Tag Archives | Education

How Do You Obtain Your Continuing Education? {SHORT SURVEY}

By lactationmatters on 3 November 2014 in Education, Polls

Each International Board Certified Lactation Consultant® (IBCLC®) is required to gain and update their knowledge of lactation and the infancy period. One of the best gifts we can give to the families we serve is to be up to date on the latest in evidence-based care. IBCLCs are required to either retake the certification exam or recertify with Continuing Education Recognition Points (CERPs) every five years (recertification by exam only is required every ten years). CERPS can be obtained through conference attendance, webinar viewing, study modules, in-person education, eCourses, and a variety of other means.

We have developed a short survey to better understand how you are receiving your required continuing education and to learn how we can better help you to obtain it. Click on the button to participate in this quick poll. It should take less than 5 minutes to complete.

You do not need to be an ILCA member to participate in our quick poll. We are interested in hearing from everyone in the professional lactation community.

If you have any questions about ILCA’s continuing education offerings, please email education@ilca.org.

NEW Benefit from ILCA: Earn FREE CERPs!

By lactationmatters on 9 October 2014 in ILCA News

You were clear in the recent Member Survey: you want and need quality, accessible continuing education.

International Board Certified Lactation Consultants® (IBCLCs®) are required to recertify every five years and are expected to be up-to-date on the latest in evidence-based lactation care.

Get the CERPs you need in the format that works best for you.

To help our members meet this need, the International Lactation Consultant Association® offers many ways members can obtain Continuing Education Recognition Points (CERPs), including: our annual conference, live webinars, recordings of conference and webinar sessions, and learning modules from the Journal of Human Lactation (JHL).

While the conference and webinars are live, you can also access a selection of our recorded content and the JHL modules at your convenience on the CERPs on Demand portal.

2015 members: earn your free CERPs here

Beginning 1 January 2015, members will be eligible to earn up to 10 free CERPs per year. The list of free CERPs was developed from ILCA’s online bank at the CERPs on Demand portal so that you can complete the CERPs at the time that best meets your needs.

This list was specifically chosen to provide content on a variety of issues that impact the IBCLC community worldwide. We also chose a variety of session types, including conference presentations, webinars, and JHL study modules. The offerings, all of which will be active for the entire 2015 calendar year, include:

Breastfeeding Education for NICU Staff (1 CERP): This session, presented by Anita Moorhead, RN, RM, IBCLC; Annette Auld, IBCLC, RN; and Judith Russell, RN, RM, IBCLC, is a great overview of the implementation of a breastfeeding educational program in the NICU. It also reviews the successes and challenges of providing breastfeeding support to NICU mothers by educating staff. It also raises concern about the need for breastfeeding benchmarks in the NICU.

Vulnerable Population Groups (1 CERP): This presentation, by Kirstin Lock, IBCLC, BSN, CMC, looks at the use of group perinatal care in vulnerable populations. Populations addressed include obese and young mothers, as well as the Chinese, Arabic and the Aborigine populations. It includes a description of the presenter’s local hospital statistics on breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding results and how the programs impacted those rates in the vulnerable populations they were serving.

Breastfeeding the High-Risk Infant (1 CERP): This thought-provoking session offers both a historical perspective and day-to-day challenges faced by members of the neonate’s health care team and is presented by Shakira Lita Ismay Henderson, MPH, RNC-NIC, IBCLC. It reviews common barriers to breastfeeding, benefits of breastfeeding for these infants. In addition, Henderson presents practical strategies and approaches to encourage breastfeeding the high-risk infant. It offers practical ways to speak the language of the NICU team and evidence based practices to back-up interventions that address their concerns.

Racial Disparities in Infant Mortality, Breastfeeding, and Sleep (1.5 CERPs): This presentation, by Kathleen Kendall-Tackett, Ph.D., IBCLC, FAPA, highlights the disparities in infant mortality for ethnic-minority populations as well as identifies the physiological effects of discrimination on women’s health in general and during pregnancy. The session also explores current policies on bedsharing, unsafe sleep, and breastfeeding rates and the impact they have on infant mortality within these populations.

