Suzanne Colson, Ph.D, RM, RGN, BA, MSc
Expertise
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Mammals and Breastfeeding
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Lactation research
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Language of Breastfeeding
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Advocacy for Breastfeeding
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Breastfeeding Dyad Assessment
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Birthing Practices and Breastfeeding
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Latching Theory and Techniques
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Breast and Nipple Assessment
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Premature Breastfeeding Babies
Upcoming Conferences
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Breastfeeding Conference Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustJuly 20, 2012Swindon,Wiltshire,United Kingdom
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Irish Association of Lactation ConsultantsSeptember 29, 2012Dublin,Ireland
Previous Conferences
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April 23, 2012 - April 25, 2012Bala Cynwyd,Pennsylvania,United States
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19th Annual Vermont Lactation Consultant ConferenceApril 19, 2012 - April 20, 2012Burlington,Vermont,United States
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Charlotte Area Health Education Center & Mecklenburg County Health Department WICApril 17, 2012Charlotte,North Carolina,United States
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Tri-County Breastfeeding Coalition and New Hanover County Health Department WICApril 14, 2012Wilmington,North Carolina,United States
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March 14, 2012 - March 16, 2012Napa,California,United States
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March 13, 2012Tukwila ,Washington,United States
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March 12, 2012Seattle,Washington,United States
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March 9, 2012 - March 10, 2012Vancouver,Canada
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Koncern HR, Center for KompetenceudviklingFebruary 29, 2012Aarhus,Denmark
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Message - Breastfeeding Supporters WorkshopJanuary 21, 2012Paris,France
About the Speaker
Dr. Suzanne Colson is a midwife and a nurse. Her PhD thesis introduced a new paradigm called biological nurturing® ~laid-back breastfeeding and won the prestigious Royal College of Nursing Inaugural Akinsanya Award for originality and scholarship in doctoral studies. Suzanne is co-founder of The Nurturing Project, an organization created to disseminate biological nurturing research. Mother of three breastfed children, and grandmother of three breastfed children, she is an honorary member and a founding mother/leader of La Leche League France. She has over 35 years clinical experience supporting breastfeeding mothers, first in France working with Dr. Michel Odent, then in London hospitals as a caseload midwife and baby feeding advisor, and finally during her research appointments and university work as a senior midwifery lecturer Suzanne is retired from the university and active midwifery practice but remains available for clinical consultation and lectures widely across the world.
Official Bio for Brochure
Dr. Suzanne Colson is a midwife, nurse and co-founder of The Nurturing Project, an organization disseminating biological nurturing research. She is an honorary senior lecturer at Canterbury Christ Church University. She has 35 years experience supporting breastfeeding mothers in both hospital and community settings. She is a Royal College of Nursing Akinsanya Scholar 2007, an honorary member and founding mother/leader of La Leche League France and a member of the LLL professional advisory panel in the UK and France. Suzanne is the author of a book, 3 DVDs and various articles and information sheets available at www.biologicalnurturing.com
Bio for Introduction
Dr. Suzanne Colson is a midwife, a nurse and an honorary senior lecturer at Canterbury Christ Church University, England. Her PhD thesis introduced a new paradigm called biological nurturing® ~ Laid-back breastfeeding and won the Royal College of Nursing Inaugural Akinsanya Award. Dr. Colson is co-founder of The Nurturing Project, an organization disseminating biological nurturing research. An honorary member of La Leche League France, she is on the professional advisory board of LLL UK and LLL France. Dr. Colson has over 35 years experience supporting breastfeeding mothers. She worked as a research midwife on a team examining the effects of supplementation on metabolic adaptation and breastfeeding and studied a subset of mother baby pairs for her Masters Degree, awarded distinction. Dr. Colson is the author of a book, 3 DVDs and various articles and information sheets available at www.biologicalnurturing.com Dr. Colson is retired and lectures widely across the world.
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.)
Biological Nurturing (BN)~Laid Back Breastfeeding Revolution
Mothers often say that breastfeeding does not feel natural or easy; few breastfeed exclusively, many stop way before they intend. This presentation reports PhD research examining the mechanisms of biological nurturing (BN)~laid-back breastfeeding. The aim was to find out if BN releases primitive neonatal reflexes (PNRs) comparing feeding positions; 20 PNRs were described as stimulants or barriers. The presentation introduces the components and describes how BN works. Compelling research video clips illustrate innate mother-baby reciprocity in the novel BN feeding positions offering a robust neurological framework to support breastfeeding initiation
This is the core biological nurturing research presentation and should be viewed first. A paper published in Early Human Development is available for inclusion in conference materials.
