Tag Archives | 2012 Conference

Let the Conference Begin!

By lactationmatters on 25 July 2012 in ILCA 2012 Conference

Photo by permission of JW Marriott

The 2012 ILCA Conference has finally arrived and everything,

from airport transportation

to the welcome we received at the JW Marriott

to the volunteer orientations and registration

to the Lazy River

to a lovely dinner at Primo…

Everything has been absolutely top notch!

ILCA volunteers are ready to help you! Look for their purple scarves.

As IBCLCs and breastfeeding professionals from around the world arrive, the hotel is humming with activity. Friends getting reacquainted, contact information being shared and volunteers getting ready to spring into action. Day #1 of the conference will include workshops on Spanish Language Clinical Practice, Health Promotion, Global Advocacy, Research and Building Clinical Skills. Something for every IBCLC!

If you are attending, please leave a comment about your favorite conference moment and if you are not able to be with us, follow along on Twitter using the hashtag #ilca2012!

Welcome to ILCA 2012!

Speaker Profile: Louise Dumas, RN, MSN, PhD

By lactationmatters on 20 July 2012 in ILCA 2012 Conference, Speaker Profile

During the weeks leading up to the 2012 ILCA Conference, we will be highlighting a number of conference speakers. Watch this space every Friday for more profiles.

Louise Dumas, RN, MSN, PhD

Honorary professor-researcher in Nursing sciences, at the Université du Québec en Outaouais (Western Quebec), Louise has studied in Canada, USA, and Sweden. Most of Louise’s researches have been focused on perinatal practices, breastfeeding, and patient education. As guest researcher at the Karolinska Institutet, she is part of a research team studying Russian swaddling, skin-to-skin and early mother-infant interaction. Louise has published many articles and book chapters and presented numerous conferences throughout the world. Louise is also lead assessor for the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiatives, one of the Canadians at the WHO-BFHI committee for industrialized countries. Louise has received many awards for the excellence of her work at the clinical, administrative, teaching and research levels. Yet, Louise remains a simple and open person, passionate for breastfeeding and Baby-Friendly Initiatives. She is also the proud mother of two adult children and grand-mother of two grand-children aged 3 and 8 years old.

You can hear Dr. Dumas speak on Thursday, July 26 from 2:30-3:30pm in a plenary session entitled “Skin to Skin Care: Safe Transition for All Mothers and Babies”. She will also be giving a concurrent session at both 2:00-3:00pm and 3:30-4:30pm on Friday, July 27th called “Best Practices to Reduce ‘The Stress of Being Born'”.

ILCA looks forward to welcoming Dr. Louise Dumas.

1 Week until ILCA 2012! {Finding New Friends}

By lactationmatters on 19 July 2012 in ILCA 2012 Conference

Written by Amber McCann, IBCLC

“You will soon be involved in many gatherings and parties”
“You will soon find new adventures in life”
“Seek new friends and you will find them”

My bags are not yet packed…

My business cards have not yet arrived…

My email box must be tackled before I head out…

But, I am READY! I am ready to meet new people. I am ready to learn new things. I am ready to find new opportunities.

Are you READY?

By this time next week, we’ll all be together and the 2012 ILCA Conference will be taking over the JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes.

The thing I am anticipating the most (yes, even more than the Lazy River) is connecting and building relationships with all my “friends I haven’t met yet”. Wondering where to find them? Here are two suggestions.

