What Is A Certified Breastfeeding Educator (CBE) ?

Certified Breastfeeding Educators help breastfeeding families in many ways. Many of them are nurses on the healthcare team promoting and assist Educators in helping with breastfeeding problems. In 1987, Dr. Debi Leslie Boca created the Breastfeeding Educator Program. It has been revised through the years over 120 times. Certified Breastfeeding Educators take avery short five day course.In fact, Certified Breastfeeding Educators are not qualified to represent themselves as lactation consultants. Therefore, there is a big difference when a person represents themselves as a Lactation Consultant or as a Certified Breastfeeding Educator. The title Certified Breastfeeding Educator means that you have attended and participated in a Breastfeeding Educator Program. Additionally, you haverole play activities which may include positioning, latch-on and mom breastfeeding, and oral discussion of the management of selected breastfeeding challenges during the week you are at your conference.There is a 50 question exam that you need to get an 80% in order to pass. Participants are awarded acertificate documenting their successful completion of the certification a process and will be entitled to use the designation Certified Breastfeeding Educator TM for a period of five years. Recertification is needed every five years. There are different pathways to become an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant or IBCLC. This is the real degree in the field of Lactation Consulting. For me, it took six and a half years to become an IBCLC. I am an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. I hold a Bachelors Degree in the field of Maternal and Child Health/ Lactation. I also interned for many hours, months, yearsto qualify to sit for my boards in 2010. A Certified Breastfeeding Educator hasonly finished a one week course. Therefore, you need to be careful who you choose to be your Lactation Consultant. Ask for our Board Certified Number.An IBCLC has much more extensive training, and more techniques to better serve you and help you with your breastfeeding problems. By using someone else, they miss something and you are not going to be guided correctly. Furthermore, someone may say and represent themselves as Lactation Consultant when in reality, they are not. Many states are trying to put legislation through to protect new moms. I feel thatit will take a while before this happens in your state or place you live. In conclusion, if you can find someone with an IBCLC, behind their name, then we are the real International Board Certified Lactation Consultant.If youuse anyone else, including nurses with the less degree, they will not know allthe techniques to help you and your baby. Choose wisely and carefully.