is simultaneously one of the best things I've done with my life and one that takes a big emotional toll on me. So many of us try so hard to be kind and non-judgemental, understanding that the women we work with have been through labor, are exhausted, are having pain or discomfort, etc... but you can't expect that the client, who is in a vulnerable position, with be in a place where they can do that for you.
Don’t be afraid of taxes! Just save a third of money that comes in and touch it for that year. Thank you for reminding me why I don’t have an FTE and work nights.
Hi thanks for all the info you share. I’m a motherbaby nurse for 10 years and thinking of change. Is there a good course you can recommend to take my education hours to prepare me qualify for ibclc exam? Thank you so much
I made a guide a while back with all of the info and links of how I become an IBCLC! In it, I talk about where/how I got the education hours! I'd honestly just tell you but I can't even remember because I did it all so long ago haha.
Is finding clients and working with insurance difficult with a private practice? Do you find it can be flexible? Do you feel like you get paid well with private practice?
it was incredibly flexible when i was doing it. but that also had its pros and cons. as for finding clients, i worked with a group and a lot of that was managed by the admin team so i can’t speak to it (hopefully i’ll know more soon). and the pay was iffy for me because i was with a group. i make more in a hospital currently.
Thank you for sharing so transparently your feelings and experiences, it's so real. I was a nurse home visitor for parents from pregnancy through toddler, and now looking into IBCLC. I felt that "imposter syndrome" or felt super inadequate when I couldn't be that "fixer". It was so validating to hear others go through that too. I can now plan to pack those feels in my luggage on my LC journey too.
Excited for you! I’m feeling burned out in the hospital, 20 patients to see just me on. Feeling blah to go to work when I love lactation, the hospital is draining
this is actually what this weeks video is about because i dealt with so much burn out over the past 2 years! really hoping 2024 is the year that i can find balance. i hope so for you too 🩷
I found you on RU-vid a couple days ago, I relate so much to everything you’re feeling! When I started my nursing career as a mother newborn nurse 9 years ago, I quickly knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur and hospital nursing couldn’t be my only. I transitioned into a lactation nurse role about 7 months and see such a need in my community for outpatient nursing support. I’ve been doing all the same research/ private practice and I love the business side but the big question is ‘will it be profitable?!’. I’m so excited to follow your journey for 2024!
i love that we’re on a similar journey!! and yes the big question of will it financially pay off is something that i’m truly curious about!! hopefully we find out soon 😉
You’re god sent. Thanks for making this video. I was wondering if it’s okay to share the paper that you use when you give report, or just drop some key on that paper please Thank you very much I’m new to your chanel and glad i found you
will do! video coming up in like 2 days actually! but i’ll def share my paper and im totally working on editing it currently 🙂 thanks for your kind words 🥹
Thank you so much for the helpful videos but I have a question do you have to have a nursing background or can you just take courses to become lactation specialist?
For a long time now. The thought of a male lactation consultant seemed kind of weird to me, but I've seen where men have become very successful in the field. I, too have an interest in becoming one and have many questions that you've answered. Thank you for the information
Hello goodnight. I’m a midwife in Jamaica and I’ve been interested in becoming a lactation consultant. I don’t know if you are able to guide me on starting this journey but I would love any advise given.
Hi love following you and all the great advice you give!! Do you see patients twice like if you saw them the night before? We have to see them all the days they are there no matter what.
Thanks for posting this content! I’m in the middle of a career change & am going back to get my RN w// an end goal of being an IBCLC! Love seeing the realistic day in the life. Helps me to know I’m on the right path!
Thank you so much for making this video! Would you say that the load of information you need to learn worth becoming an IBCLC? Would you do it again if you knew those 5 things beforehand?
this is a really question! i think i still would but only because i’ve realized that there are specialists who can cover those other specific areas. and i just need to stay in my lane and stay focused on the milk making aspect of everything.
There have been times where I just sit in the office after coming out a room exhausted. Being in a room 1hr plus😅 or me wanting it more than the parent
thank you so much for this video it's helping on my career choosing path. it also be nice if you could share how you became a lactation consultant , when did you know? and etc ❤
for sure! this one was popular demand so i made a video on another platform! you can find that video here: masterclass.themilkmanual.com/how-to-become-an-ibclc-tips-tricks-and-more and let me know if you have any other questions or want to see any other videos!
Hi, new subscriber here! I have a few questions. Is it possible for a non-RN IBCLC work in the hospital? How may hours/days a week do you have to work? What is the starting pay?
I'm figuring out which pathway would be best for me, I went to charter school and just have my high school diploma. I think pathway 3 is for me, I have 27 months of nursing experience with my first and now onto my second. So wanting to help new moms who are so confused, and just want the right help and guidance. but how long would you think it would take me to get into a lactation setting? My local hospital is so nice, comfortable, and the L+D nurses and postpartum nurses are next level sweet. They make me want to get into it with my experience, they were hyping me up!
honestly timing is hard to predict! it really varies from person to person. i feel like for most pathways, it can be at least 18 months? possibly more if you’re needed to get the college courses done. it really just depends
