Humans have been sharing their breastmilk for the benefit of other babies for thousands of years. In this presentation, the use of human milk will be looked at through a lens of bioethics focusing on social justice. Who is donating or sharing human milk? Who gets this milk? Who decides who has access to donor milk or milk sharing? The history and current practices of milk banking, both for profit and non-profit, will be covered as well as milk sharing.

Sadly, in the US, nursing a baby for over a year is year and to reach the WHO recommendations of nursing for at least two years in very rare. Only 35.3% of babies in the US are still nursing at all at one year of age. The Healthy People 2030 goal is to reach 54.1%. This is a lofty goal! In order to help families reach these goals lactation professionals need to be able to help families overcome the challenges that are unique to older babies. This presentation will discuss perceptions of older babies who are nursing, the benefits of nursing an older baby, introducing solids, nursing while pregnant and tandem feeding, and options for weaning an older baby.

Worries about low milk supply are one of the top reasons families wean their babies. As lactation professionals, we can help families with determining if they do indeed have a low milk supply. If the parent is struggling with low milk supply, through our assessment we can help them understand some of the possible causes for this. Does the problem stem from the parent? From, the baby? Or, most commonly, a combination of both? Finally, we will spend most of our time reviewing what might be done to help resolve the problem. Helping families understand the possible solutions and create a plan is key for them to be able to reach their infant feeding goals.

Being able to assess for the signs of a healthy, well-fed is critical to this work and numbers can be an important tool for us. If an infant is not gaining appropriately, calculating how much extra food the infant needs to grow properly, what this infant will be fed, identifying why this is happening, and providing possible solutions allows families to work on preserving breastfeeding while improving the breastfeeding relationship.

Breast and nipple pain are often miss-understood and miss-diagnosed! Pain is one of the major reasons many parents discontinue breastfeeding. What can you do to help? Understanding breastfeeding pain, its causes and solutions, are a critical tool for anyone working with parents and babies.
This session will provide a understanding of common types of lactation pain, pain origins, and possible solutions.

COMING AGAIN IN Winter 2023!
To learn more, go here: https://bfcaa.com/post-5358/

If you are looking for an educational opportunity for your state (such as through WIC or your state breastfeeding coalition) this could be a perfect choice! Email barbara@bfcaa.com to learning more!

Sign up for our newsletter to be one of the first to find out when registration is open.

Do you want to unlock the secrets of Making More Milk? Barbara D. Robertson is joined by Lisa Marasco, one of the authors of the book, to break this down for you. Having a structured format tends to move things from the “oh I should do that” to DONE!

This course is for professionals and families! All you need is to be a person who wants to know more about milk supply! When you register, you will get an invitation to join Thinkific, an easy to use, online learning program. You will see the required reading listed for each of the seven Sessions.  This group will consist of seven live 2-hour Zoom meetings where the important parts of the assigned chapters will be reviewed. We are very lucky that one of the authors, Lisa Marasco, will be joining us for these meetings. After the discussion there will be about 30 minutes to answer your questions, and then the last 30 minutes will be spent in break out rooms discussing our clinical questions. You do not need to attend all of the live meetings. These meetings will be recorded and posted on our Thinkific Course for you.

You will need to get your own copy of Making More Milk, Second Edition by Lisa Marasco and Diana West. The old edition from 2010 will not do!

Dates for Winter 2023 will be announced soon! To learning more Go to https://bfcaa.com/breastfeeding-answers-second-edition/
If you are looking for an educational opportunity for your state (such as through WIC or your state breastfeeding coalition) this could be a perfect choice! Email barbara@bfcaa.com to learning more!
Join our virtual Breastfeeding Answers, 2nd Edition! Engage with like-minded breastfeeding enthusiasts!

Do you want to unlock the secrets of Breastfeeding Answers, 2nd Edition? Barbara D. Robertson will be joined by Nancy Mohrbacher, the author of the book, to break this down for you. Having a structured format tends to move things from the “oh I should do that” to DONE!

For this group we will be using Zoom Meeting. and Thinkific, an online learning platform. February 13th, 2022 (Or if you register after this date a day or two later) you will get an invitation to join us on Thinkific, an easy to use, online learning program. You will see the required reading listed for each of our ten sessions and meetings.

