CERP:
Lactation education has come a long way in the past few decades yet the research shows that most of what is offered is not what is advantageous for parents in this day and age. Laurel Wilson has been a lactation educator, faculty, and lactation director in the community, in hospital settings, and for professionals for nearly two decades, and she has seen what works and what clearly fails. It is not uncommon today in classrooms to have dozens of parents listening to hours of lecture and watching endless power points without having the opportunity to step in to their own educational experience and OWN their breastfeeding journey. In fact, some parents are foregoing traditional classroom education all together and learning exclusively on You Tube and other social media sites, which comes at the price of accuracy and connection. Come with me on a journey through today’s classrooms, discussing what is and isn’t successful. Learn what works, not just for early initiation and surviving the hospital lactation experience but to help parents meet their own feeding goals. Research has identified that what is efficacious for some families and situations will not work for others. Discover unique strategies to address the specific learning needs of your families. The session will end with some favorite engaging activities to use in lactation classes and support groups, gleaned from two decades on the job and having had the opportunity to learn from and work with the best of the best educators of our time.
Objectives:
List two pros and cons of traditional classroom lactation education in terms of preparing parents for feeding their baby.
List at least two reasons parents are turning to online education instead of classroom education.
Identify three engaging activities to use in the classroom during lactation classes or support groups.