ILCA Lounge

L to R is Yvette Sheehy, Anne Merewood, Annette Wright, Susanna Scurry

The ILCA Lounge is new at this year’s conference and will be located in Cordova 2. Sponsored by the Melbourne Convention & Visitors Bureau as well as the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (in anticipation of our 2013 Conference!), this will be a place to gather and connect with IBCLCs from around the world. You can grab a snack, a conversation, some electricity for your devices or a quick communication with home (2 computers will be online and available for 20 minutes of use by conference attendees). The Lounge will also be where you can find “Social Media Ambassadors” who will be able to answer questions and get you started on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

Special Interest Groups

One thing I love about this field is that we encounter mothers in so many different situations. We’ve come to this career from so many different paths. We have different interests and different skills. I’ve been told that one of the greatest experiences of an ILCA Conference is being able to connect with others who are in the same “niche” as you in the field. A number of Special Interest Groups have been organized and will be meeting during the conference. These include gatherings for those interested in the Baby Friendly Hospital Intiative, Breastfeeding in the African American Community, Drop-In Support Centers, Hospital Based IBCLCs, IBCLCs in the NICU, IBCLCs working with Low Income Mothers, Private Practice IBCLCs, the Spanish Language IBCLC, Licensure and Reimbursement, World Breastfeeding Week, and Writing for Publication. Don’t forget to check the Conference Handbook for times and locations for these meetings.

Are you ready to find new friends? See you soon!

Amber McCann, IBCLC

Amber McCann, IBCLC is a board certified lactation consultant in private practice with Nourish Breastfeeding Support, just outside of Washington, DC and the co-editor of this blog. She is particularly interested in connecting with mothers through social media channels and teaching others in her profession to do the same. In addition to her work here, she has written for a number of other breastfeeding support blogs including The Leaky Boob and Best for Babes and served on the Communications Team for GOLD Conference . She also is a regular contributor to The Boob Group, a weekly online radio program for breastfeeding moms. When she’s not furiously composing tweets (follow her at @iamambermccann) or updating her Facebook page, she’s probably snuggling with one of her three children or watching terrible reality TV.

Speaker Profile: Lisa Ann Marasco, MA, IBCLC, FILCA

By lactationmatters on 13 July 2012 in ILCA 2012 Conference, Speaker Profile

During the weeks leading up to the 2012 ILCA Conference, we will be highlighting a number of conference speakers. Watch this space every Friday for more profiles.

Lisa Ann Marasco, MA, IBCLC, FILCA

Lisa Marasco has been working with breastfeeding mothers for over 20 year, first as a La Leche League Leader and then as an IBCLC since 1993. She holds a Master’s degree in Human Development with specialization in Lactation, is a designated Fellow of ILCA, and co-authored The Breastfeeding Mother’s Guide to Making More Milk. Lisa is currently employed by WIC of Santa Barbara County and serves on the board of the Breastfeeding Coalition of Santa Barbara County.

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.

You can hear Lisa speak in a concurrent session on Friday, July 27 from 3:30-4:30pm on the topic “What about next time? Helping a mother with low milk production plan for the next baby”.

ILCA looks forward to welcoming Lisa Marasco.

2 Weeks until ILCA 2012! {Running the Conference Marathon}

By lactationmatters on 11 July 2012 in ILCA 2012 Conference

Written by Amber McCann, IBCLC

I am getting to the point in my preparation for this summer’s ILCA Conference where I’m starting to feel the pressure…the pressure to start packing, to make sure I have all the business cards I need and to think through the details of my flight and lodging, food and fun activities. The heat is on…and quite literally as my part of the United States has been under an incredible heat wave for the past week!

The conference is 5 days of non-stop action, networking, education and FUN. Here are some great tips for “running the conference marathon” so we don’t lose endurance.

Stay Hydrated

Photo by RLHyde via Flickr Creative Commons

Looking at the projected forecast for conference week, the heat I’ve been getting used to will continue in Orlando. Highs around 90F (32C)! Even in a cool hotel, it will be important that we be aware of our hydration. Just like we tell the mothers we serve, “Drink to thirst”. You might consider tossing a reuseable water bottle into your suitcase so you’ll always have access without needing to purchase expensive bottled water.

