Pathway 2 Degree and Certificate Prerequisites

Birthingway’s Lactation Consultation Program closed in 2019. Please reference this section of the website for historical purposes only.

Before your application is considered complete, we must receive an official transcript documenting successful completion of a college level expository writing course with a grade of 3.0 (B) or above. The writing course must be successfully completed, and Birthingway must have an official transcript by December 31. Writing may be taken at any accredited institution.

Graduates of Birthingway’s Pathway 2 program must meet requirements from a variety of organizations including IBLCE and our accreditors.  Contact the Lactation Program Coordinator for specific graduation requirements for the current year, or refer to our Student Handbook.

Qualifications to Practice

With successful completion of all Lactation Consultation Program components, you should have sufficient classroom and clinical knowledge to meet examination and experiential requirements for the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBCLE) certification. Licensing is not required to practice as a Lactation Consultant in Oregon. Specific employers may require additional credentials for employment. Credentialing is not conducted by Birthingway.

Technical Standards for Student Lactation Consultants

An Associate of Science in Lactation Consultation diploma from Birthingway signifies that the holder is prepared to meet the Clinical Competencies set forth by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBLCE). Candidates for graduation must have the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and judgment to function in a broad variety of clinical situations and to render a wide spectrum of client care. Therefore, the following abilities and expectations must be met, and maintained, from matriculation through graduation, by all students. Failure to maintain Technical Standards may result in dismissal from the program. Students or applicants who have questions regarding these standards are encouraged to contact the Lactation Program Coordinator.

  • You must be able to observe demonstrations and experiments in the basic sciences.
  • You must have sufficient use of the sensory, visual, hearing, and motor systems, and the somatic sensation necessary to perform a physical examination.
  • You must be able to perform clinical care activities, such as palpation of the breast and newborn palate assessment. A complete list of required skills can be found in our Lactation Program Clinical Competencies Checklist.
  • You must be able to communicate in English with accuracy, clarity, efficiency, and sensitivity both verbally and in writing.
  • You must have the skills to analyze and synthesize information, solve problems, and reach diagnostic and therapeutic judgments.
  • You must be able to acknowledge evaluation and respond appropriately.
  • You must possess the interpersonal skills to develop rapport and positive relationships with clients, midwives, other lactation consultants, pediatricians, and other care providers and colleagues.
  • You must have the perseverance, diligence and consistency to complete the lactation consultant program curriculum. Therefore, you must be able to tolerate physically taxing workloads; to function effectively under stress; to adapt to changing environments; to display flexibility and to function in the face of uncertainties inherent in the clinical problems and needs of many clients.