You will need to get your own copy of Breastfeeding Answers, 2nd Edition, either a hard copy or an ebook edition. There are many different ebook options, Kindle, ePub, and a PDF versions. The 1st edition (or earlier!) will not do! So much has changed in these past years. You will read the assigned chapters, attend our live Zoom meetings or listen to our recorded meeting discussion with Q and A, review any supplemental materials, and then, if you registered for our 36 CERPs version, take the quiz a few days after each session. 

Go to https://bfcaa.com/supporting-sucking-skills-book-group/

If you are looking for an educational opportunity for your state (such as through WIC or your state breastfeeding coalition) this could be a perfect choice! Email barbara@bfcaa.com to learning more!

Cathy Watson Genna will be having another book group with us with her newly updated edition of this book!
Be patient! We should have details soon!
Do you want to unlock the secrets of Supporting Sucking Skills? Barbara D. Robertson is joined by Cathy Watson Genna, the author of the book, to break this down for you. Having a structured format tends to move things from the “oh I should do that” to DONE!

Early bird pricing until September 1, 2022
36 L-CERPs $249   |    No CERPs $200
Regular pricing
36 L-CERPs $299   |    No CERPs $249

For this course we will be using Thinkific, an easy to use online learning platform. After you register, you will get an invitation to join Thinkific. You will see the required reading and materials listed for each of our ten sections.
You will read the assigned chapters, watch our recorded discussions, review any supplemental materials, and then, if you registered for our 36 CERPs version, take the quiz at the end of each section.

When will this be?

The dates for this book group are:
Session 1: Sunday, September 18, 2022 2:00 PM EDT
Session 2: Sunday, September 25, 2022 2:00 PM EDT
Session 3: Sunday, October 9, 2022 2:00 PM EDT
Session 4: Sunday, October 16, 2022 2:00 PM EDT
Session 5: Sunday, October 30, 2022 2:00 PM EDT
Session 6: Sunday, November 6, 2022 2:00 PM EDT
Session 7: Sunday, November 20, 2022 2:00 PM EDT
Session 8: Sunday, November 27, 2022 2:00 PM EDT
Session 9: Sunday, December 4, 2022 2:00 PM EDT
Session 10: Sunday, December 11, 2022, 2:00 PM EDT

You will need to get your own copy of Supporting Sucking Skills in Breastfeeding Infants, 4th EDITION. The 1st or 2nd or 3rd editions will not do! So much has changed in these past years.

One of the goals for all lactation support people is be able to be kind, respectful, and supportive to any family that might walk through their door. This can be tricky when the support person has never meet or interacted with someone from the LGBTQ+ community. We always want to treat each family as unique but in the case of a family that identifies somehow with the LGBTQ+ community it is especially important to listen to their unique stories and find out exactly what their infant feeding goals are. This presentation will help the participants become more familiar with the language and culture around the LGBTQ+ community and how they can help them meet their infant feeding goals.

One of the most common reasons lactation professionals have families come to them is to seek help is increasing their rate of breastmilk production. These families have been on the internet and have heard of all kinds of ways to increase their milk supply, some based in fact, some not so much. We will review the current theories on increasing breastmilk production including foods, herbs, medications, and the most effective way to increase breastmilk production, better breastmilk removal, whether with the baby, hand expression, or pumping. As lactation professionals are job is to help provide accurate medical information to our clients. This talk will help sort out fact from fiction.

Many families struggle with low breastmilk supply. Helping to identify if families indeed have a low breastmilk supply, and if so, the possible causes of low breastmilk supply, and solutions will all be covered. The leading cause of low breastmilk is poor breastmilk removal. Ways to improve hand expression and pumping ideas will be discussed. Galactogogues are seen as a common solution by families. Foods, herbs, and medications will be also covered in this highly interactive session.

In this interactive session, the participants will be working in groups to debate the pros and cons of their clinical experiences with tools such as nipple shields and nipple creams. The latest research will be reviewed to determine which clinical experiences are grounded in best practice. Participants will also have the opportunity to review some newer breastfeeding tools and their efficacy.