Milk Sharing: Comparative Risks and Biomedical Ethics (1 CERPs): Dr. Karleen Gribble presents on one of the hottest topics in our field: peer-to-peer milk sharing. Participants in this session will be able to describe the types of risks associated with milk sharing as well as the risks of formula feeding. Mitigation of these risks is also discussed along with the principles of biomedical ethics as they apply to peer-to-peer milk sharing.

Determinants of 6-Month Maternal Satisfaction (1.5 CERPs): This JHL Study Module focuses on the paper by José Labarère, MD, et. al, exploring maternal breastfeeding satisfaction. Although a personally defined experience, successful breastfeeding is usually measured with regard to duration. This study investigated the determinants of maternal satisfaction with breastfeeding experience for 907 mothers enrolled in a prospective cohort study. Eliciting the mother’s expectations regarding breastfeeding duration may help the lactation consultant in providing appropriate guidance.

Maternal Request for In-Hospital Supplementation (1 CERP): Written by Katie DaMota, MAS, IBCLC, et. al, this paper, and accompanying JHL Study Module, seeks to understand the facilitating factors and decision-making processes surrounding maternal request for formula in the early postpartum period. It explores the impact of a lack of preparation, prenatally, for breastfeeding and advocates for interventions to address mothers’ real and perceived barriers.

Ultrasound Imaging of Infant Sucking Dynamics (1 CERP): This paper, written by Vanessa S. Sakalidis, BHlth Sc (Hons), et. al, explores the dynamic process of breastfeeding. Nipple diameters, tongue movement, nipple position, and suck rate were measured during nutritive sucking and non-nutritive sucking from ultrasound scans of the intra-oral cavity during breastfeeding. Milk intake and LATCH scores were also recorded.

Help us choose the final CERP!

We’ve heard your desire to have a say in ILCA decisions that directly impact you and we are giving you the opportunity! We’ve chosen 9 units of CERP offerings and we need YOU to help choose the final one. You can vote in the poll below, which will be open until 23 October 2014. The CERP with the most votes will be added to the final list and become available as a free CERP for members on 1 January 2015. Your choices are:

Plugging In: Listening to the Needs of Mothers: This session is the first of a 4-part series, presented by Cathy Carothers, entitled “Making the Connection: Counseling and Communication Workshop.” It takes an interactive approach to assisting mothers with their infant feeding decisions through the concept of “connection before content.” Communication strategies include rapport-building techniques, emotional triggers that enhance effective and powerful relationship-building with new families, and ways to create a safe environment for women to receive and act on educational messages. The evidence-based communication principles are so effective they can be used not only with new mothers/clients, but also with difficult co-workers, and even your family! Members will have the opportunity to purchase the 3 additional sessions.

Today’s Mothers are All Thumbs: Cultural Competency for Digital Motherhood: It is no surprise that communication styles have changed drastically over the past years, moving from print media, TV, and discussions among friends to Facebook, podcasts, and blogs. The mothers we support are HIGHLY engaged online and often seek their health information, including breastfeeding information, from web sources before their health care providers. This presentation, by Amber McCann and Jeanette McCulloch, will identify characteristics of mothers of the “Millennial Generation” and their methods of communications as well as help us to understand the basics of popular social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. This is the first of a four-session series. The remaining sessions of the series will be available for purchase.

Previous Breastfeeding Difficulty: Supporting the Multiparous Woman to Successfully Breastfeed: With Cynthia Peterson, RM, C&FHN, IBCLC, this session explores how to provide support and guidance to families who have had previous breastfeeding difficulties. This can include exploring their previous experience as well as providing counseling support and referrals.

UPDATE!

Our poll is now closed and you OVERWHELMINGLY choose Cynthia Peterson’s Previous Breastfeeding Difficulty: Supporting the Multiparous Woman to Successfully Breastfeed to be added to our list of FREE available CERPs for 2015 ILCA Members. Thank you for taking part and we appreciate all of your votes!

We truly believe that this new benefit will have a significant impact on our field by equipping and educating IBCLCs all over the world. We’ve heard positive feedback from you already and look forward to hearing how you put the things you learn from these sessions into practice. Join or renew now so that you won’t miss out on this incredibly opportunity.

