Calculate Your Clinical Breastfeeding Counselling Hours

How do I calculate my Clinical Breastfeeding Counselling Hours?
To determine your eligibility, we need you to tell us your total number of clinical breastfeeding counselling hours (BC hours) in the 5 years immediately prior to application. You can do this by either:

1. Use the following equation or
2. Complete the exam application grid.

Method 1. To work out your BC hours use the following equation:

Total hours worked in the last 5 years (prior to application) x average percentage of clinical work lactation and breastfeeding support/counselling specific = clinical breastfeeding counselling hours

For example: A midwife has worked for the last 5 years, part-time at 30hrs per week in a busy postnatal unit of which she has calculated that 55% of her clinical time is face to face or telephone counselling working with parents and babies re their breastfeeding and lactation issues. This equation would be:

30hrs x (48wks per year x 5yrs) = 7200hrs total worked
7200hrs x 55% = 3960BC hours

N.B. If you have had multiple positions or changed working hours you will need to repeat this equation for each change.

Method 2. Exam application Grid
To step yourself through this process you can use the table provided in the application form (attach an additional sheet, if necessary), fill in a new line for each position in which you have worked or had experience providing breastfeeding counselling. Also use a new line for the same position if a change in your responsibilities affected your BC hours. For concurrent work experience, list each separately, for example; if you are employed in the daytime, but teach breastfeeding/parenting classes for another organisation in the evening, use a separate line for each. Please list your experience chronologically. You may like to have your application in front of you and follow the directions below. If you want to download a copy of the exam application form Click Here.

Column 1: Place of Work / Experience
Write the name of your employer/organisation and the location of your work/experience.

Column 2: Title / Position
Fill in your job title or the name of your position.

Column 3: Area / Nature of Work / Experience
Briefly describe the nature of your work/experience.

Column 4: Month /Year Started and Ended
Fill in the month and year you started and the month and year you finished in this position.

Column 5: Total Weeks, Excluding Leave
Looking at the dates in Column 4, translate this period of time into the total number of weeks for this position,
excluding recreational leave periods (usually at least 6 weeks per year, including public holidays) and sick leave.

Column 6: Average Hours Per Week
Fill in the usual number of hours per week you worked in this position. Part-time, relief or shift work employees may average the number of hours per week.

Column 7: Total Hours Worked
Figure out your total number of work hours by multiplying the total number of hours per week by the number of weeks in the position. Your employer may be able to provide this figure for you. A full-time job is generally 38 hours per week times 46 weeks per year or approximately 1700 hours per year worked.
It is accepted that an active, accredited Volunteer Mother Support Counsellor averages 10 BC hours per week or 500 BC hours per year. You can claim this, and no further documentation is required. However, If you believe you have done more hours than this, please provide documentation for those periods. To determine your eligibility, we need you to tell us your total number of clinical breastfeeding counselling hours (BC hours) and how you have made this calculation. Using the table provided in the application form (attach an additional sheet, if necessary), fill in a new line for each position in which you have worked or had experience providing breastfeeding counselling. Also use a new line for the same position if a change in your responsibilities affected your BC hours. For concurrent work experience, list each separately, for example; if you are employed in the daytime, but teach breastfeeding/parenting classes for another organisation in the evening, use a separate line for each. Please list your experience chronologically.

Column 8: Percentage of time providing Breastfeeding Counselling
Figure out the number of hours per week you spend on breastfeeding counselling. If your BC hours in any one position varied widely from week to week, it may be necessary to average the different totals. In your current position you may find it helpful to keep a record of your hours for a few weeks. Divide the number of hours per week that you spend on breastfeeding counselling by the total number of hours you work per week. If you figured 16 hours a week for BC hours within a 38-hour work week, your percentage is 16 divided by 38, multiplied by 100, which equals 42%.
As a general guide, Midwives on postnatal wards (where 75% or more of mothers are breastfeeding) commonly average 45% or more of their time providing breastfeeding counselling, depending on the size of the hospital, staffing levels and other duties. Some Midwives with particular responsibilities for breastfeeding may do significantly more. Where breastfeeding rates are lower, percentages tend to be lower.

Columns 9: Total Hours providing Breastfeeding Counselling
Multiply your BC percentage in Column 8 by the total number of hours you worked (Column 7). This is your total BC hours for a single job/work experience. For each line, write the total BC hours in Column 9.

Total BC Hours:
Then add up the BC hours in Column 9 to give you your total BC hours. For you to be eligible, this overall total figure must be equal to or greater than the minimum number of BC hours required for your Eligibility Pathway.