Guides to lactation exam hours
Plain answers to the questions candidates ask most about clinical hours, education hours, the five year window and recertification, each written from the certifying body's published guides with the date it was last reviewed.
Lactation clinical hours by pathway: 1,000, 300 or 500
The IBCLC exam asks for 1,000 clinical hours on Pathway 1, 300 on Pathway 2 or 500 on Pathway 3, all in the 5 years before you apply. Who each pathway is for.
Last reviewed 27 September 2026
What counts as lactation specific clinical practice
Lactation clinical hours are time spent giving lactation care or lactation education yourself, in person, by phone or online. Shadowing does not count.
Last reviewed 27 September 2026
The 95 education hours: 90 lactation, 5 communication
Candidates need 90 hours of lactation education, 2 of them on the WHO Code, plus 5 hours of communication education, all in the 5 years before applying.
Last reviewed 27 September 2026
The five year window for lactation clinical hours
Clinical and education hours count only if earned in the five years immediately before you apply. How the window moves, which hours age out, and when to apply.
Last reviewed 27 September 2026
Recertification: 250 practice hours and 75 credits
Certified consultants recertify every 5 years with 250 practice hours and, by credits, 75 education credits with lactation, ethics and WHO Code minimums.
Last reviewed 27 September 2026
Diabetes educator hours: 1,000 in 5 years, 200 in the last
The CDCES credential asks for 1,000 hours of diabetes care and education in 5 years, 200 of them in the last year, at most 40 a week, plus 15 education hours.
Last reviewed 27 September 2026
Log your own hours
The log keeps each clinical session and each course with its date, and the progress page totals them by pathway inside the five year window, with the education split and the hours about to age out. Everything stays in this browser.