It is imperative that candidates for the IBCLC exam chart their hours. Now, that does not apply if you have a job where you regularly help moms with breastfeeding issues. For instance, if you work a 40 hour week and you talk to moms about lactation 50% of the time (or 20 hours) you can multiply this number by weeks worked (usually around 50 weeks a year since Christmas break, sick days, holidays, vacation, etc. must be considered).
50 weeks x 20 hours=1,000 hours
If your job does not allow you scheduled time to work with moms, keep a day planner with notes in it. List on the day of the month you speak to a mom, how much time you spent counseling on breastfeeding. Then, at the end of each month, write in the last day of the month your total hours. I have some charting pages I will put on my website: birthingandbreastfeeding.com to help you keep records. You are probably counseling more than you know, but just haven't been keeping track. It will add up. You can go back and count any counseling done up to 5 years prior to the exam.
Remember, phone and email counseling hours can count for a portion of the total hours. There is no time like the present to start tracking your progress.
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