Advancing the IBCLC in Europe, Middle East, & North Africa | | |
IBLCE® representatives attended the biennial European Lactation Consultants Alliance (ELACTA) Conference May 15-17, 2026, in Bucharest, Romania. IBLCE representatives included: IBLCE Director of Promotion & Advancement for EUME, Mona Sakr, MBBS, MSc, IBCLC®; IBLCE Director of Operations for EUME, Carole Iffinger; and colleague Sandrine Louvet, as well as several IBLCE Coordinators.
IBLCE representatives met with many lactation professionals to promote the IBCLC credential and connected with leadership from several professional associations, including ELACTA; GALAXIAS, the Lactation Consultants Association of Greece and Cyprus; the Canadian Lactation Consultant Association (CLCA); and the International Lactation Consultants Association®.
| | From left to right: Anja Bier, IBCLC; Carole Iffinger; ELACTA Secretary, Helen Borg, MSc, IBCLC; Asociación Española de Consultoras Certificadas en Lactancia Materna (AECCLM) President, María Romeu, RD, IBCLC; Mona Sakr; and ELACTA President, Mihaela Niţa, MD, IBCLC. | | IBCLCs and IBLCE team members promote the IBCLC at ELACTA. From left to right: IBLCE Coordinator for Estonia, Marge Pöldma, IBCLC; Galaxias Board Chair, Katerina Kantziou, Dr med., IBCLC; Carole Iffinger; IBLCE Coordinator for Greece & Cyprus, Anastasia Karathanasi, MD, IBCLC; IBLCE Coordinator for Latvia, Sandra Lase, IBCLC; Mona Sakr; and EUME Customer Service Representative, Sandrine Louvet. | | IBLCE Coordinator for Portugal, Maria Adelaide Órfão, IBCLC, represented IBLCE at the 34th International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) Triennial Congress in Lisbon, Portugal from June 14–18, 2026. A significant gathering for midwives worldwide, this 34th Congress provided IBLCE the opportunity to advance the IBCLC among the 3,000 attendees, including midwives, nurses, students, and IBCLCs. | | Fostering Connections in the Asia-Pacific & Africa (APA) Region | | On the 2026 International Day of the Midwife, a celebration took place in Singapore as midwives gathered to honour their profession. At the event, IBLCE hosted an exhibit highlighting pathways to the IBCLC credential. IBLCE Coordinator for Singapore, Cynthia Pang, MPH, IBCLC, and a dedicated team of IBCLCs communicated the value of the IBCLC credential to their midwifery colleagues. | | Tan Jin Ting, IBCLC, discusses pathways to the IBCLC with event attendees. | | From left to right: Sharon Lee Kit Yin, IBCLC; Josephyne Tan Yen Chin; Shamini Krishnan, IBCLC; Tan Jin Ting; and Ng Xin Ying, IBCLC, promote the credential at the IBLCE exhibit. | | IBLCE Director of Promotion & Advancement for APA, Karolyn Vaughan, IBCLC, PhD, OAM, shares information about the IBCLC with conference attendees. | | The APA team also promoted the IBCLC at the HealthEd Conferences in Brisbane and Melbourne, where the team connected with over 5,000 healthcare delegates! IBLCE’s attendance highlighted the IBCLC credential’s contribution to the event’s core focus: advancing women’s and children’s health. The team shared how earning the IBCLC credential is a natural progression from an attendee’s existing commitment to breastfeeding and lactation. | | Elevating the IBCLC in the Americas & Israel (AMS) Region | | IBLCE Coordinator for Mexico, Alejandra Gutiérrez, MD, IBCLC, traveled to Mexico City, Mexico for the first report following implementation of Mexico’s CódigoLactancIA Initiative. CódigoLactancIA and its Virtual Violations Detector (VIVID) were launched during the 2025 World Breastfeeding Week to improve local monitoring of the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes and subsequent World Health Assembly (WHA) resolutions. In representing IBLCE at this important event, Dra Gutiérrez continues to elevate the position of the IBCLC within national breastfeeding initiatives in Mexico. | | Alejandra Gutiérrez visits the United Nations office in Mexico City, Mexico. | | IBLCE representatives met with the offices of United States federal legislators from the state of Maine, including US Representative Chellie Pingree (D-Maine; featured below). IBLCE Board Chair, Neelam Jawad, MBBS, MCPS, IBCLC, and Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives, Lilly Hubschman-Shahar, DNP, IBCLC, joined other lactation advocates at the United States Breastfeeding Committee Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on June 3, 2026, where they advocated for