Marsha Walker, RN, IBCLC
Expertise
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Advocacy for Breastfeeding
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Anatomy and Physiology of Lactation
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Anatomy and Physiology of the Nipple
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Birth Interventions and Breastfeeding
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Birthing Practices and Breastfeeding
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Breast and Nipple Assessment
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Breastfeeding Dyad Assessment
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Ethics of Breastfeeding Counseling/Practice
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Formula Feeding Issues
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Hospital Practice/Policy and Breastfeeding
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In-Patient Lactation Management
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Infant Assessment for Breastfeeding
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Jaundice and Breastfeeding
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Latching Theory and Techniques
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Low Milk Production
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Maternal Assessment for Breastfeeding
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Obesity and Breastfeeding
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Products for Breastfeeding
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Professional Education for Breastfeeding
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Special Needs Breastfeeding Babies
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Suck Dysfunction
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Supplementation of the Breastfeeding Infant
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Tongue-Tie Assessment and Treatment
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WIC Counseling Methods
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Working and Breastfeeding
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Yeast and Breastfeeding
Upcoming Conferences
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June 10, 2013 - June 12, 2013Toronto,Ontario,Canada
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Mohawk Valley Breastfeeding NetworkJune 14, 2013Utica,New York,United States
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September 30, 2013Waltham,Massachusetts,United States
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Sonoma County Breastfeeding ConferenceNovember 7, 2013Santa Rosa,California,United States
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Ligue La LecheNovember 21, 2013Montreal,Quebec,Canada
Previous Conferences
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May 3, 2013 - May 5, 2013St. Louis,Missouri,United States
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April 20, 2013Sarasota,Florida,United States
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National WIC Association ConferenceApril 15, 2013Little Rock,Arkansas,United States
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Brooklyn Hospital Center WIC ProgramApril 8, 2013Brooklyn,New York,United States
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La Leche League of Connecticut, Cutting Edge LactationMarch 22, 2013Cromwell,Connecticut,United States
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March 18, 2013Boxboro,Massachusetts,United States
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July 25, 2012 - July 29, 2012Orlando,Florida,United States
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May 18, 2012Charleston,West Virginia,United States
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Our Lady of Lourdes Memorial HospitalApril 27, 2012Owego,New York,United States
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Southeastern Georgia health SystemApril 19, 2012Brunswick,Georgia,United States
About the Speaker
Acquiring new knowledge about breastfeeding and lactation is an ongoing professional responsibility for all who work with new families. Marsha's presentations endeavor to provide evidence-based practice guidelines, hands-on suggestions for remediation of breastfeeding problems, and insight into making changes at the institutional level. Professional offerings span a wide range of subjects including clinical, advocacy, systems changes, and breastfeeding as a public health issue. Whether it is a hospital in-service, WIC workshop, regional perinatal program, or large professional association conference, all material is tailored to the needs of the target audience.
Official Bio for Brochure
Marsha is a registered nurse and international board certified lactation consultant. She maintained a large clinical practice at a major HMO in Massachusetts, is a published author and an international speaker. Consulting with hospitals, providing in-service presentations, speaking at conferences and workshops and advocating for breastfeeding at the state and federal levels occupy her professional time. She is currently a member of the board of directors of the Massachusetts Breastfeeding Coalition, Baby Friendly USA, Best for Babes Foundation, and the US Lactation Consultant Association (USLCA). She is a past president of the International Lactation Consultant Association and the Executive Director of the National Alliance for Breastfeeding Advocacy.
Presentations
This speaker is pleased to provide presentations on the following topics to professional and parenting conferences. Presentations on other topics may be available upon request and subject to sufficient development lead-time. (For CERP topics, required paperwork will be provided promptly to meet CERP deadlines.)
Cracking the Code: Demystifying the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes
The International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes (The Code) has gained increased visibility relative to the ethical practice of health care providers and the health care system. More hospitals are engaged in the Baby Friendly process whose foundation rests on the Code. Continuing education offerings from breastfeeding coalitions and organizations are trying to adhere to the principles of the Code, as are individual lactation consultants and other health care professionals. Manufacturers and distributors of products covered under the Code are constantly changing their marketing of products, making it difficult to know who is Code compliant and who isn't. How can we keep up with all of this? And by the way, what does the Code really say about some of the scenarios we are faced with today? How do we adhere to both the letter and the principles of the Code? Who can help with the sticky questions? This presentation will take a look at the Code, validate its continued importance (no, it's not out of date!), and help make it relevant to current clinical practice.
This presentation is also appropriate for a longer workshop.
Breast pumps and pumping protocols
Have we gone too far with pumping? Do we really need a breast pump in every postpartum hospital room? Is it a toy or does it really work? What's with all these pumps? More and more mothers are using breast pumps for a variety of reasons. This presentation looks at the why of pumps, pump history, how pumps work, how to select the best pump for the situation, pumping scenarios, creation of pumping protocols, and how to integrate hand expression into the pumping regimine. We will also explore problems with pumps and pumping, safety issues of pumps, and the use of previouly used pumps.
