IBLCE Celebrates 35 Years of the IBCLC

As IBLCE’s 35th year draws to a close, we are reflecting on the incredible impact that IBCLCs have made during this time. In 1985, the year IBLCE was founded, the term “lactation consultant” was very new – and few outside of the field even recognised it. Since then, the field has grown dramatically, and there are now 33,492 IBCLCs in 125 countries and territories around the world!

We spoke to a few pioneer IBCLCs to learn more about the birth of the credential and its history. Here is a look back at how the IBCLC went from an idea to the gold standard in lactation care to breastfeeding families all over the world.

IBLCE Milestones

1985 – 2021

2021

Happy IBCLC Day! Thank You for the Care You Provide to Breastfeeding Families.

“I was extremely proud to become an IBCLC in 1987—and I continue to feel that pride. I am proud of the dedication demonstrated by other IBCLCs, as well as the gratitude communicated by parents.” – Amy Spangler, MN, RN, IBCLC

2020

There are now 33,492 IBCLCs in 125 countries and territories!

“I think IBCLCs have made a tremendous impact over the last 36 years to move breastfeeding into the norm. When I started, very few of my clients had mothers who had breastfed; by the time I stopped my private practise in 2017, almost all my clients’ own mothers had breastfed them.” – Jan Barger, RN, MA, IBCLC, FILCA

2016

First Year Offering Two Examination Administrations

2011

Pilot of Computer-Based Testing (CBT)

2009

First Examination Administration with over 4,000 Candidates

“I think now most physicians, midwives and nurses are very aware what an IBCLC is and how much they can help new families. Also, many within the healthcare fields around the world have decided to obtain this certification. The profession of lactation consulting grew with the changing times, but it also was responsible for creating the changes that happened in infant feeding practices. That’s a pretty amazing accomplishment.” – Molly Pessl, BSN, IBCLC

1990

The First 4-Continent Examination Administration

“My greatest personal pride was to be chosen to serve as a volunteer leader for six years. I learned more during those years about the science and the difficulty of writing fair, science-based questions for the next examination and the complexities of writing international questions. I loved those years and developed a great respect for the quality of the organisation and the examination, itself” – Molly Pessl, BSN, IBCLC

1987

The First Examination Administration Offered in Three Languages (English, German, Spanish)

1985

The First IBCLC Examination is Held

“The IBCLC credential gave legitimacy to what we were doing in our work with families. We had sat through an extensive examination, we had to recertify, so it meant something far more than just hanging out a shingle.” – Jan Barger, RN, MA, IBCLC, FILCA

1985

Preparing for the First Examination

“In April of that year, just after the founding meeting, my husband got orders – he was in the military – to move from the DC area, where I lived and was working with JoAnne W. Scott, the founding executive director of IBLCE, and where we were going to have the examination, to Texas. So, from April until when the first examination was scheduled in July, we had ridiculously long phone calls, we wrote letters – this was before the internet and fax machines – so we developed the proctor manual long-distance” – Linda J. Smith, MPH, IBCLC

1985

IBLCE Founding Meeting

“Way back in the 1980s, we started investigating just how professions form, what comes first, how are people regulated, and realised that we needed to do the examination first. We worked with experts all over the world, found a 60-person panel of experts to give us ideas, and created a survey called the “World Delineation Survey.” We asked everyone that we could think of, “What issue occur in breastfeeding? When do these issues happen? And how critical is it?” So, we took all of that and put it in a two-dimensional examination grid, which is now called the Detailed Content