Iowa Lactation Education

Iowa Lactation Education is a training developed by the Iowa Breastfeeding Coalition intended to enhance the knowledge of professionals to better support breastfeeding families in their own communities.

This training will be offered virtually by the Iowa Breastfeeding Coalition at least once per year. This training can be also be hosted by your organization in your community. For information on hosting a training, email us at iowabreastfeedingcoalition@gmail.com.

The 2025 virtual training date hosted by IBC will be posted soon.

Sessions:
Breastfeeding Essentials - 2 hours
Common Concerns - 2 hours
Delving Deeper - 1 hour

Target Audience: hospital staff, provider office staff, doctors, nurse practitioners, midwives, nurses, dietitians, public health staff, WIC staff, peer counselors, childbirth educators, nurse educators, doulas, family support workers, La Leche League leaders, and any others working with breastfeeding families.

Continuing Education: Iowa Breastfeeding Coalition will provide continuing education for nurses and CERPs as requested by the hosting agency.

Outline & Objectives for Sessions:

Breastfeeding Essentials Outline:

  • Breastfeeding Initiatives

  • Communication and counseling

  • Preparing to Breastfeed

  • Normal Breastfeeding

  • Mom baby separation & milk expression

Breastfeeding Essentials Objectives:

  • Explain effective counseling skills in a participant focused approach.

  • Identify ways breastfeeding impacts maternal and infant health.

  • List barriers to breastfeeding and describe strategies to overcome them.

  • Identify major parts of the breast involved in making milk and name the primary hormones of lactation and their role in milk production.

  • Describe early practices that can facilitate a good start with breastfeeding and list tips to identify infant feeding cues and how to know baby is getting enough.

  • Explain steps to effective positioning and latch at the breast and distinguish between an effective and ineffective infant latch.

  • Describe basic steps to hand expression.

Common Concerns Outline:

  • Common Maternal Issues

    • Sore nipples

    • Engorgement

    • Mastitis spectrum

    • Nipple variations

  • Common Infant Issues

    • Latch difficulties

    • Slow weight gain

    • Reflux

    • Jaundice

  • Low Milk Production

    • Perceived low milk supply

    • Delayed milk production

    • Low milk production

  • Management Tools & Techniques

    • Breast compression

    • Massage

    • Reverse pressure softening

    • Nipple shields

    • Breast pumps

Common Concerns Objectives:

  • Identify signs and strategies to address maternal lactation issues including sore nipples, engorgement, ductal narrowing, mastitis, and nipple variations.

  • Describe strategies to address latching difficulties and slow weight gain in breastfed infants.

  • Recognize signs of low milk production and describe basic strategies and solutions for increasing supply.

  • Describe techniques for breast compression, breast massage, and reverse pressure softening.

  • Explain indications for using a breast pump and nipple shield and list steps for effective use of them.

Delving Deeper Outline:

  • Exclusive Pumping

  • Supporting Breastfeeding for the Preterm Infant

Delving Deeper Objectives:

  • List 2 reasons why a breastfeeding woman may choose to exclusively pump.

  • Explain why efficient pumping and flange fitting is important to maintain supply with exclusive pumping.

  • List 2 risk factors for preterm infants and describe the positive impact of breastfeeding on those risk factors.

  • Describe 2 ways to support breastfeeding in preterm infants.


Speakers: For hosting a training in your community, you may utilize speakers from your community or we can provide you with a list of options. We recommend 2 speakers and require that at least one of them is an IBCLC.

Contact Iowa Breastfeeding Coalition today for assistance in setting up a training in your community!