federal policies protecting, promoting, and supporting breastfeeding. | From left to right: Executive Director of the Maine State Breastfeeding Coalition, Kara Kaikini, IBCLC; Representative Chellie Pingree; Neelam Jawad; and Lilly Hubschman-Shahar. | | From left to right: Tabitha Poole, DNP, demonstrates her appreciation for IBCLCs and Tischara Walther, MSN, IBCLC, displays her IBCLC ribbon at the IBLCE exhibit booth. | | IBLCE staff showcased IBLCE & Affiliates at the recent 2026 Association for Women’s Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) Convention in Orlando, Florida (USA). Staff shared information about IBCLC eligibility pathways, the opportunity for 2027 MILCC scholarships, recertification information, and the value of the IBCLC to Women’s Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nursing professionals and their patients. | |
Response to Lactation Misinformation in The Economist
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IBLCE has been tracking a set of articles about infant feeding recently published by The Economist. Two of the articles, both published in May, dealt with different aspects of lactation.
The article 'Mothers who cannot breastfeed have been given terrible advice' claimed that having no field of 'lactology' leaves an 'absence of hard facts' so that non-physicians who provide lactation support 'often base their counsel on hunch'. Another article, 'Why many women cannot make enough breast milk', theorised that the main cause of 'low milk supply' may be biological, while the second purported there is no 'dedicated field' for human lactation, ignoring over 40 years of history and such notable peer-reviewed publications as the International Breastfeeding Journal and the Journal of Human Lactation.
To better inform The Economist readers, IBLCE crafted a yet-to-be-published Letter to the Editor to provide an accurate and more comprehensive look at these issues. The full letter is available on our website.
IBLCE sincerely thanks the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM) for noting the rigour of the IBCLC credential in its May 25, 2026, Letter to the Editor.
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IBLCE has recently participated in multiple collaborative efforts to sign-on letters to promote breastfeeding.
IBLCE leadership joined the International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN), other organisations, and numerous individuals, signing an open letter speaking out against an announced partnership between the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health, and a major manufacturer of breast-milk substitutes. Read the letter and add your signature on the IBFAN website.
Additionally, IBLCE has signed a call to US representatives regarding the planned US Department of Agriculture restructuring that could negatively affect services and operations for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). The opportunity is still open for those in the US to share feedback with their federal representatives! Please note that although there is language in the provided template letter about formula, the template can be modified to support breastfeeding alone; IBLCE did so, as can others who wish to sign on.
| | Preferred Provider Programme Updates | | |
Preferred Provider Fee Structure Revision for Low-Volume Educational Providers
Since the introduction of the new Preferred Provider programme in 2025, IBLCE received feedback from some Preferred Providers about the pricing structure for those providers offering a very limited number of educational opportunities.
To provide greater value to Preferred Providers offering a small number of educational opportunities, and considering this insightful feedback, starting October 1, 2026, the Preferred Provider fee structure will be slightly revised.
Under the new fee structure, Preferred Providers can select from one CERP, up to five CERPs, or in increments of five CERPs for their education. Stay tuned for more information on the Preferred Provider webpage before October 1!
Preferred Provider Resource: Minimising Commercial Influence on Education Policy
The Minimising Commercial Influence on Education Policy is an important resource for Preferred Providers. This policy outlines principles for evaluating educational activities to minimise conflicts of interest caused by commercial influence and to align with IBLCE’s Preferred Provider programme.
