Breastfeeding 1-2-3 » breastfeeding conference

New LLLI Podcasts

Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 03:30:50 +0000

La Leche League International (LLLI) has added 11 new podcasts to its library. The recordings actually date from the LLLI conference in Chicago in July 2007 but the topics are still quite relevant.

iPod Shuffle by H. Rotgers

If you’ve never been to a conference then it’s worth checking out one or more of these talks to see what kinds of things you can learn at one. If you have been to a conference then you know how valuable the information is! Among the new 11 podcasts you can hear LLLI founder Marian Tompson, pediatrician and author Dr. Bill Sears, author Nancy Mohrbacher, and lawyer Jake Marcus who blogs at Sustainable Mothering.

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Continuing Education Resource

Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 13:00:23 +0000

Lactation consultants and medical professionals should bookmark a fantastic resource for finding continuing education opportunities: www.breastfeedingconferences.com. As Pamela K. Murphy prepared for the IBCLC exam, she recognized the need for a one-stop site for health care professionals to access worldwide breastfeeding education opportunities.

Graphic by Sachin Ghodke

She created a site that lists upcoming breastfeeding education events including conferences and classroom, at-home, and online education courses. Educators can click a button on the site to list events, and those seeking continuing education credits can search the site by state, region or type of continuing education credit. Because the site depends on conference organizers to list their events, the site does not claim to be comprehensive. So check out my list of ways to find breastfeeding conferences as well.

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Breastfeeding Conferences

Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 19:35:50 +0000

Breastfeeding conferences provide a wonderful experience for nursing mothers and lactation professionals alike! I attended my first conference when my nursling was just over a year old. At the opening session, I sighed with relief when the speaker started off her talk by saying, “Throughout the presentation, please feel free to nurse your babies as needed, move around the room, and play on the floor quietly.” Here was the perfect opportunity to commune with like-minded mothers and learn about a wide variety of breastfeeding, parenting and health topics, all in a supportive environment with baby in tow! For lactation professionals and aspiring lactation consultants, conferences also provide a way to earn continuing education credits.

You can choose to stay overnight at the conference location or simply drive daily to attend for one or two days. I have found it most fun to make a trip out of it. My family goes with me to the conferences and while I listen to lectures, my older children play with their dad and swim in the hotel pool! If cost is an issue, there are often scholarships available (ask the conference coordinators, your local breastfeeding group, or the professional association).

There are several La Leche League and professional association conferences coming up soon! Keep in mind that some conferences (LLL for example) are more kid-friendly than others and you should inquire about whether or not children are welcome to accompany you to the sessions. Here’s how to find a conference near you.

~ La Leche League lists area conferences in the U.S. at the LLLI webpage. Conferences in other countries generally are listed on the LLL homepage for that country.

~ There is an annual National Breastfeeding Conference in Canada sponsored by INFACT Canada, Toronto Public Health and Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center. INFACT Canada also lists other conferences on its homepage.

~ The International Lactation Consultant Association has an annual conference for lactation professionals and others who assist mothers with breastdeeding.

~ The Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA) has a conference coming up in April 2010: “100 Years of Milk Banking: Looking Back, Reaching Forward.”

~ The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action also lists conferences on the WABA homepage, including the annual “Breastfeeding: Practice and Policy Courses” (PDF) in London.

~ Ask your local breastfeeding coalition about its conferences or others in your area!

~ There is a one-stop site for health care professionals to access worldwide continuing education credit opportunities: www.breastfeedingconferences.com. Organizers can list conferences there and those seeking continuing education credits can search by state, region, or type of continuing education credits.

Have you ever attended a breastfeeding conference? Which one? What was your experience like? Will you go again?

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