Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

This is the first term of clinical experience for students completing the Lactation Consultant Certificate. The IBLCE Exam Blueprint is a guide for the curriculum utilized in this course. Students registering for this course will also need to register for LEC 275, which is a distance-learning course.

Upon successful completion, students should be able to:

1. Utilize effective communication, counseling, and adult education skills in order to promote, protect, and support breastfeeding.
2. Perform a comprehensive maternal, child and feeding assessment related to lactation.
3. Apply critical thinking and problem solving-skills to evaluate potential or existing challenges and factors that may impact a mother’s ability to meet her breastfeeding goals.
4. Assist and support the mother to develop and implement an appropriate and achievable breastfeeding plan using evidence-based information.
5. Abide by professional ethics and standards, practicing within the framework defined by the IBLCE Code of Professional Conduct for IBCLCs.

Course learning activities will include readings, clinical experience, group discussion, quizzes, reflective writing, case studies, student presentations, and observations.

On-site preceptor clinical evaluations
Multiple choice tests
Presentations and/or projects
Written assignments
Course activities and discussion

Themes
Evidence-based lactation practices
Concepts
Adult education
Collaboration
Counseling
Clinical assessment
Communication
Family-centered care
Observation
Problem-solving
Professional ethics
Issues
Processing students own personal or familial experience of breastfeeding
Sharing personal or familial experience of breastfeeding
Recognizing the importance of basing lactation practice on evidence-informed
information
Cultural Sensitivity
Skills

• Support the family to make evidence-informed decisions for their child
• Provide appropriate information to the family regarding the importance of exclusive breastfeeding to the health of mother and child and the risk of using breastmilk substitutes
• Promote skin to skin contact of the newborn with the mother
• Provide information and demonstrate to the mother how to perform manual expression of breastmilk
• Provide education to assist the family to identify newborn feeding cues and behavioral states
• Obtain the mother’s permission to provide care to her and her child
• Assess mother’s breasts to determine if changes are consistent with adequate function
• Assess infant’s oral anatomy and normal neurological responses and reflexes
• Evaluate potential or existing challenges and factors that may impact breastfeeding success
• Assess effective milk transfer and adequate intake of the child
• Describe and demonstrate differing feeding positions
• Assess for normal infant behavior and developmental milestones
• Assess the breastfed child’s growth using the WHO adapted growth charts
• Provide anticipatory guidance to reduce potential risks to the breastfeeding family
• Provide information and strategies to prevent and resolve common breastfeeding challenges
• Conduct a clinical assessment- including history taking, physical exam and observation of breastfeeding
• Provide information regarding weaning from the breast when appropriate, including care of mother’s breasts and preparation and use of donor milk or breastmilk substitutes including same preparation, storage and handling
• Document care provided through completion of written or electronic medical records, and written assessments when required with the family’s permission