Preferred Providers are encouraged to take advantage of this valuable resource when planning educational activities to identify and address potential conflicts of interest, confirm that appropriate disclosures are in place, and support compliance with programme requirements before submitting a CERPs application. Careful review of this policy, the Preferred Provider Guide, and the Preferred Provider FAQs will typically facilitate a smooth review process.
Individual Study Modules (ISMs)
Effective immediately, IBLCE has updated the review requirements for Independent Study Modules (ISMs) submitted by Preferred Providers for CERPs.
ISMs are self-paced learning activities that provide structured educational experiences outside of traditional classroom settings and allow professionals to earn CERPs through flexible study.
As part of the Preferred Provider review process, activities classified as are ISMs are no longer required to:
- be reviewed by two or more subject-matter experts before pretesting; or
- be reviewed by a minimum of five IBCLCs to establish time allocation and test validity.
These changes streamline the process for Preferred Providers. Additional information about ISMs and the current submission requirements is available in the Preferred Provider Guide and accompanying FAQs.
| | Important Note on IBLCE Communications | | |
IBLCE is engaging in enhanced communications in a variety of outlets and platforms. IBLCE & Affiliates’ broader communications efforts increase awareness about the IBCLC and IBLCE & Affiliate’s efforts to promote breastfeeding worldwide.
You may see IBLCE & Affiliates’ communications online, on social media, at events, and on a variety of other platforms. Thank you for noting that we leverage these opportunities with sensitivities about adjacent content in mind, but often cannot control platform technology or third-party logistics to the extent that we can choose which advertisements, organisations, or companies are represented adjacent to IBLCE. IBLCE believes that active and broad communications are important.
| | Congratulations New IBCLCs and IBCLCs Recertified by Examination! | | |
We congratulate those who passed the April 2026 IBCLC examination, both those who recertified and the over 1,200 new IBCLCs! These lactation professionals have shown the utmost dedication to breastfeeding families in their communities and to global health at large.
IBCLCs are equipped to shape the future of breastfeeding by:
• translating research into professional care;
• collecting and applying interprofessional insights; and
• advancing knowledge on infant feeding and maternal/child health.
Please share your accomplishment with your professional and personal networks so all can celebrate your hard work and gold standard achievement!
| | Review and Revision of the Code of Professional Conduct for IBCLCs | | |
A code of professional conduct is a key pillar of any professional certification programme. It is important to both guide certificants in practice and support public health and safety. There have been minor revisions to the Code of Professional Conduct for IBCLCs in recent years. The IBCLC Commission’s Ethics & Disciplinary Committee is currently pursuing a comprehensive review of the Code of Professional Conduct for IBCLCs. The group spearheading the review is comprised of numerous IBCLCs and public stakeholders.
Please carefully note that this review will offer the opportunity for public comment in 17 languages. Feedback from IBCLCs and public stakeholders is an important part of this comprehensive review. Additionally, the review will occur in consultation with legal counsel experienced in global legal and healthcare practice issues, given the IBCLC's geographic footprint. This comprehensive review process is beginning in the immediate future and given the importance of broad public comment in 17 languages thus requiring translations, multiple meetings of the working group, and legal review, it is anticipated that this update will take 12 to 18 months.
Notably, the forthcoming review will consider the diverse individual, organisational, legislative, regulatory, and economic environments in which the WHO International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes is implemented. For more on the Code of Professional Conduct for IBCLCs and the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes, please refer to previous editions of the IBLCE Briefing (August 2025 and February 2018).
Stakeholders will be kept informed throughout this important review process.
Thank you in advance for your feedback!
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Due to Recertify in 2026?
Complete All Requirements and Apply by September 30!
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The deadline for recertification by CERPs is approaching quickly—September 30, 2026. Have you planned to complete your requirements?
The Continuing Education (CE) Self-Assessment is your guide to—and a requirement of—the recertification by CERPs process: This free, 120-minute, remote assessment will focus your learning and inform what CERPs you need within the Detailed Content Outline (examination blueprint) to earn recertification.
