Join the Next Generation of Lactation Professionals
At Blessed Beginnings, we believe in nurturing future leaders in lactation care.
Our Pathway 3 Internship Program is designed to support, educate, and encourage aspiring IBCLCs through hands-on mentorship, real-world clinical experience, and a deep-rooted commitment to family-centered care.
Interns have the opportunity to master clinical essentials and learn how to advocate for families—all while being immersed in a collaborative, supportive environment. You will graduate our program prepared to step confidently into your role as a
board-certified lactation consultant.
Pathway 3 Internship at a Glance
12 - 15 months
Program Length
10 -12 hours
Weekly Time Commitment
June 2025
Start Date
May 15, 2025
Application Deadline
$50 (non-refundable)
Application Fee
$10,000
Total Tuition
Location
Middle Tennessee in-home visits, shadowing, and community-based learning
Mentorship
Chief mentor + exposure to
6–7 lactation consultants
Hands-On Learning
Clinical lactation support, feeding assessments, and interprofessional collaboration with OTs, PTs, SLPs, and bodywork providers
Prerequisite
Current CLC or CBS certification
As a Pathway 3
Lactation Intern,
You will...
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Attend in-home visits with our team of experienced lactation consultants
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Participate in observations with specialists in tongue and lip tie releases, feeding therapy, and infant bodywork
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Learn through real client experiences, educational modules, and collaborative mentorship
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Gain insight into how lactation care connects with the full picture of infant and family well-being
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Develop professional confidence in preparation for the IBCLC exam and a fulfilling career in lactation
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Attend monthly team training calls and two full-day, in-person team training events
Are You the Right Fit to Apply to be a Pathway 3 Intern?
We’re looking for a small number of highly motivated, committed interns who are ready to grow in a real-world, community-based environment.
Ideal candidates
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Are passionate about breastfeeding support and maternal-infant care
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Have completed a CLC or CBS certification (or will before the internship start date)
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Can commit 10–12 hours per week over a 12-month period
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Are eager to learn from a team and participate in collaborative care
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Value evidence-based care and continuous growth
We accept only a few highly qualified interns per cohort to maintain the quality of our mentorship experience.
Prerequisites to Apply to be a Pathway 3 Intern
To be considered for the Blessed Beginnings Pathway 3 Internship Program, applicants must meet the following requirements:
Required Certification
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Applicants must already hold one of the following credentials:
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Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC)
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Certified Breastfeeding Specialist (CBS)
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If you’re still working toward certification, we recommend starting with the CBS program through Lactation Education Resources (LER). This certification can typically be completed in 3–4 months.
Time Commitment
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Interns must be able to commit 10–12 hours per week for a full 12-month program, participating in in-home visits and other training experiences throughout Middle Tennessee.
Location
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Applicants should reside in or have reliable access to the Middle Tennessee area, including cities such as Franklin, Brentwood, Spring Hill, Hendersonville, and Goodlettsville. This is a community-based program and requires regular in-person participation.
About Pathway 3 to Becoming an IBCLC
The International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBLCE) outlines three pathways to becoming an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). Blessed Beginnings offers a Pathway 3 program, which is a mentorship-based route for those who do not qualify through academic or clinical job roles.
The Three IBLCE Pathways:
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Pathway 1: Clinical practice through employment
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(e.g., RN, midwife, physician, doula, peer counselor) + lactation education
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Pathway 2: Completion of an IBLCE-approved academic program
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Pathway 3 (Mentorship Pathway): Supervised clinical experience with IBCLCs + lactation education + health science coursework
Pathway 3 Requirements Include:
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95 hours of lactation-specific education, including 5 hours focused on communication
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500 hours of directly supervised clinical practice, obtained under the guidance of certified IBCLCs
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Completion of health science prerequisites as outlined by IBLCE
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Adherence to the Code of Professional Conduct for IBCLCs
All clinical hours and educational components must be completed within five years of applying for the IBCLC exam.
You can read more about these requirements in the official IBLCE Candidate Guide.
Testimonials
Jacqui Redlinski,
BSN, RN, CLC
I highly recommend Blessed Beginnings Pathway 3 internship. The program's structure, guidance, and support provided the preparation needed to take the IBCLC exam and confidence to care for the broad age range of breastfeeding dyads.
What made this internship invaluable for my growth as a private practice IBCLC:
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Experiece with hands-on charting, assessments, and individual specific care plan development
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Able to apply knowledge learned from text to real situations with the guidance of mentor, thus further developing understanding of care.
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Exposure to other healthcare team providers like feeding therapy, physical therapy, and release providers.
Summer Range,
BSN, RN, IBCLC
Lactation consultations in Sumner, Robertson & Davidson counties
Being a part of the internship program was one of the most challenging yet rewarding times in my life. There is SO much to learn in the world of lactation that it can be overwhelming.
I am so thankful that I had mentors to look up to who could guide and support me on this journey. Being able to talk through cases and understand the “why” behind things really helped connect the dots between textbook education and “real life”.
I will forever cherish the times of not only learning how to provide support and resources for moms, but also the laughs and lifelong memories made with my mentors during this process!
Lisa Maxwell,
RN, BSN, CLC
The Blessed Beginnings Pathway 3 internship is a truly amazing opportunity. Not only is it an accelerated path to IBCLC certification, it also provides flexibility, support, and unique training opportunities.
I joined the Blessed Beginnings team as a mom of a toddler and infant, with limited childcare support and worried that I wouldn’t have the time to take on a substantial career change from RN to LC. I was met with understanding, flexibility, and guidance from Angela and my chief mentor Taylor on how to balance my roles as mom and intern. Private, in-home lactation care allows the benefit of seeing a wide variety of lactation difficulties, while also providing the time
driving from one visit to the next to discuss each client and learn from every case. All pathways to the IBCLE exam include education, but this is where I believe Blessed Beginnings also has an advantage. In addition to our standard online education, we had unique in person training opportunities with the whole team related to common problems we would typically see in private practice lactation. This was some of the most practical and useful information I learned during my whole lactation education.
One other significant benefit of the Blessed Beginnings internship is the team. Because of the number of consultants on the team, there is opportunity to follow multiple people and learn their personal strengths and preferred ways of doing things. Having the chance to learn from not one, but multiple different lactation consultants with years of experience has been invaluable. I have also greatly benefited from their support as I started to see clients of my own, having their wealth of knowledge and experience to draw from. I didn’t anticipate it, but it has become my favorite work environment. We share laughter, tears and encouragement alongside our favorite tips and tricks for lactation practice.
On top of all of this, I have never had a more invested, passionate, and caring boss than Angela. From the moment that I started my internship, I felt her support and how deeply she cared about my success. Now that I have completed the internship, I feel incredibly prepared and supported to not only take my IBCLE exam, but also to be a successful consultant.