Remember when we used to have to whisper to mothers who were struggling with yeast overgrowth, “Probiotics could be helpful”? Now everyone is talking about probiotics and gut health. What is a healthy gut? What is our microbiome? How can we impact our gut health? And, most importantly for us, where does breastmilk and breastfeeding fit into all of this? These questions and more will be answered as we explore gut health from the very beginning of a baby’s life.

Using communication techniques that promote respect and autonomy can greatly increase the ability for different types of people to find commonality. Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a communication style that allows each client to reveal their unique situation and have the health care provider respond in a way that is genuine and tailored to that particular mother and baby. Everyone wants to be understood. Avoiding common mistakes such as making false assumptions is avoided when we allow each client to tell their story in their own way. The basics skills of MI, using open ended questions, affirmations, reflections, and summaries will be presented and practiced. Listening and supporting positive changes in a client’s health will also be discussed and practiced. We can do a better job when we have better tools!

The topic of epigenetics has been increasingly on health care provider’s radar as something of importance. What are epigenetics and what do they have to do with breastfeeding? This and other questions, such as how do epigenetics play into a baby’s growth both in the womb, once it is born, and throughout a lifetime, will be explored. We inherit genetic materials from our parents but what controls those genes and how they are expressed? These controls from our external environment and from inside our bodies greatly impact this process. The nutrition from breastmilk and the very act of breastfeeding itself influence both the mother and baby’s epigenetics. We also now know that these factors are passed down through many generations. We will discuss the basics of epigenetics and how does breastfeeding fit into this picture based upon the latest research.

The IBCLC profession is not made up of a diverse group of people. Dominated by older, white, middle class women, there have been charges of not being able to serve the diversity of the population that surrounds us. While the evidence is strong that having people with similar characteristics serve similar people, the reality is that diversity in the IBCLC profession, as in most professions requiring advanced training, is growing slowly. What can be done now? Using communication techniques that promote respect and autonomy can greatly increase the ability for different types of people to find commonality. Motivational Interviewing is a communication style that allows each client to reveal their unique situation and have the health care provider respond in a way that is genuine and tailored to that particular mother and baby. Everyone wants to be understood. Avoiding common mistakes such as making false assumptions is avoided when we allow each client to tell their story in their own way.

When parents are struggling with a baby who isn’t latching, it is very stressful. They often feel that the baby doesn’t “like” them, or “hates” the breast. Mothers will often become exclusive pumpers or wean early if this issue isn’t quickly resolved. This session will explore the reasons a baby might not be able to latch and how we can help. Both non-latching newborns and nursing strikes will be discussed. Babies are intrinsically compelled to breastfeed. By re-framing the issue from babies not “wanting” to latch, to a baby being “unable” to latch, leaves a feeling of hope. Discovering the obstacles that are interfering with this natural, ingrained process of breastfeeding is a key component. The reasons why a baby might not be able to latch, possible ideas to investigate, strategies to try, will all be covered in this interactive session.

If it is on the internet, it must be true! Not. Online media may present as an entertainment video but really be a commercial. A publication can appear to a research article but actually be an opinion blog. A website, at first glance, may seem to belong to a fact-based, educational non-profit  group  but, in reality, promote a for-profit company’s agenda. We will identify ways in which businesses try to manipulate the viewer. Underlying messages will be decoded using the values of biomedical ethics. Online breastfeeding media will be analyzed through the lens of biomedical ethics and the IBLCE Code of Professional Conduct to uncover their true meaning.

Breastfeeding is widely acknowledged as being the healthiest way to feed an infant for at least two years. In the United States of America, the CDC 2014 Breastfeeding Report Card states that 79.2% of mothers start out breastfeeding. However, as the babies get older, these numbers plummet. Only 49.4% of these babies are receiving any breastmilk by 6 months of age. We know from the literature that the primary reasons mothers stop breastfeeding in these early months are pain and worrying about their breastmilk supply. These are problems with solutions if the proper support is in place. Why is this support lacking? Is it because for all of the talk, “breast is best”, the importance of breastfeeding is not really valued? What if successful breastfeeding was reframed into a milestone? Baby’s first milestone? This presentation will explore other milestones, walking, talking, and learning to read, and what happens if babies and young children are not reaching these markers in a reasonable time frame. What support systems are in place to help these milestones be achieved if babies are faltering? The possible reasons for a baby not being able to breastfeeding and possible solutions will then be examined from the lens of having proper support systems in place.

