It’s 2026, and I’ve been an IBCLC now for 15 years! When I took the exam for the first time, my babies were 1 and 3. Now they’re in high school and college. They’ve grown up, and so have my clinical skills, because I’m a fiend for continuing education.
I’m recertifying this year. Third time. Fifteen years as an IBCLC.
This is my third recertification, and the last time around I was required to sit the exam. I studied like crazy for weeks, sat in a testing center staring at a screen for hours, and when it was over I was legitimately worried that I wouldn’t pass. Not because I don’t know what I’m doing, but because I couldn’t understand how to answer their questions.
I mean, this is an entry-level exam. It’s designed for someone sitting for the first time, not a clinician with a decade of experience. There were questions where my honest answer would have been “ask more questions and gather more history” (ie, do what you’re supposed to do) but that wasn’t on the multiple choice menu. I had to actively set aside my clinical training to select what the exam considered correct. There were also a lot of questions about medications and medical conditions that are well outside my scope as a non-RN IBCLC. I am never going to be asked to diagnose a cardiac condition in a baby. That is not a gap in my practice.
So when IBLCE changed the policy and made the exam optional for every recertification cycle — not just every other one — I had feelings about it. Good feelings.
Here’s my actual opinion: recertification by CERPs is better than recertification by exam. Not just more convenient. Better. Because it requires ongoing learning across your entire five-year cycle, not a cram session every ten years. If we’re serious about the idea that IBCLCs should be the most current, best-educated practitioners helping families feed their babies, then requiring continuing education as the condition for maintaining that credential makes more sense than testing whether you can remember what you studied last month.
That’s my take. I’d say you’re allowed to disagree, but this is my blog and I think I’m right 🤗
Click here for a free IBCLC CERP Tracker for Recertification
What’s new with recertification — and why I updated the tracker
I’ve been offering a free CERP tracker since 2020. It was a simple spreadsheet: log your CERPs by type, watch the total climb toward 75. That’s mostly still true, but recertification has gotten more complex and the old tracker wasn’t reflecting the current reality. So I rebuilt it.
There are now three separate requirements — not just CERPs — and one of them is genuinely new in a way that changes how you approach the process. Here’s what you need to know.
Requirement 1: Education
Two specific education items are required regardless of whether you recertify by CERPs or examination.
Basic Life Support (CPR or NRP). A didactic or virtual course qualifies. If you’re recertifying by CERPs, this counts as 3 R-CERPs — so log it on your tracker and let it work for you.
2 hours of WHO Code education. This one was added starting with IBCLCs due to recertify in 2025. These 2 hours should be part of your required 5 E-CERPs, not in addition to them.
Requirement 2: 250 hours of clinical practice
You need to document at least 250 hours of lactation consulting practice over your five-year cycle. This can be paid or volunteer work, and it counts across clinical practice, education, research, administration, and advocacy — so if you’re doing any of those things, you’re likely already there. IBLCE has a practice calculator on their website to help you document your hours in case of audit.
Requirement 3: CERPs — but take the self-assessment first
This is the part that trips people up.
Before you start earning CERPs, you need to take the CE Self-Assessment at iblce.org. It’s free, it’s about 70 questions, and it takes up to 2 hours. It’s offered remotely and you’ll be invited to take it via email when it’s available to you. It can only be taken once per five-year cycle, so you don’t want to do it at the last minute.
When you finish, you immediately receive a Personalised Professional Development Plan (PPDP). Your PPDP shows your score in each section of the IBCLC Detailed Content Outline. If you scored below 75% in any content area, you must earn at least 5 CERPs specifically in that area before you can apply.
If you scored 75% or above in everything, you can earn your 75 CERPs however you want.
I took the self-assessment recently as part of my own recertification prep. Honestly, I didn’t spend a lot of time on it. I like CERPs and I don’t mind having to get them. My PPDP flagged three sections below 75% (physiology, pathology, and pharmacology). I used my tracker to see that I already had the 5 CERP minimum in each of those content areas, so I was all set.
If you’re earlier in your career, or if it’s been a while since you’ve done CE in certain areas, this is genuinely useful information. Take it as soon as you can so you don’t have to sweat if you have requirements to meet.
The CERP breakdown
The totals haven’t changed:
- 75 total CERPs required
- At least 50 L-CERPs (lactation and breastfeeding topics)
- At least 5 E-CERPs (professional ethics and conduct — include your WHO Code hours here)
- R-CERPs make up the rest (related topics, not lactation or ethics specifically)
- BLS completion = 3 R-CERPs automatically
- 1 CERP = 60 minutes of qualifying education
The application deadline is September 30 of the year your certification expires.
How to keep track of all of this
Because the sources for CERPs are diverse and you’re likely accumulating them over five years, you need a system. The updated tracker covers all three requirements in one place.
Here’s what it includes:
- A CE Self-Assessment section to log your date and whether your PPDP flagged any areas below 75%
- A PPDP tracker page where you log your scores by content area and track CERPs earned in any required areas
- A Required Education checklist for BLS and WHO Code
- A Practice Hours tracker with a running total toward 250
- Log pages for every type of CERP — in-person events, online conferences, webinars, and everything else
- An Overview dashboard that shows you at a glance where you stand across all three requirements
The tracker is available in two formats: a printable PDF and an editable Google Sheet you can copy to your Drive. Both are free.
Click here for a free IBCLC CERP Tracker for Recertification
[DOWNLOAD THE FREE CERP TRACKER →]
Where to get your CERPs
If you’re looking for continuing education specifically designed for lactation private practice, check out our CERP offerings — including options that qualify for E-CERPs and WHO Code hours (Guiding Bottle Breakthroughs).
Other sources worth knowing:
- ILCA
- iLactation
- Gold Learning
- USLCA Education Resources
- Lactation Education Resources
- In-person conferences, coalition meetings, and study days
- Mentoring a Pathway 3 candidate
More information from IBLCE
Always verify requirements directly with IBLCE — they do update things, and this post may not reflect the most current information.
- Prepare for IBCLC Recertification
- Recertification Fees & Key Dates
- Apply for Recertification
- Recertification FAQs
This document is not an official product of IBLCE and is not endorsed by IBLCE.
