This session will cover new thoughts on prenatal breast assessment and parental support strategies in the prenatal period. Health professionals working with parents in pregnancy have a unique chance to assess and discuss feeding questions and concerns with clients in the prenatal period. There are many factors that can impact lactation success including certain health concerns, medications, breast development, endocrine issues, etc. Parents appreciate having thoughtful insight regarding these issues prior to delivery. In my clinical experience a resounding theme when feeding issues arise from a condition that may have been identified prenatally is, “why didn’t anyone tell me?” During this session, providers will learn how to assess breasts and nipples prenatally, identify potential red flags for lactation success and cultivate a meaningful dialog in order to discuss these concerns with the parents they serve.

Note: This is a very popular session for birth and health care professionals working with parents prenatally. So many times the only thing that gets asked of a mother prenatally in regards to feeding is, “how do you plan to feed your baby?” As professionals, we need to go beyond that and truly address potential lactation concerns in a meaningful way in order to empower parents and optimize lactation outcomes. The ‘prenatal’ part of the title can be included or omitted depending on your target audience.