Many of us are baffled when mothers don’t follow our advice. We painstakingly create such thoughtful, careful care plans, filled with valuable instructions and information. Yet, when we follow up with our mothers, we find that they have not done what we told them to. What is going on? We will exam the research on medical compliance and then focus in on how this relates to the lactation field. How do we set mothers up for failure to comply with our suggestions?  In small groups, we will work on improving sample care plans and role play how we can better communicate with mothers so their care plans are realistic and better suited to each individual mother’s needs. Our behavior does influence how compliant mothers will be. Let’s make sure we are setting mothers up for success.

Numbers are used all the time in the lactation field. Test weights, percentiles, % of weight gain, are just some of the information that is gathered to help make infant feeding decisions. But what are they really telling us? When are they useful? Using these numbers in a way that actually helps support and promotes breastfeeding are key. Appropriate infant weight gain, how to do a test weight, scale calibration, calculating infant intake, and the possible need for supplementation, will all be covered.

Human milk is the healthiest choice for human babies. When a baby is born early, they need this optimal nutrition even more. This session will outline the potential options for human milk if mother’s own breastmilk is not available. The session will differentiate between the types of human milk banks. The research on why human milk is so critical for preterm babies will be explored. Finally, the processes of donating human milk and obtaining human milk will be presented.

How we communicate with our clients is critical to how successful our help will be. Traditionally, health care providers “inform” clients as to what they should do to improve their health. Breastfeeding is one of the best ways to improve health of both mothers and babies. By using non-traditional communication techniques, support people can increase their odds that the time they spend with their clients will be evoke the positive health changes the clients are interested in achieving. This session will focus on two techniques. The first, Motivational Interviewing, will be introduced to the participants leaving them with thought provoking new ideas about how they work together. The second technique explores how we can help our clients identify the obstacles that are preventing them from reaching their goals. The combination of helping clients identify their obstacles to success while using the collaborative communication techniques of Motivational Interviewing is powerful and will help us become stronger support people for positive health change.

Breast and nipple pain are often miss-understood and miss-diagnosed! Pain is one of the major reasons many mothers discontinue breastfeeding. What can you do to help? Understanding breastfeeding pain, its causes and solutions, are a critical tool for anyone working with mothers and babies.
This one day training will provide a strong understanding of common types of lactation pain, pain origins, and possible solutions.

Most mothers want to breastfeeding and the first few days postpartum can make or break their success.
The presentation is must have for anyone working with mothers and babies during the birth and early postpartum!
This  session will provide a thorough understanding of what is happens with lactation based upon the birth and the first few days postpartum. Strategies will be discussed as to how to help facilitate success.

How we communicate with our clients is critical to how successful our help will be. Traditionally, health care providers “inform” clients as to what they should do to improve their health. Breastfeeding is one of the best ways to improve health of both mothers and babies. By using non-traditional communication techniques, support people can increase their odds that the time they spend with their clients will be evoke the positive health changes the clients are interested in achieving. This session will focus on two techniques. The first, Motivational Interviewing, will be introduced to the participants leaving them with thought provoking new ideas about how they work together. The second technique explores how we can help our clients identify the obstacles that are preventing them from reaching their goals. The combination of helping clients identify their obstacles to success while using the collaborative communication techniques of Motivational Interviewing is powerful and will help us become stronger support people for positive health change.

Barbara Robertson’s expertise in lactation allows her to be able to create and customize a presentation on any of her areas of expertise. Start a dialog to create the conference which meets the educational needs for your community!
Notes about this presentation for conference organizers:

Given the proper notice Barbara Robertson can turn any of her modules from her 90 hours Professional Lactation Course into a seperate lecture customized for you.

Abstract:

According to the Business Case for Breastfeeding, 80% of breastfeeding mothers stop breastfeeding within one month of returning to work. What is going on? How are breastfeeding mothers being undermined upon returning to work and what can we do to help? In this session, the top five obstacles and solutions to help your clients succeed will be presented. Particular areas of vulnerability for working breastfeeding mothers will be analyzed, including pumps and pumping, bottle feeding, and childcare settings. If a mother is given proper emotional support, is well informed regarding the mechanics of maintaining her milk supply, and is prepared to negotiate correct feeding in a childcare setting, her chances of reaching her breastfeeding goals can be greatly increased.

