CLC Recertification

The goal of this post is to offer insight into the world of Certified Lactation Counselors (CLCs), review what is required for recertification, and let you know about the Lactation College CLC-Recertification Bundle.

1. Background

The Academy of Lactation Policy and Practice (ALPP) is the organization that offers the training course and examination to become a Certified Lactation Counselor. ALPP describes itself as a non-profit organization which provides a national certification program in breastfeeding and human lactation for nurses, physicians, dietitians, WIC personnel, peer counselors, independent lactation counselors and others.

Many folks have a CLC certification and this is how I started my breastfeeding journey. Like many doctors in the United States, I received no lactation medicine training during medical school nor as a pediatric resident. I decided to take the CLC course to learn more on the topic. Many colleagues I work with, for example nurses on the maternity unit - peer counselors - attending pediatricians, have also done the same thing.

This is a popular certification. As of July 1, 2025, there are 23,338 CLCs in the United States and Territories. States with the most CLCs include: New York with 2764 CLCs, Florida 1485, California 1107, Ohio 1017, Illinois 1049, Massachusetts 1020, Colorado 1004, Texas 904, Minnesota 832 and Wisconsin 798. ALPP

2. The CLC certification is valid for 3 years.

Once you take the course and pass the exam, your CLC certification is valid for three years.

At the beginning of the third year of certification, the CLC receives a courtesy postcard as a reminder that the certification will soon expire.

3. What do you need to do for recertification?

To recertify the CLC needs to submit a completed application, pay a fee, and provide proof of       a “minimum of 18 hours of continuing education in the area of breastfeeding and human lactation.”

4. The Lactation College has a new CLC Recertification Bundle!

The new Lactation College CLC Recertification Bundle of courses meets the ALPP recertification criteria. This learning opportunity provides 18 hours of continuing education through 14 courses and 4 practice exams.

Here is the link to find it.  Lactation College CLC Recertification Bundle

5. List of courses

The courses in the bundle include:

• Medications and Human Milk
• Human Milk Composition
• Communication: Having Meaningful Conversations
• Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders
• Seeing Yellow: Understanding Hyperbilirubinemia
• Baby-Friendly and the Code
• Twenty Years Baby-Friendly: Changing a Culture
• Infant Formula Recall and Crisis: What’s the Scoop and Who’s to Blame?
• Baby Café USA
• Understanding IBCLC Ethics and Standards
• Milk Banking: What is it? Why use it?
• Ten Tips on the Ten Steps: A Course for Traveling Nurses
• Skin-to-Skin Contact
• Ethics in Lactation Care
• Practice Exam #1: General Knowledge (50 questions) 
• Practice Exam #2: Maternal Breastfeeding-Related Issues (50 questions) 
• Practice Exam #3: Infant Physical Exam (50 questions)
• Practice Exam #4: Statistics, Research and Communication (50 questions)

6. How much does the bundle cost?

The CLC Recertification Bundle costs $149. This is 35% off, or a savings of $83, compared to the cost of taking each course and practice exam separately.

7. Other

• You can take the courses in any order.
• At the end of each of the 14 courses there is a quiz to test your knowledge. A passing grade is 80% or greater. The learner can repeat the quiz until passing it. Answers to each question in every quiz are provided.
• The 4 practice exams do not have a passing grade. The learner completes the exam and then a score is given, and answers are provided.
• The learner needs to remember to save the certificate provided at the end of each course. These can be submitted to ALPP as proof for recertification.
• You have access to the courses for 1 year.
• This is a meaty learning opportunity guaranteed to improve your lactation knowledge. Any questions please email the author of this blog - me, Barbara L. Philipp, MD. [email protected].