Working with clients inducing lactation or relactating?
The Breastfeeding Without Birthing Professional Pack can help.
This online training is designed to serve as a professional supplement to the Breastfeeding Without Birthing book. It supports the specific needs of lactation professionals like you, and is designed to get you this information in a cost-effective and convenient way. You can watch the entire course once as you are getting started, or you may wish to refer to sections as needed with a particular client.
Do these questions sound familiar?
- Parents inducing lactation or relactating are likely to have more complicated health histories than our typical clients. How do I address these complicated health histories from both a lactation standpoint and an emotional standpoint for the client?
- How do I talk to parents about how much milk production to expect in a way that is both realistic and encouraging?
- What are the options when the Newman-Goldfarb protocols aren’t a good fit? Or even if these protocols are suitable, can we customize a protocol that more closely aligns with the parents unique needs, circumstances, and values?
- How can we address concerns regarding domperidone: safety, legality, and how to obtain? What are the alternatives to domperidone?
- Supplementing using a nursing supplementer can be challenging at first. How can we better support parent’s success with this helpful tool?
- And, in general, how to know how to support a type of client that most lactation consultants only see a few times per year?
Alyssa Schnell, MS, IBCLC
Your Course Instructor
What will I get with the BWB Professional Pack?
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Anytime access to the digital course so you can access information in real time as you are working with your inducing lactation or relactating clients
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Over 4 hours of short recorded presentations (5-30 minutes long) so that you can watch even when you only have short chunks of time, and only watch the parts that are relevant to your needs at the time
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Comment area for each lesson to ask questions or share experience
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Templates specific to inducing lactation
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Handouts for your reference or to share with your clients
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Tech support for any difficulties you might encounter as you work through the material
Course Outline
Module 1: The Foundation
The first module of the BWB Professional Pack is your foundation for understanding inducing lactation and relactation.
- Defining the terms 'inducing lactation' and 'relactation'
- Understanding the hormones of lactation, and how we can capture these when inducing lactation or relactating
- Expectations for how the milk will come in: what is the first milk, how quickly will milk production grow, and how much will the parent eventually make
- The techniques for breast emptying, which is the primary method for bringing in milk without pregnancy and birth
- How galactogogues can support the effectiveness of breast emptying
Module 2: The Parents
The second module is about the clients we work with. Clients who induce lactation or relactate are likely to have needs that are different from most of the clients we work with. As adoptive mothers ourselves, we understand the importance of having a lactation consultant who understands our circumstances and the unique needs that go along with that. This module is all about meeting each client where they are in order to help them feel understood and supported.
- Gestational parents who are relactating
- Adoptive parents
- Intended parents (through surrogacy)
- Foster parents
- Partners of the Gestational Parent
- Trans Feminine Parents
- ...and some other folks that may surprise you!
Module 3: The Lactation Plan
This final module is where we put it all together to develop a lactation plan for each client based on their individual circumstances, needs and values.
- The intake. This part discusses some additional questions to consider for your intake when working with inducing lactation or relactation.
- The high level protocol. Your client's lactation plan is based on a Three Step Protocol Framework for Inducing Lactation (developed by yours truly!) explained in detail here.
Details for each step of your client's Three Step Protocol Framework. For each step, there is a separate presentation that discusses the specific tools, techniques and galactogogues that may be appropriate...all based in referenced literature.
- Step 1 is Preparing the Breasts for Lactation.
- Step 2 is Bringing in Milk Before Baby Arrives.
- Step 3 is Feeding Baby and Growing Milk Production. Step 3 is also the step we use for relactation.
The course is designed so that you can jump in wherever you are with your client. Let's say you are working with a client who is relactating ... simply skip over Steps 1 and 2 and jump right into Step 3. Or if you are meeting with your client for the first time .... then I suggest focusing on Step 1 and glossing over the other steps for now. You will be meeting with your client again when they are ready to start the next Step.
Downloadable PDF's to support you
Handouts for your reference or to share with your clients
Tips for Growing Milk Production with a Breast Pump
Choosing and Using a Nursing Supplementer
Herbal Galactogogue Guide for Inducing Lactation or Relactation
Bloodwork: Hormones for Healthy Lactation
Domperidone Safety and Usage Guide
Accupressure for Lactation
Dear Gestational Carrier: Tips for Establishing Milk Production
The Case for Nursing a Foster Baby
Bottle-feeding Techniques that Reinforce Breastfeeding
Supplementation: When and How
Templates specific to inducing lactation
Intake Form Template for Inducing Lactation
3 Lactation Plan Templates for Inducing Lactation