This presentation can also be expanded to a longer workshop.
Stemming the Tide of Supplementation
Supplementation of the breastfed infant has been steadily increasing over the years, reducing the rate of exclusive breastfeeding and increasing the likelihood of premature weaning. This presentation explores the reasons for necessary and unnecessary supplementation, as well as when, why and how to supplement if necessary.
Birth Interventions and Breastfeeding
Most mothers giving birth experience a myriad of interventions. Many of these affect breastfeeding and the infant's acquisition of early feeding skills. This presentation discusses many interventions from labor medications and IVs to separation and crying and their affect on the breastfeeding dyad. Suggestions to remediate problems associated with birth interventions are presented.
Breastfeeding and Obesity
Overweight and obesity are at epidemic proportions. Both conditions complicate pregnancy, childbirth, and lactation. This presentation looks at the evidence for the protective effects of breastfeeding upon the development of overweight and obesity, especially in infancy and childhood. Also covered is how obesity affects lactation and the possible complications to breastfeeding that overweight and obesity present. Interventions for remediating these problems are offered.
Breastfeeding and Diabetes
Diabetes (Type 1, Type 2, and Gestational) are all increasing among the general population and especially in childbearing women and their children - much of it as a result of the increasing rates of overweight and obesity. This offering discusses each type of diabetes as it relates to breastfeeding or the lack of breastfeeding and looks at the potential complications to breastfeeding that diabetes can present. Recommendations for diabetic breastfeeding mothers are presented.
Improving Maternity Care Practices: Raising Your mPINC Score
In 2007, all US birthing facilities received a survey from the CDC asking questions regarding maternity care feeding practices and policies related to breastfeeding. In 2008, the CDC sent facility-specific scores to responding hospitals assigning them a score based on how close they came to evidence-based best practices. This talk covers how to use your facility's score as a tool to create a more supportive environemnt for breastfeeding families.
Breastfeeding the Late Preterm Infant
This offering reviews the vulnerabilities of the late preterm infant (34-37 weeks) and offers specific guidelines for breastfeeding these babies and protecting the mother's milk supply.
Late preterm infants are a special and vulnerable population that is rapidly increasing in number. These babies are not just smaller versions of full term infants, but require increased vigilence and breastfeeding interventions tailored to meet their unique needs. This presentation provides an overview of the late preterm infant and offers specific clinical guidelines for breastfeeding these babies.
Delayed Lactogenesis: The Waiting Game
Delay in the onset of copious milk production has a number of origins. This presentation explores recognition of delayed lactogenesis and offers interventions to adequately nourish the infant and preserve lactation.
A number of maternal and infant conditions can delay the onset of copious milk production, increasing the potential for adverse outcomes for the infant and a potential for lactation failure. This presentation explores prenatal markers for delayed lactogenesis, peripartum events, infant contributions, and iatrogenic causes and offers interventions to preserve lactation.
Breastfeeding and Employment: From the employee's side; from the employer's side
With so many mothers of young infants in the workplace, breastfeeding is being challenged by lack of paid maternity leave, unsupportive worksites, and lack of appropriate guidelines for mothers returning to work. This presentation addresses how to work with mothers and employers to allow breastfeeding to thrive in the work setting. Creative solutions to breastfeeding challenges, approaches to reluctant employers, and hard numbers will be discussed.
Scripts: Assuring consistent guidelines
Scripts are a tool for providing consistent, evidence-based care on busy maternity units. They offer a consistent, logical approach to solving early breastfeeding problems and issues.
Scripts are tools that can be used to help nurses feel more comfortable in delivering consistent, evidence-based breastfeeding care. Many situations arise in the early days following birth that the staff nurse is asked to address by new mothers. Nurses without advanced lactation skills may be caught off guard or apprehensive in solving breastfeeding problems. Scripting is a tool that gives nurses guidelines for handling situations more effectively. It can help with daily interactions with patients, peers, and physicians to ensure consistency and continuity of patient care
Nipple nuances: from pain to peppermint and what the textbooks don't cover
Nipple problems in lactating mothers have been a source of concern for hundreds of years and represents one of the most frequent reasons for abandoning breastfeeding. This presentation covers the newest data in the structure and function of the nipple and areola gathered from computer reconstruction of sectioned tissues, ultrasound, etc. Nipple problems will be discussed, along with care plans and a comparison of topical healing agents. Newer thoughts on healing agents will cover peppermint gel, ozonated olive oil, coconut oil, and many others. More extensive interventions will look at handling biofilm formation on breaks in the nipple skin and chronic non-healing nipples will be examined in light of colonization from small colony variants of Staphylococcus aureus.