Fine Print: While we understand that we are offering sessions that have been previously available to ILCA members, we will not be making any substitutions to this list. If you previously purchased an included session, no refunds will be given or substitutions made. We are providing this benefit to all members (with the exception of short-term trial members). All sessions must be completed by 31 December 2015 to receive the free benefit.

Don’t Miss These FREE Articles from the Journal of Human Lactation

By lactationmatters on 26 August 2013 in Education, ILCA News, JHL News, Research, World Breastfeeding Week

Even though we’ve wrapped up our World Breastfeeding Week celebration for 2013, The Journal of Human Lactation (JHL) is still celebrating all month long with FREE access to their journal. JHL is the premier quarterly, peer-reviewed journal publishing original research, commentaries relating to human lactation and breastfeeding behavior, case reports relevant to the practicing lactation consultant and other health professionals who assist lactating mothers or their breastfeeding infants, debate on research methods for breastfeeding and lactation studies, and discussions of the business aspects of lactation consulting.

JHL is offering free access to a number of their most-read articles through August 31, 2013. While ILCA members receive and have access to JHL as a member benefit, the availability of the free articles is especially beneficial for our colleagues from other disciplines. Please share widely these resources to pediatricians, obstetricians, midwives, nurses, educators, researchers and general public.

Free articles from JHL (through August 31, 2013) include:

Breastfeeding and Telehealth

Breastfeeding Protection, Promotion, and Support in the United States: A Time to Nudge, A Time to Measure

Education and Support for Fathers Improves Breastfeeding Rates: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Impact of Male-Partner-Focused Interventions on Breastfeeding Initiation, Exclusivity, and Continuation

Provision of Support Strategies and Services: Results from an Internet-Based Survey of Community-Based Breastfeeding Counselors

Breastfeeding Duration in Relation to Child Care Arrangement and Participation in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children

What are your favorite JHL articles from the past year? How have they impacted your practice?

A Look Inside A Work in Progress

By lactationmatters on 25 April 2013 in Advocacy, Education

By Christine Staricka

How do new ideas spread in the lactation community? How often are there really any NEW ideas? How big does an idea have to be to make a real difference? These are questions I am asking myself as I write and create a new lactation education toolkit based on my middle-of-the-night revelation that we need a better way to motivate and empower mothers.

The idea sprang from working through two very routine cases with patients in the hospital…not an unusual situation but I was frustrated that I couldn’t find the words to teach these mothers effectively. This led to lengthy conversations with my lactation colleagues, then some sleepless nights and, finally, a light bulb moment.

But this is about what happens AFTER the light bulb moment, after you start frantically typing and rifling through piles of research articles and textbooks, the days where you move through all you other activities, waiting for the free moment when you will have time to express your blossoming ideas and capture them, and the glazed-over look of your family member who have long since tired of hearing about your new breastfeeding project.

What does one do with a new idea? My first obstacle was deciding on a format to express the idea. In this case, an article seemed as if it would not do justice to the concept, so a blog post or an entry to a journal seemed like the wrong place to start. The concept lends itself well to a toolkit and a toolkit with a broad audience requires excellent and accurate reference. Proper credit must be given to those whose ideas came before and which form the basis of the founding principles of the new concept. Research articles much be located and cited. Well-accepted textbooks must be consulted and cited. Online searches for similar concepts must be performed diligently. As the research and writing proceed, new thoughts on the direction of this concept are constantly forming and being reshaped.

Considering the direction of the project has revealed several things to me: the lactation community is global, diverse, and highly intelligent. Providing lactation support is an endeavor which requires not only the accumulation of knowledge, but the critical thinking skills and resourcefulness to make judgement calls and navigate tricky situations, both with parents and in healthcare settings. It takes a very unique set of skills to be an effective lactation support provider. Lactation care providers also must be effective educators, sensitive and valuable counselors, and excellent communicators.