Don't Wake the Baby: Breastfeeding across neonatal behavioral states
Mothers are often advised to demand feed their newborn babies every three hours yet some babies oversleep. Conventional wisdom suggests that a sleeping baby will not feed so gentle rousing strategies are usually proposed. This presentation defines behavioral state & reviews some developmental sleep evidence. Then BN research video clips show babies latch on and feed in sleep states. Participants will practice identifying baby states and learn how to apply BN findings to overcome ‘sleepy baby’ latch and suck refusal and, time permitting, practice identifying baby states
This presentation builds upon the content of the first one ; neonatal behavioral state is introduced as a component of BN and part of the BN toolkit.
This is the second BN core presentation and builds upon the content of the first one;Is Breastfeeding a Learned Skill?
Experts suggest mimicry, not instinct, informs mothers how to breastfeed their first baby but do we really know? In this presentation, we examine the history of the ontogeny or how mothers develop the capacity to breastfeed differentiating between a nature and a nurture approach. We evaluate the strength of this evidence and then examine striking BN research video data. These clips present strong visual evidence suggesting that some mothers do have breastfeeding instincts & I will propose theories concerning how these maternal behaviors are released or suppressed. Finally, we will define hormonal complexion linking it to right/left brain maternal behavioral assessments. This perspective leads us to identify 2 clinical pathways in professional breastfeeding support.
This is the third and final core BN presentation clarifying maternal complexion as a part of the BN toolkit & introducing a primary role of the health care provider in breastfeeding support.
Learning to assess hormonal complexion
We know that high oxytocin (OT) pulsatility is a determining factor in good birth & breastfeeding outcomes & this presentation focuses on why OT is important & how to recognize it. First, we review & apply some OT research findings to clinical practice. Then we view a video clip illustrating behavioral links between giving birth & breastfeeding. Finally, we brain storm, list and discuss 3 facets: 1) Groups of observable behaviors suggestive of high OT pulsatility 2) Hospital practices that threaten the OT behavioral expression 3) Ways to promote an environment conducive to the release of maternal breastfeeding instincts.
This workshop builds upon the observations of emerging patterns of maternal breastfeeding instinctual behaviors in ‘Is breastfeeding a learned skill?’
Putting it all together: Using Biological Nurturing
Many health care providers say that using BN on postnatal ward saves them time; routine skills teaching becomes unnecessary for most mothers but not for all of them. The trick lies in identifying which mothers you need to teach. This workshop helps you do that using the 2 clinical pathways introduced in the third core presentation. BN is characterized by a set of observable mother-baby behaviors involving all its components. Your BN assessment is crucial to the nature of your breastfeeding support as well as your time investment. Participants will make a list of BN priorities & apply them using video clips as well as their real life situations to identify which clinical pathway to select.
This workshop builds upon core presentations 1-3 and 4 above and will help participants sharpen clinical behavioral assessment skills, consolidate understanding of when and how to use BN & check understanding of the BN components and mechanisms.
Rescuing mothers using a biological nurturing approach
Many lactation consultants and other health care providers do not see mothers when they are in hospital. Instead mothers call them when they have difficulties. They often ask me: ‘can you use a BN approach when mothers are having, what appear to be intractable problems with older babies?’ My response is ‘sometimes you can and sometimes it may be better to use a more left-brained approach’. Although there are no hard fast rules, the aim of this workshop is to clarify this issue. We will discuss how to recognize when to inform, discuss and/or teach mothers versus when to promote an environment conducive to the hormonal complexion that appears to release innate behaviors. We will address common situations like sore nipples, latch refusal, flat nipples, perceived or actual breastmilk insufficiency, fatigue and others
Resolving differences between policies for neonatal hypoglycemia and exclusive breastfeeding
Hospital policies mandating routine blood glucose (BG) testing for healthy large or small babies and poor feeders often introduce unnecessary supplementation conflicting with policies promoting exclusive breastfeeding. Unnecessary supplementation with non-human milk introduces excessive amounts of carbohydrate maintaining high blood insulin levels and suppressing the neonatal metabolic switch into fats that normally occurs at birth. Although hypoglycemia policy decisions are ultimately a medical responsibility, an understanding of broad metabolic concepts like suckling ketosis and counter-regulation can foster positive working relations between the medical and nursing team to keep babies safe whilst promoting exclusive breastfeeding. This presentation reports a midwife’s experience writing biological nurturing (BN) into research protocols to support exclusive breastfeeding during studies examining metabolic adaptation for healthy but late preterm infants.
This presentaton is advanced biological nurturing and requires knowledge and understanding of prior presentations. Not all healthy but late preterm babies are able to breastfeed exclusively from birth for a myriad of reasons. Knowledge of maternal/neonatal assessment from a BN perspective is a prerequisite to understand some practice concepts presented here
