The introductory breastfeeding course came about when I reached out to Evonne Smith, IBCLC, Doula, and NCS.

I felt like, as a course creator, we lacked basic training in breastfeeding support without having to become a CLC, CLE, or IBCLC. 

We're excited to bring you a course just for your scope of practice as a professional working in the home with families! 

4-hour course  

Biological Norms for Breastfeeding
● AAP/WHO recommendations for breastfeeding duration
● Reality is that many American families don't make it this long
Common barriers to breastfeeding
● family/social, physiological, logistical, economic
 

Benefits of Breastfeeding
● immune benefits
● other benefits for mom + baby
Anatomy of the breast/breastfeeding
● colostrum vs. transitional milk vs. mature milk
● milk "coming in."
○ when does milk come in
○ signs of milk coming in
○ signs of engorgement

How to milk production works
● how to establish a solid milk supply
● changes in milk production at 12wks

Why do babies suck so much? / why newborns have a high suck need

● for the first few weeks and especially the first few days, your baby will have a
high suck need.
● there are two main reasons (a baby's reason and a mama's reason).
● "second-night syndrome."
○ how to tell if the baby is truly not getting enough or just cluster feeding

Feeding Cues and Frequency
● signs of hunger
● how often to feed
● guesstimating feeding amounts
● breastmilk fed vs. formula-fed babies

Positioning and Latch
● common latching positions
● how to latch
● Signs of a "good" (deep) latch
● Breastfeeding pillows
○ checking mom's positioning and adding support where needed
● How to tell when baby is actively drinking or just sucking/nibbling
○ why saying that "the baby is using you as a pacifier" is unhelpful

Growth spurts
● signs of growth spurts
● when they happen

How to tell whether baby's getting enough
● subjective vs. objective signs
● diaper counts and weight gain

Breastmilk handling FAQs
● how long it's good for
● can you reuse unfinished breastmilk
Pumping
● types of pumps/recommendations
● pumping FAQ
○ how long/how often/how high
● how to build a freezer stash

The Tradeoff (breastfeeding and sleep shaping)
● breastfeeding for 3+ months and sleep training/sleep conditioning isn't 100%
compatible
○ what's best for breastfeeding is often at odds with what's best for sleep training. We can get a baby to sleep for 10-12hrs, but if mom doesn't pump/nurse for that long, her supply will eventually tank.
■ this is one reason why sleep trainers get a terrible rep with lactation consultants
■ As NCS, we aren't usually around after 3-4 months, and we don't usually see the long-term impact on breastfeeding

● This doesn't have to be a big deal—for most families, "good enough" is good enough, and most are fine with making this tradeoff

■ if they want to prioritize breastfeeding, they have to be okay with less sleep
■ if they want to prioritize sleep, they have to be okay with less breastfeeding
■ just make sure they understand the tradeoff and let them choose
where to compromise without judgment

Balancing night feeds and mom's sleep

● "what's the point of hiring night help if you're waking up to breastfeed
anyway?"
● how long can a mom go without pumping/nursing overnight
○ what happens if she goes too long without pumping/nursing
○ when can mom stop pumping at night if the baby is STTN?
● timing bottle feeds with pumping/nursing
● how to be helpful if mom prefers breastfeeding/doesn't want to pump at night
● Signs that a breastfed newborn is ready to start stretching/sleep conditioning
○ When dropping feeds/stretching a baby, you must consider the baby's and mom's breast readiness.
■ baby may be ready to go longer between feeds before mom's breasts are ready.

How to handle bottles and best practices
● recommended bottles for a breastfed baby
● when to introduce the bottle
● Intuitive bottle feeding technique Pacifier use
● Impact of pacifiers on breastfeeding
● How to use pacis judiciously
● Types of pacifiers

When a family is having breastfeeding issues
● #1 rule of breastfeeding = feed the baby. However, that needs to happen
● Feeding stability takes priority over sleep progress
● How can the NCS support a family who is triple feeding
● How the NCS can support a family with tongue tie aftercare
● Breastfeeding and the correlation with mental health

Common problems and how to support a family in each situation:
● jaundice
● latching/nipple pain
● baby won't latch
● engorgement/mastitis
● not producing enough milk
○ alternatives to using bottles for supplementation
● Tongue ties
○ what they are
○ common signs/symptoms
○ how to talk to the family if you suspect one
● Oversupply

NCS Scope and referring out
● what is NCS scope when it comes to breastfeeding
● when to refer out
○ types of providers a breastfeeding family may work with
● how to evaluate who you refer families to

Who is this for: 

• Newborn Care Specialists
• Postpartum Doula's 
• Sleep Consultants
• Nannies

You will receive a certificate of completion to add to your resume.