Objectives:

List five obstacles to the continuation of successful breastfeeding for women who are returning to work.
Identify five solutions to common working and breastfeeding challenges.
Create a successful working and breastfeeding plan for mothers and babies.

Anthropologically speaking, human babies should be breastfed for at least two years. In our current culture, however, normal breastfeeding is cut short. Mothers are constantly being challenged regarding the value and practicality of breastfeeding, but social pressure to stop nursing reaches a new peak once a baby turns six months of age and beyond. In this session, we will address common areas where families face criticism from society and health care providers, including the nutritional value of breastmilk over time, introduction of solids, teething, dental caries, sleep issues, and weaning. Mounting evidence of the benefits—for mother, baby, and society—of normal breastfeeding duration, including the social and emotional advantages, will be presented. Finally, possible solutions will be proposed for helping families sustain normal breastfeeding. Currently, normal breastfeeding in our culture is the exception, not the rule. We can help change that fact!

Objectives:

Identify six challenges to breastfeeding a baby past six months in our culture.
List five benefits to families of breastfeeding a baby more than six months of age.
Identify strategies to help families sustain normal duration of breastfeeding.

This is a comprehensive 45 or 90 hour course designed to focus on problem solving, clinical skills, and communication techniques.

Basic goals:

To be able to explain the normal course of breastfeeding To be able to identify breastfeeding problems To be able to identify the underlying causes of breastfeeding problems To gain direct exposure to clinical strategies and gain enhanced confidence when working with breastfeeding dyads To be able to offer practical solutions in a compassionate, easily understandble way

Who would benefit from this course?

IBCLCs who need lacation CERPs for re-cerification Aspiring IBCLCs who are aquiring their lactation education hours RNs or other health care professions who want to increase their breastfeeding skills Peer Counselors, La Leche League Leaders, anyone who want to be able to better help mothers and babies wiht breastfeeding concerns

According to the Business Case for Breastfeeding, 80% of breastfeeding mothers stop breastfeeding within one month of returning to work. What is going on? How are breastfeeding mothers being undermined upon returning to work and what can we do to help? In this session, the top five obstacles and solutions to help your clients succeed will be presented. Particular areas of vulnerability for working breastfeeding mothers will be analyzed, including pumps and pumping, bottle feeding, and childcare settings. If a mother is given proper emotional support, is well informed regarding the mechanics of maintaining her milk supply, and is prepared to negotiate correct feeding in a childcare setting, her chances of reaching her breastfeeding goals can be greatly increased.

Breastfeeding and dentisty intersect in a number of ways. How can we help preserve breastfeeding while at that same time protect our baby’s teeth? The research on this topic will be reviewed and possible solutions will be discussed.

This presentation focuses on the tools that are available to lactation professionals and which tools might be most useful in which situations.

Objectives:

The learner will be able to list at least two tools that are critical to their practice
The learner will be able to discuss assessment and clinical factors to help families determine the most appropriate breastfeeding tools for their breastfeeding situation.
The learner will be able describe advantages and disadvantage of three tools for supplementing a baby
The learner will be able to list at least two factors to consider in deciding whether to utilize a nipple shield with a particular baby
The learner will be able to describe the steps of paced bottle feeding with cueing to protect breastfeeding skills and help prevent over feeding
The learner will be able to discuss the pros and cons to different types of nipple creams and treatments

How we supplement and how much we supplement infants is not always based upon accurate, medical information. This presentation strives to share the latest supplementation guidelines with lactation professionals to help reduce unnecessary supplementation of breastfeed infants. Both hospital and out- patient situations will be addressed.

Objectives:

The learner will be able to articulate Joint Commission’s definition of exclusive BF and define what are acceptable reasons for supplementation
The learner will be able to differentiate between appropriate and inappropriate supplementation in hospitals and in private practice
The learner will be able to calculate how much supplement is appropriate if the baby does need extra milk depending on the baby’s age and health status
The learner will be able to describe how to supplement in the most appropriate manner