The lactation community has learned to embrace all new methods of communication. LactNet has existed as a way of connecting far-flung individuals involved in lactation support for most of the time the internet has been widely available. All of the newer methods of communication have been rapidly assimilated into the culture of our community. This blog is an excellent example of a modern and efficient tool for mass communication used to all of its advantage by our professional organization.

So, with the ease of communication which has been established by the lactation community, the only issue remaining for someone with a new idea is to reflect on how new the idea really is and how to measure its effectiveness. Just as the writer of an essay considers and reconsiders the thesis statement many times during the writing, this idea must be truly probed for its originality. If it is not unique enough, its scope of influence will be small.

But that thought has brought me back to the basic principle of lactation support: if an idea or a tool helps even one mother and baby experience breastfeeding, it is successful. If a lactation care providers helps one mother and baby breastfeed better even one time, the provider has completed his or her objective. If an idea, a tool, or a provider can influence even one mother and her baby, it is meaningful for this world.

Christine Staricka is a hospital-based IBCLC. She became a Certified Lactation Educator through UCSD while facilitating local breastfeeding support groups. She studied independently while accumulating supervised clinical hours and passed the exam in 2009 to become an IBCLC. She holds a BS in Business Management from University of Phoenix. Christine is the co-owner of Bakersfield Breastfeeds, which provides lactation education to professionals and expectant parents. She has contributed to USLCA’s eNews as well as this blog. She enjoys tweeting breastfeeding information as @IBCLCinCA and maintains a blog by the same name. She is a wife and mother of 3 lovely and intelligent daughters and aunt to 4 nephews and 2 nieces, all of who have been or are still breastfeeding. She is partial to alternative rock and grunge music, especially Pearl Jam, and attends as many concerts as financially able with her husband of 18 years.

What Are Your Educational Needs as an ILCA Member?

By lactationmatters on 10 January 2013 in ILCA News

By Judi Lauwers, BA, IBCLC, FILCA, ILCA Education Coordinator

As the IBCLCs’ professional association, ILCA provides a wide array of services and resources related to education. Information about these resources is available on ILCA’s website. ILCA recently sent a survey asking members about a variety of preferences and priorities. We are taking this opportunity to also ask what matters most to YOU in the area of education.

What do you need that ILCA does not already provide?

What does ILCA provide that is most important to you?

Here is what ILCA provides to its members. Click on the headings for more information:

Core Curriculum: Perhaps the most important resource is the Core Curriculum for Lactation Consultant Practice. This pivotal resource was developed by over 45 educators, long-time ILCA members and other professionals. The third edition was recently released and is available in the ILCA Store. The text is the ultimate reference for anyone working with breastfeeding families. Educators use it to develop and update course content. Students use it to prepare for the certification exam. Clinicians refer to it as issues arise in their day-to-day work with mothers and babies. Policy makers use it to guide policy development.

Webinars: ILCA began offering live webinars in 2011 and they have become very popular. Until the end of June 2013, attendance at all live webinars is FREE. Attendees who wish to receive continuing education credit can purchase the recorded session and complete the continuing education process.

CERPs onDemand: When is the last time you visited ILCA’s CERPs onDemand site? There are over 80 online continuing education opportunities through recorded webinars, conference sessions, and study modules from the Journal of Human Lactation. Study modules in the journal can also be completed by paper and mailed to the ILCA office. ILCA produced an online study module on the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes. We also have two study modules to compliment the Clinical Guidelines for the Establishment of Exclusive Breastfeeding (covering Strategies 1-10 and 11-20). Watch for a new edition to be released soon!

Conference: We can’t forget ILCA’s premier continuing education activity, our annual conference! The 2013 conference will be July 25-28 in Melbourne, Australia. Then back to the U.S. in 2014 for a conference in Phoenix, Arizona – one of the most popular venues for past ILCA conferences. Any ILCA members who would like to serve on the Conference Program Committee is encouraged to apply.

Educators: Educators can find links on a special Educator page to resources for curriculum development and clinical instruction.

Students: Students can find information on a special Student page for resources on recommended reading, selecting a course and how to prepare for the profession. ILCA’s Directory of Course Providers and Clinical Instruction Directory help students find sources for their education.

