Becoming a Lactation Consultant in Mississippi – MS

You might think that after you have earned an academic degree in health care, completed practical experience, and finished lactation-specific training, you are ready to become a lactation consultant in Mississippi. One more step is required – to become nationally certified.  Lactation consultant certification in Mississippi is not mandated by the state but is usually a mutually agreed-upon requirement among employers, who prefer that their lactation consultants have the integrity and respect conferred upon them by becoming certified. The most common certifying body for lactation consultants is the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBLCE). They give an exam annually throughout the United States which, upon passing, earns you the credentials of IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant).

Eligibility to take the IBCLC exam entails completion of college courses in areas of concern to health like toxicology, anatomy, development, growth, and psychology. Clinical experience hours anywhere from 300 to 1000 are also required, as is 45 to 90 lactation-specific coursework hours in classes such as maternal health, breastfeeding technology, and techniques involved in breastfeeding. Some students decide to pursue a nursing degree, as that will satisfy most, if not all, of the requirements to become an IBCLC. National certification will open doors to job opportunities that normally would have been limited, such as those in supervisory and educational roles.