IBCLC EXAM PRACTICE TESTED QUESTIONS
2026 VERIFIED ANSWER KEY
◉ Which drug property results in more transfer of the drug into the
mother's milk?
A) Molecular weight >800 Daltons
B) High protein binding
C) High lipid solubility
D) Low maternal plasma concentration Answer: C
◉ When it comes to medications and breastfeeding, drugs with a
shorter half-life are preferred. How many half-lives until it is
generally considered that the drug is eliminated from the system?
A) 3
B) 5
C) 7
D) 9 Answer: B
◉ If a woman is given 80 mg of a drug to treat a urinary tract
infection - and the drug has a half-life of 3 hours - how much will be
left in her system after 3 half-lives?
A) 40 mg
,B) 20 mg
C) 10 mg
D) 5 mg Answer: C
◉ What is considered a high enough molecular weight that the
medication will be too big to easily get into the breast milk
compartment?
A) 200 Daltons
B) 300 Daltons
C) 400 Daltons
D) More than 800 Daltons Answer: D
◉ Drugs can be highly bound to albumin, a large protein in the blood
circulation, and therefore too big to get into the breast milk space.
What percentage of protein binding is considered high and therefore
preferred?
A) 40%
B) 60%
C) 80%
D) >90% Answer: D
◉ While most drugs are compatible with breastfeeding, a few are
not. Which type of drug is usually contraindicated for breastfeeding?
,A) Antibiotic
B) Antidepressant
C) Chemotherapy
D) Diabetic therapy Answer: C
◉ A Relative Infant Dose (RID) of _____ indicates compatibility with
breastfeeding.
A) <10%
B) >10% Answer: A) <10%
◉ A good resource to use to figure out if a medicine is compatible
with breastfeeding is:
A) The Physician Desk Reference (PDR)
B) The medicine package insert
C) Google
D) LactMed Answer: D) LactMed
◉ In Hale's Medications and Mothers' Milk, which lactation risk
category is the safest?
A) L1
B) L2
C) L4
, D) L5 Answer: A
◉ In Hale's Medications and Mothers' Milk, what lactation risk
category does a medication go into if there is absolutely no
published data about the medication, even if it is considered safe?
A) L2
B) L3
C) L4
D) L5 Answer: B
◉ In which lactation risk category in Medications and Mothers' Milk
is this the recommendation: "The drug is contraindicated in women
who are breastfeeding an infant."
A) L2
B) L3
C) L4
D) L5 Answer: D) L5
◉ Many antibiotics are safe for the breastfeeding mother to take.
However, caution needs to be taken with this antibiotic, ________,
about which Hale's Medications and Mothers' Milk says, "This
antibiotic can be extremely toxic, particularly in neonates, and
should not be used for trivial infections."
A) Ampicillin
2026 VERIFIED ANSWER KEY
◉ Which drug property results in more transfer of the drug into the
mother's milk?
A) Molecular weight >800 Daltons
B) High protein binding
C) High lipid solubility
D) Low maternal plasma concentration Answer: C
◉ When it comes to medications and breastfeeding, drugs with a
shorter half-life are preferred. How many half-lives until it is
generally considered that the drug is eliminated from the system?
A) 3
B) 5
C) 7
D) 9 Answer: B
◉ If a woman is given 80 mg of a drug to treat a urinary tract
infection - and the drug has a half-life of 3 hours - how much will be
left in her system after 3 half-lives?
A) 40 mg
,B) 20 mg
C) 10 mg
D) 5 mg Answer: C
◉ What is considered a high enough molecular weight that the
medication will be too big to easily get into the breast milk
compartment?
A) 200 Daltons
B) 300 Daltons
C) 400 Daltons
D) More than 800 Daltons Answer: D
◉ Drugs can be highly bound to albumin, a large protein in the blood
circulation, and therefore too big to get into the breast milk space.
What percentage of protein binding is considered high and therefore
preferred?
A) 40%
B) 60%
C) 80%
D) >90% Answer: D
◉ While most drugs are compatible with breastfeeding, a few are
not. Which type of drug is usually contraindicated for breastfeeding?
,A) Antibiotic
B) Antidepressant
C) Chemotherapy
D) Diabetic therapy Answer: C
◉ A Relative Infant Dose (RID) of _____ indicates compatibility with
breastfeeding.
A) <10%
B) >10% Answer: A) <10%
◉ A good resource to use to figure out if a medicine is compatible
with breastfeeding is:
A) The Physician Desk Reference (PDR)
B) The medicine package insert
C) Google
D) LactMed Answer: D) LactMed
◉ In Hale's Medications and Mothers' Milk, which lactation risk
category is the safest?
A) L1
B) L2
C) L4
, D) L5 Answer: A
◉ In Hale's Medications and Mothers' Milk, what lactation risk
category does a medication go into if there is absolutely no
published data about the medication, even if it is considered safe?
A) L2
B) L3
C) L4
D) L5 Answer: B
◉ In which lactation risk category in Medications and Mothers' Milk
is this the recommendation: "The drug is contraindicated in women
who are breastfeeding an infant."
A) L2
B) L3
C) L4
D) L5 Answer: D) L5
◉ Many antibiotics are safe for the breastfeeding mother to take.
However, caution needs to be taken with this antibiotic, ________,
about which Hale's Medications and Mothers' Milk says, "This
antibiotic can be extremely toxic, particularly in neonates, and
should not be used for trivial infections."
A) Ampicillin