Committees: ILCA’s Education Committee and Clinical Instruction Subcommittee address a variety of education-related issues in the profession. Any ILCA member who would like to serve on one of these is encouraged to apply.

Resources: ILCA’s member newsletter, the eGlobe, posts Multi-Media Reviews and Teaching Tips for educators. A variety of other resources can be downloaded from the ILCA website.

We would like to hear from you!

Are there resources you need that ILCA doesn’t provide? Are there resources you think ILCA should discontinue? Which resources are most important to you?

Are you an ILCA member and interested in helping with education projects? Please send your comments and questions to education@ilca.org.

Education, Social Media & Motherhood

By lactationmatters on 19 July 2012 in Breastfeeding Advocacy, Education, Social Media

Written by Deirdre McLary for her blog, Breastfeeding Arts

I was recently discussing the upcoming ILCA conference and the business of breastfeeding, both locally and nationally with a friend and dear colleague. Part of our discussion was on the business of education and helping mothers grow their confidence and wisdom before baby arrives. The models for education can be both face to face; through class time and instruction, or online via email and social media. Knowledge is power, as the expression goes. How do we, as breastfeeding educators, grow that knowledge base for expectant mothers, and how can we expand our reach so that your transition to new motherhood is a smooth one?

As both an IBCLC and a childbirth educator & doula, I know all too well how few families seek out empowering childbirth & breastfeeding education.

But are enough women turning to seeking prenatal education? I don’t think so. What I do know, and see repeatedly, is that those women who do not seek good prenatal education have a greater likelihood of feeling overwhelmed and isolated. I know this because they call me desperate for help and support.

A solid network of education, support and resources should be cultivated prior to baby’s arrival. This will help the mother navigate those first weeks of baby blues and postpartum healing. Not all mothers, mind you, have a difficult transition. One of the many benefits to consider is not just the knowledge base a mother will take into birthing and breastfeeding, but also the relationship she has now established! Wise Woman to New Mother! She has her tribe, someone she can now turn to postpartum to seek answers and support. As my colleague says, “a friend in her pocket”!

Social media and online support can be a wonderful conduit for support and wisdom. Sixteen years ago, when I was pregnant with my first, I researched something on the “then pretty new” internet. I brought it to the attention of my OB, who I subsequently left for the care of a midwife. You know why? He scoffed and said, “Are you going to trust some quack you find off the internet?” and immediately dismissed my researching things outside his care. (That quack was Ina May Gaskin). Well, I did trust what I had read. Those were my instincts kicking in and my ability to trust myself.

I encourage all pregnant mothers to seek out advice online from reputable IBCLC businesses and online communities! (Editor’s Note: Check out Australia’s new Virtual Breastfeeding Cafe) There are many wonderful resources with excellent professionals happy to help you find your way. As a La Leche League leader, the concept of “mother to mother” support is still, in my opinion, one of the best conduits of postpartum sisterhood out there! And now that “mother to mother” care can be found online, on many a Facebook page, blog, Twitter or Listserv. It’s not always easy getting out of the house as a new mother. While I never want online communication to replace face-to-face connection, there are a wealth of relationships available there.

It all comes back to education and support! Whether it’s private or group prenatal classes (each has its advantages), a private lactation consult in the comfort of your home, an online consult via email or even a Twitter chat (for example, #bfcafe) — all are great ways to stay connected to a professional who only wants the best for you — normal, healthy birthing which leads to normal, healthy breastfeeding!

How have you, as an IBCLC or breastfeeding professional, helped mothers to receive prenatal education and support?

Deirdre McLary is the founder of BREASTFEEDING ARTS and has provided expert IBCLC Lactation Support, Doula Care and Childbirth Education since 1997 in the Hudson Valley, NY area. Deirdre is deeply committed to raising childbirth, breastfeeding and parenting awareness throughout her area by providing compassionate, holistic & open-minded options for anyone who seeks them. She is a board certified lactation consultant (IBCLC), a labor support and post partum doula, La Leche League leader, childbirth educator, and new parent mentor. She has also held leadership positions in The Metropolitan Doula Group, La Leche League, River Doulas and The International Cesarean Awareness Network.

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