In addition to completing the CE Self-Assessment, you will need to:
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Complete the Required CERPs per your Personalised Professional Development Plan (PPDP)
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Complete your 250 Hours of Clinical Practice
As your final step, Apply to Recertify by CERPs and submit!
| | Be sure to complete all the requirements—including the CE Self-Assessment—before you complete your application! | | Digital Credentials for Recertification by CERPs Now Available Monthly! | | |
As previously shared, IBLCE issues digital credentials to new IBCLCs and IBCLCs who successfully recertify by examination within six to eight weeks of receiving a passing examination result.
We are excited to announce that in our commitment to continuous quality advancement, we are now issuing updated digital credentials monthly during the recertification window to IBCLCs who successfully recertify by CERPs! One week prior to receiving your digital credential, you should receive an email with additional access details.
Digital credentials allow you to:
- Share on social media
- Add your credential to your LinkedIn profile
- Download and print your credential
- Add your IBCLC credential to your email signature
Share your great achievement! You can learn more about using IBCLC digital credentials on the How to Use IBLCE’s Online Systems page.
| | Monetary Investment for Lactation Consultant Certification (MILCC) | | Updates on the MILCC Scholarship | | |
In June 2026, MILCC® received scholarship applications for 2027 examination administrations from candidates in 19 different countries! Applicants will be notified of scholarship results in late August – early September 2026.
Thank you to all who have supported MILCC to make these scholarships possible!
| Increasing Community Care: The Emerging Leaders in Lactation (ELL) Scholarship | The ELL Scholarship fosters equity and inclusion among IBCLC candidates and future leaders in the lactation profession. Lactation professionals who demonstrate leadership potential, belong to a group historically underrepresented in the profession and its leadership, and who may otherwise be unable to pursue their IBCLC credential are eligible for the ELL Scholarship. | | |
"I have been working toward becoming an IBCLC since 2020. The Emerging Leaders in Lactation Scholarship covered the cost of my remaining coursework . . . so I could complete my studies remotely while caring for my young children. Being awarded the ELL Scholarship also gave me a boost in confidence. I felt empowered to keep going, fulfill my dream and help my community. Thanks to this support, I met all requirements and sat and passed the September 2025 exam. Becoming an IBCLC has empowered me with the credential and skillset to provide a different level of care to families in our community. This scholarship is more than an investment in my future; it is a vital investment in the health and wellbeing of the marginalised families I am dedicated to serving."
—Teresa Peña, IBCLC, and ELL Scholarship Recipient, Nebraska, United States
| | Follow MILCC for the latest updates: | | Global Centre for Lactation Training (GCLT) | | |
The Global Centre for Lactation Training (GCLT)® makes available a variety of educational products, services, and programming designed with a global perspective to meet a variety of professional goals and needs. Visit the Centre's website to learn more about our L-CERP, R-CERP, and E-CERP offerings, webinars, Your Fit Study Kit™, and the assessment-based Certificate in Lactation Facilitation™ pilot programme.
Are you interested in becoming a Subject Matter Expert for the Global Centre for Lactation Training (GCLT)®? Email us at info@gclt.org.
| | Seeking CERPs for Recertification? Check the Centre’s Offerings! | |
As the 2026 IBCLC recertification deadline approaches, now is the perfect time to plan to finish up those last few CERPs with the Global Centre for Lactation Training (GCLT)®. The Centre makes it quick and convenient! Fulfill your Continuing Education Self-Assessment requirements with the Centre today!
Domain IV (Pharmacology and Toxicology) L-CERPs
Domain V (Psychology, Sociology, and Anthropology) L-CERPs
Domain VII (Clinical Skills) CERPs
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Join the Centre’s mailing list today for updates on current and future educational offerings!
Educational and training offerings by the Global Centre for Lactation Training (GCLT) are optional and are not the sole way to pursue IBCLC (re)certification.
| | This Briefing is being translated and will be disseminated in all IBLCE languages in the immediate future. | | Follow IBLCE on Social Media | | | | |
