Lisa Marasco, MA, IBCLC, FILCA

about Lisa Marasco

Solving breastfeeding mysteries has always been a passion for Lisa, who is known for her inquisitiveness and tenacity. Her specialization in milk production was born when, after a resurgence in scheduled feeding began to sabotage unwitting mother’s milk supplies, she discovered that there was no comprehensive, referenced source to explain milk production to parents. The process of researching and writing such a document laid the foundation upon which her later work was built. Lisa also personally experienced a mysterious loss of milk supply with her fourth child, the cause of which only became clear to her years later as her research into milk production issues deepened. As a result of her own experience, she has great empathy for her clients and a renewed desire to understand the mysterious and difficult. This led to her eventual master's thesis on Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and its possible relationship to milk production problems, and other clinical situations have led to new areas of research. A born teacher, Lisa enjoys sharing what she has learned as much as the process itself. Her passion for her topics comes through clearly in her dynamic presentations, and she takes a personal interest in answering the needs and questions of any and all attendees. It is her desire that attendees not only go home with "what to do's," but more importantly, have a deeper understanding of the topics so that they can think through the unique situations that they face and develop better strategies targeted to the problems.

official bio

Lisa Marasco has been working with breastfeeding mothers for over 20 years and has been Internationally Board Certified since 1993. She holds a Master's degree in Human Development with specialization in Lactation, has published several articles, and has recently co-authored a comprehensive new book entitled "Making More Milk: A Nursing Mother's Guide to Milk Supply" with Diana West(Oct 2009). Currently, Lisa is employed by WIC of Santa Barbara County while she continues to maintain her private practice, Expressly Yours Lactation Services. In addition, Lisa is an Associate Area Professional Liaison for La Leche League of So. Calif/Nevada, and serves on the Breastfeeding Coalition of Santa Barbara County.

sessions

Lisa Marasco 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)

Reading Baby's Cues
60 - 90 minutes
CERP

Understanding baby’s side of the picture is one of the most important elements in solving breastfeeding problems, yet baby’s attempts to communicate with us are often misunderstood. This session discusses how to read baby’s cues in order to understand and help him breastfeed more effectively. Note: Was originally designed to help raise awareness on the part of breastfeeding counselors on what parents see and hear and think, and how we can help them. Can also be adapted for use with parent-attended conferences.

Exploring Herbal Galactogogues
90 - 120 minutes
CERP

What do you do when more frequent feeding and pumping don't seem to be enough? Because there are few legal pharmaceutical therapies currently, many mothers are turning to "natural" remedies. This session will explore the traditional use of herbal galactogogues and current western knowledge, along with in-depth looks at those most commonly considered to be helpful, both single herbs and commercial blends. Specific herb properties and reputations are discussed with an eye to strategic selection.Note: This session comprehensively covers a number of reputed galactogogues, and then commercially offered combinations. Options to this talk include a small section on galactogogue foods or homeopathic galactogogues.

Counseling the High Need Mother
75 - 90 minutes
CERP

We all have those mothers who just seem to get the best of us, and we aren't always sure why or what to do about it. This session discusses who the high need mother is, including situational issues and the impact of personality dysfunctions on the helping relationship. Appropriate boundary setting and proactive strategies are discussed to help cope more successfully with these challenges.Note: This session was originally co-developed in conjunction with my colleague Nancy Williams, IBCLC, MFT. It usually generates a lot of discussion in the audience; more time would allow for more discussion.

The Potential Impact of Thyroid Dysfunction on Milk Production
60 - 90 minutes
CERP

The connection between the thyroid gland and milk production has not been well understood. New animal research is providing insights into the possible effects of thyroid dysfunction. This research will be discussed in context with current knowledge and case studies, along with possible treatment strategies.Note: This is the most detailed version of this topic. When a more comprehensive lactation failure talk is selected, this topic is covered more briefly.

Hormonal Imbalances and Insufficient Milk Supply
90 - 120 minutes
CERP

Explore the potential impact of hormonal problems, including PCOS & thyroid dysfunction, on lactation. Note: Without any other milk supply sessions, would include more foundation information and less PCOS/thyroid detail

Infertility and Milk Supply: How PCOS may fit into the picture
75 - 90 minutes
CERP

The assumption has always been that if a woman can be helped to conceive a baby, she can also lactate. Is this really true, though? Examine factors that challenge this assumption through the lens of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, a leading cause of infertility. Note: PCOS in specific is discussed, but the application is intended to be more broad.

Deepening Foundations of Milk Production
60 - 90 minutes
CERP

Current research continues to challenge and refine our understanding of everything that needs to be in place for good milk production to happen. This session takes a detailed look at mammary gland development, the role of hormones and receptors, and factors affecting autocrine control, all of which become the foundation for long-term milk production.Note: This is a great session to set the foundation for shorter sessions on thyroid, pcos, etc.

The Life Cycle of the Breast
Hormones and Receptors
Environmental Contaminant Issues
Role of the Placenta

Exploring the Tangled Web of Insufficient Milk Supply
90 - 180 minutes
CERP

When low milk production presents, where do you start? Is it real or perceived? Delayed, secondary or primary? Which came first, the chicken or the egg? This session explores how to untangle this web of questions and where to go next.Note: This is a one-session approach to the topic. It is suggested that particular sections of focus be selected unless an overview-only approach is desired.

Breastfeeding Myths: Sacrifices on the Altar of Ignorance
60 - 90 minutes
CERP

Breastfeeding Myths abound! We all get stuck in our paradigms at one time or another and need to review what we think we know and believe. The session starts with a brief discussion of how we form our views and what constitutes professional growth. Then prevailing beliefs are presented, folowed by research, clinical advances or just better logic that relate to how they may change each belief. A mixture of humor and the serious keep the audience alert. Note: This session is tailored for each conference audience according to the level of expertise and covers a variety of lactation issues.

Exploring Lesser-known and Novel ideas for increasing milk production
60 - 90 minutes
CERP

What else is out there when the tried and true remedies don't seem to be enough? This session takes a broad and open look at alternative and complementary therapies (ie, acupuncture, foods). Some have been studied formally while others are based on clinical experience and anecdotal reports. Interesting ideas and outcomes are discussed. For the professional who hates to leave any stone unturned.Note: This session would benefit greatly from a generous allotted discussion time for participants to both discuss the merits of various ideas and also to share other ideas or insights.

Ethics of Complementary Therapies in the LC practice
60 - 90 minutes
CERP

Discusses ethical and legal ramifications of the use/recommendation of alternative therapies (especially herbs).