Get your ZZZZZZZ’s

Photo by HaoJan via Flickr Creative Commons

Me with too little sleep = grumpy IBCLC. I’m sure many of you are the same. It will be incredibly tempting to stay up until all hours of the night (or awake before Mickey Mouse) to cram in every last moment of connecting with your colleagues. One, even two nights of that can be overcome with adrenaline but quickly, our bodies will descend into a place where will start to not retain any of the wonderful information being shared with us. Grab a late afternoon nap. Recharge with a quick snooze. Set a solid bedtime for yourself and STICK TO IT.

Make Time to Build Relationships

A wise IBCLC once said to me, “This can be a very lonely profession if we don’t support each other.” One of the most significant parts of the career for me has been “finding my tribe”…those people with whom I share a connection, those that “get me”. “Get” the constant breast references. “Get” the never-ending concern for a mother we encountered. “Get” the quest for one more tip or technique for that mother in pain. The JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes will be teaming with your “tribe”. Find them. Strike up a conversation with the IBCLC seated next to you in the lobby. Make a comment about a pin on someone’s nametag. Ask a fellow passenger in the elevator where they are from and in what setting they practice. Be bold and walk up to your favorite speaker and tell them what their session meant to you.

Try Something New

Photo by Lorenia via Flickr Creative Commons

Never tried sushi? Do it! Not so sure about taking a taxi? Do it! Never volunteered at a major conference? Do it! Never used the Spanish you learned in high school? Do it! Never been to Disney World? Do it! Never “hunted” an alligator? Do it! Never worn a breastfeeding advocacy shirt? Do it! Never used Twitter? Do it! Never had a facial? Do it! Make a memory at this year’s conference.

Get ready to run the conference marathon.

See you in two weeks!

Amber McCann, IBCLC

3 Weeks until ILCA 2012! {my stomach is growling…}

By lactationmatters on 6 July 2012 in ILCA 2012 Conference

Written by Amber McCann, IBCLC

In addition to getting there and finding fun things to do, all ILCA 2012 Conference attendees will need to EAT! While Orlando and the surrounding area offer endless options for dining, our conference hotel, the JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes, offers tons of food options. I’ve spent days reading reviews and menus and we are certainly in for a treat!

Photo via JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes

Dining at the JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes

Primo – I fashion myself a “foodie” and am only a wee bit (OK, a LOT bit) excited to dine at Primo. Chef Melissa Kelly, the co-owner and executive chef, boasts an impressive resume but what really makes my heart swoon is the fact that the restaurant has their own organic garden to supply their kitchens…that and the thought of warm goat cheese flan with herb roasted tomatoes inspires a reservation on my part. Care to join me?
Citron, An American Brasserie – While a “brasserie” is typically a casual, upscale restaurant, don’t you think it is a fitting name for a place where lactation consultants will gather all week? All kidding aside, this restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and “word on the street” is that their breakfast buffet is the place to be with made-to-order omelettes, waffles and pancakes.
The Lobby Lounge – Need a mid-afternoon snack or a late evening drink? This spot looks to be just the right place to ask a few more questions of your favorite speaker, discuss options for new support procedures with colleagues, and get to know a new IBCLC friend.
Quench Poolside Bar & Grill – Too relaxed in the Lazy River to bother getting dressed and make a reservation? No problem. Food and drinks, poolside. ‘Nuf said.
Café Bodega – Need a quick little something on your way to your next session? Hungry for a quick breakfast? This little “grab-and go café” will suit your needs.
Starbucks Café – Starbucks coffee might as well be the national drink of the USA (and it surely flows through my veins). You’ll find me and hundreds of my closest friend there each morning! In fact, you can bid on a $30 Starbucks gift card in the ILCA silent auction that has been donated by Starfish Lactation (surely enough to feed your addiction for the entirety of the conference!).

Photo by LancerE via Flickr

For even more dining options, conference attendees can sign up to go to Pointe Orlando on Saturday evening (July 28). There are 16 different restaurant options there including B. B. Kings Blues Cafe, Cuba Libre Restaurant and Rum Bar, Johnny Rockets, and The Capital Grill. Round trip shuttle service is available for $15 USD and more information can be found in the conference brochure. What a great opportunity to meet new people!

