Certified Lactation Counselors

Welcome to the CSUN and VC Collaboration

CSUN and VC are collaborating to prepare students to become eligible to sit and successfully pass the national credentialing exam for lactation counselors, the Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC). This partnership will raise awareness among first year and second year students at VC and CSUN about the academic programs and career opportunities in the emerging field of lactation counseling. Additionally, this collaboration will work to improve low retention and transfer rates of VC and low retention and graduation rates at CSUN among students pursuing a baccalaureate in Nutrition along with a minor in human lactation.

CSUN: Minor In Human Lactation Program

For any questions, reach out to CSUN or schedule a phone or virtual Zoom advisement appointment.

Can open more doors for your future career as a Nutrition & Dietetics professional, including but not limited to:

If you are interested in getting into a dietetic internship, it can strengthen your DI application.
If you are interested in working with new mothers and infants, it would make you a more competitive job applicant.
If you are interested in opening your own private nutrition practice, you will have the knowledge and skills needed to provide clients with breastfeeding counseling.

Work Settings

Hospitals, clinics or other health care facilities
Sports nutrition and corporate wellness programs
Food and nutrition-related businesses and industries
Community and public health settings
Private practice

Jobs

Clinical Dietitian
Food Technologist
Public Health Nutritionist
Research Dietitian
Wellness Educator
Food Service Director
Nutrition Counseling

What Do Lactation Educators Do?

Lactation educators (also sometimes called lactation counselors or lactation specialists) provide basic breastfeeding education and support to women and their families.

Lactation Educator's Job Responsibilities:

Teaching prenatal breastfeeding classes.
Renting and selling breast pumps.
Answering calls on breastfeeding information lines.
Providing one-on-one breastfeeding education to new mothers during their hospital stay.

Education delivered by lactation educators includes:

Advantages of breastfeeding
Strategies to overcome common breastfeeding barriers
The impact of various labor and delivery intervention on breastfeeding success
How to get breastfeeding off to a good start
How to maintain milk supply when separated from a baby (i.e., a separation due to illness, stay in the NICU, return to work or school, or brief separation)
Where to access breastfeeding resources locally

Lactation educators also make referrals appropriately when concerns are beyond their scope of practice (i.e., to a lactation consultant, pediatrician, doctor).

Certificated Prenatal Lactation Educator

Visit the University Transfer Center to find out what courses you need to transfer to CSUN to earn a minor in Human Lactation and a BS in Nutrition, Public Health or Nursing.

45-minute appointments are available via zoom, phone, or in person Appointments can be scheduled on Starfish Connect Or call 805-289-6448 to ask for an appointment.

Attend a transfer workshop – our next workshop will be in Spring 23. Please email lactation.education@csun.edu if you are interested in attending.
If you need help with your Anatomy, Biology or Chemistry classes – tutoring is available!

Email: vctutoring@vcccd.edu

Phone: 805-289-6026

Attend the Nutrition and Human Lactation Transfer Workshop
Attend Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) orientation
Be sure you’ve declared your Major of: B.S Family and Consumer Sciences, Nutrition and Dietetics
Meet with Minor in Human Lactation Advisor & Declare Minor in Human Lactation
Access your Degree Progress Report (DPR) to make sure your classes transferred from VC to CSUN
Join student clubs, including the Student Dietetic and Food Science Association (SDFSA)
- You can do this now! Highly recommended!
Don’t forget to take additional courses beyond Nutrition and Human Lactation to graduate
- Upper Division General Education (UDGE) courses
  - 9 units (3 classes) in total
- Any remaining GE courses
Meet with Nutrition major and Human Lactation minor advisor each semester to ensure you are on track to graduate

Testimonials

Pipeline to CLC Student Testimonial

Lactation Education @ CSUN Testimonial

Nutrition Student Testimonial from CSUN

Events

Amy Avelar Careers in Lactation Speaker Series - Sept 17 at 4pm via Zoom.
VC to CSUN Transfer Workshop (date/time to be determined). Please email lactation.education@csun.edu if you are interested in attending.

Learn More >>

This work is supported by Pipeline for Diverse Nutrition Students to Become Certified Lactation Counselors Award No. 2021-70003-35730 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Certified Lactation Counselors