If you’d like to purchase your own food, there is a Walgreens (pharmacy and convenience store) just off of the hotel property within walking distance and a Costco within 2 miles.

Make sure that you stop by the ILCA Lounge to mingle and perhaps meet up with people to make plans for dinner. It will be open until 6pm each evening so come, meet your friends, and make dinner plans. I know I will. Sushi anyone?

Amber McCann, IBCLC

Amber McCann, IBCLC is a board certified lactation consultant in private practice with Nourish Breastfeeding Support, just outside if Washington, DC and the co-editor of this blog. She is particularly interested in connecting with mothers through social media channels and teaching others in her profession to do the same. In addition to her work here, she has written for a number of other breastfeeding support blogs including The Leaky Boob and Best for Babes and served on the Communications Team for GOLD Conference . When she’s not furiously composing tweets (follow her at @iamambermccann) or updating her Facebook page, she’s probably snuggling with one of her three children or watching terrible reality TV.

Speaker Profile: Michael Woolridge, DPhil

By lactationmatters on 6 July 2012 in ILCA 2012 Conference, Speaker Profile

During the weeks leading up to the 2012 ILCA Conference, we will be highlighting a number of conference speakers. Watch this space every Friday for more profiles.

Michael Woolridge, DPhil

Mike Woolridge has been Senior Lecturer in Infant Feeding at the School of Healthcare, University of Leeds for the past 15 years. Prior to 1993, he researched the basic physiology of breastfeeding (in Oxford). After moving to Bristol, he ran an outpatient clinic to support breastfeeding women, applying his earlier knowledge to resolve common problems of breastfeeding. He has been a member of the Royal College of Midwives’ Breastfeeding Working Party, producing the handbook “Successful Breastfeeding” and between 1993 & 1995 he was Director of UNICEF-UK’s “Baby Friendly Initiative”. He co-authored (with Mary Renfrew) a structured review of practices which promote or inhibit breastfeeding, with evidence-based guidelines, entitled “Enabling Women to Breastfeed Seo Companies” (HMSO 2000), and has collaborated on the production of several videos. He has been responsible to coordinating two large-scale research studies: ‘LIFT’ (Looking at Infant Feeding Today), which focused on the feeding intentions of socio-economically disadvantaged women, exploring the psychological factors underlying their choice and whether these are open to modification; and ‘SUREmilk’ (Surveillance of Residues in human milk’) which comprised a set of pilot studies aimed at testing the feasibility of establishing a regional archive of breast milk samples, to explore possible contamination in breast milk. Most recently he has undertaken two fresh series of ultrasound studies of breastfeeding, and of bottle-feeding by breast-fed babies.

You can hear Dr. Woolridge speak in a plenary session on Friday, July 27 from 8:00-9:00am on the topic “The Mechanics of Infant Feeding Revisited: Fresh Ultrasound Studies of Breastfeeding and Bottlefeeding” and also in concurrent sessions both at 10:15-11:15am and 3:30-4:30pm entitled “Nutritional, Management and Clinical Implications of the Revised Suckling Physiology”.

ILCA looks forward to welcoming Dr. Mike Woolridge.

Speaker Profile: Marsha Walker, RN, IBCLC

By lactationmatters on 29 June 2012 in ILCA 2012 Conference, Speaker Profile

During the weeks leading up to the 2012 ILCA Conference, we will be highlighting a number of conference speakers. Watch this space every Friday for more profiles.

Marsha Walker, RN, IBCLC

Photo used with permission from Hale Publishing

Marsha is a registered nurse and international board certified lactation consultant. She has been assisting breastfeeding families in hospital, clinic, and home settings since 1976. Marsha is the executive director of the National Alliance for Breastfeeding Advocacy: Research, Education, and Legal Branch (NABA REAL). As such, she advocates for breastfeeding at the state and federal levels. She served as a vice president of the International Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA) from 1990-1994 and in 1999 as president of ILCA. She is a board member of the Massachusetts Breastfeeding Coalition, the United States Lactation Consultant Association (USLCA), and Baby Friendly USA, ILCA’s representative to the USDA’s Breastfeeding Promotion Consortium, and NABA REAL’s representative to the US Breastfeeding Committee. Marsha is an international speaker, and an author of numerous publications including ones on the hazards of infant formula use and Code issues in the US.

Her publications include:

You can hear Marsha speak on Friday, July 27 from 10:15-11:15 on the topic “Pumps and Pumping Protocols: What we know, What we don’t know, and What we wish we knew”.

ILCA looks forward to welcoming Marsha Walker.

4 Weeks until ILCA 2012! {Fun Things to Do!}

By lactationmatters on 27 June 2012 in ILCA 2012 Conference

Written by Amber McCann, IBCLC

As I look over the 2012 ILCA Conference Brochure, I can barely fathom having the time or energy to partake in anything other than conference sessions, meals and a few precious hours of sleep. But, as many of you have let me know, taking advantage of FUN activities is an essential part of the experience. Many of you have shared how the conference was often the “springboard” for a great vacation.

Lazy River

with permission from JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes

In last week’s post, I shared about how the “Lazy River” at the JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes was mentioned often to me as a highlight of the Orlando ILCA experience. I’ve already had one request to meet with a colleague while lounging, tube rafts hooked together with a heel, gliding down the river. If you have never had the opportunity to experience this kind of water feature, you are in for a treat. Typically, the river consists of shallow, heated water (approximately 3 feet or a little less than 1 meter) with a slight current. You can walk, glide, swim or ride one of the provided rafts. So, if you have a bit of time and are in need of some relaxation, come join me on the Lazy River.

The Ritz-Carlton Spa

with permission from JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes

At the moment, while my house is a bit of a wreck and my schedule is jammed packed for the rest of the week, the thought of an hour or few at a spa seems like bliss. Fortunately for those attending the 2012 ILCA Conference, there is a world class spa on the Grande Lakes property. The Ritz-Carlton Spa is offering conference attendees 15% off all services (make reservations here). Deluxe Reflexology Pedicure, anyone?

Medieval Times

Photo by Brian Wilkins via Flickr Creative Commons

Need a bit of lighthearted fun? Need to eat with no utensils? Need to cheer on your team in a jousting battle to the death? Medieval Times is the place for you! As conference attendees, we have been offered a 50% off coupon to Medieval Times. Go grab some friends, raise your glass and become a royal princess…if only for the evening.

Local Activities

And, if all of this isn’t enough, ILCA has partnered with Hello Florida® to provide tickets and tours to conference attendees at a discount. Tour dates and pricing can be found at here. Some of the options include a Sunset Gator Hunt, Seaworld Select Tour, Backstage Safari at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Wonderwork’s Tour, and a Dave and Buster’s Family Night! Tours will be available from Friday, July 27 through Wednesday, August 1, 2012 and the deadline is July 1st so make your reservations this week!

Photo by Miss Kels via Flickr Creative Commons

Of course, there’s always “the happiest place on earth”…

See you in 4 weeks at ILCA 2012!

Amber McCann, IBCLC

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Tag Archives | 2012 Conference

Everything has been absolutely top notch!

Welcome to ILCA 2012!

Happy travels and happy tweeting!

Louise Dumas, RN, MSN, PhD

ILCA Lounge

Special Interest Groups

Are you ready to find new friends? See you soon!

Lisa Ann Marasco, MA, IBCLC, FILCA

Stay Hydrated

Get your ZZZZZZZ’s

Make Time to Build Relationships

Try Something New

Get ready to run the conference marathon.

See you in two weeks!

Dining at the JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes

Michael Woolridge, DPhil

Marsha Walker, RN, IBCLC

Lazy River

The Ritz-Carlton Spa

Medieval Times

Local Activities

See you in 4 weeks at ILCA 2012!