Breastfeeding Biomechanics: Functional Approaches to Oral Coordination
Feeding challenges in infants are not isolated behaviors or mechanical issues. They are interconnected experiences influenced by nervous system function, structural and physiological development, and relational context. This year for summer GOLD Learning Day 2025, we are thrilled to welcome three experts to share their knowledge of the intricacies of infant oral function.
Join us live on August 18th, 2025 as Johanna Sargeant, BEd, BA, IBCLC, Effath Yasmin, MA, HDSE, CLEC(USA), IBCLC, BCST and Christine L. Kan, OTD, SWC, IBCLC present the latest on oral assessment, oral aversion and suck-swallow-breathe coordination.
This program has applied for 3 L-CERPs, 3 Nurse Contact Hours and 3 Prescribed CME Credits.
SAVE on your registration! Register by Aug. 1 & save on Early Bird Discount! Regular registration price comes into effect on Aug. 2.
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Indivudual Registration | Group Registration (5+) | ||
| Prices in USD | Early Bird | Regular | Early Bird | Regular |
| Country Category A | $40 | $50 | $35 | $40 |
| Country Category B | $20 | $25 | $17.50 | $20 |
| Country Category C&D | $12 | $15 | $10.50 | $12 |
Want to Sign Up as a Group of 5 or more? Contact us at [email protected]
Effath Yasmin is a pioneering Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapist, International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant, and registered Flower Practitioner. She founded Nourish & Nurture, a family wellness clinic in Mumbai, where she integrates advanced lactation techniques with Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy to address birth trauma, complex Infant Oral Dysfunctions and Fascia & Fluid dynamics. Yasmin’s unique & deep insightful wisdom on Birth, Breastfeeding, Parenting, Life Coaching & Skills, and Childhood Trauma have established her as a leading voice in Woman, Maternal & Family Wellness.
An award-winning documentary filmmaker, Yasmin’s acclaimed film “Untying Breastfeeding” has garnered four international awards, highlighting the challenges in birth and motherfeeding. As an international speaker and author, she has contributed to various research publications and co-authored the bestseller anthology “Womb to Thrive” on prenatal psychology. Yasmin also cofounded an international organisation for clinical education on tongue-tie for healthcare professionals and advocating for family-centered care in breastfeeding and maternal health worldwide.
Topic: Post Frenotomy Wound Management and Bodily Autonomy - [View Abstract]
Topic: Rethinking Surgical Tools - Infant Frenotomy & Pain - [View Abstract]
Topic: Trauma Informed Care in Clinical Infant Oral Assessment: Understanding Body Autonomy - [View Abstract]
1. Explain the Role of the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) in Oral Aversion.
2. Describe the Structural and Functional Barriers to Feeding.
3. Describe how Manual Therapy, a Biodynamic approach and Nervous System Regulation Techniques can be used to support infant oral function.
Oral aversion in infants is commonly approached from a sensory processing perspective, but its roots extend deeper into autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysregulation. When an infant experiences painful feeding, medical interventions (e.g., tube feeding, forced bottle-feeding), birth trauma, or prolonged stress, their nervous system encodes oral touch as a threat. This leads to feeding refusal, hyperactive gag reflex, tongue retraction, and oral defensiveness.
This presentation introduces a nervous system-based approach to resolving oral aversion by working with the vagus nerve, cranial nerve function, and fascial restrictions. Instead of focusing on behavioural desensitization, we will explore manual therapy techniques such as Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy (BCST), and relational attunement to restore oral safety and functional suck-swallow coordination.
By understanding how trauma and stress are stored in the oral-facial system, lactation professionals, therapists, and caregivers can support infants in repatterning their oral experiences, allowing for a sustainable and self-directed resolution of oral aversion.
Johanna Sargeant is an Australian IBCLC, writer and teacher based in Zurich, Switzerland. She is passionate about utilising her extensive training in occupational therapy, education, biomedical science, and psychology to empower parents with empathetic support and accurate, personalised care through her private practice, Milk and Motherhood.
Johanna has spent the last decade providing much-needed support to many thousands of parents throughout the country and across the continent, along with educating health professionals on how to better support breastfeeding and lactation. She recently co-created the new breastfeeding education modules for the European School of Neonatology, and travelled to Vienna to teach at the 10th Annual Congress of the European Academy of Paediatric Societies. She has additionally taught at the University of Zurich, has spoken as a panelist for the WHO’s Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative congress, has been an expert speaker and facilitator for Google, and has presented at a wide variety of international conferences. Additionally, Johanna has gained her Perinatal Mental Health Certification (PMH-C) and is a Certified Trauma Support Specialist. Her complex personal and professional experiences fuel her passion for providing knowledgeable, guilt-free infant feeding support globally.
Topic: Critical Details You Might Be Missing in Your Oral Assessments - [View Abstract]
Topic: Mastering Lactation Conversations: Creating Successful and Achievable Care Plans - [View Abstract]
Topic: Seeing the Bigger Picture: Finding Clues in Our Breastfeeding Clients' Surroundings - [View Abstract]
Topic: When Evidence and Empathy Aren't Enough: Changing Your Lactation Practice to Boost Client Success - [View Abstract]
1. List 3 signs that we should note before we begin the oral assessment, that signal a possible issue with feeding coordination.
2. Describe 3 typical responses we would expect to see during an oral assessment, in a baby that is struggling with effective feeding.
3. Describe 2 ways in which an oral assessment can be used as a counselling technique within a consultation with new families.
While oral assessments have become a routine part of lactation consultations to identify potential oral restrictions, their value extends far beyond this. By incorporating comprehensive oral assessments into our practice, we create numerous opportunities to deepen our connection with clients and assess a broad range of issues that impact feeding success. This presentation will go beyond the common focus on identifying ties, delving into the full spectrum of factors that should be examined during an oral assessment. Attendees will gain insight into the early indicators to observe before even touching the infant, and how subtle findings during the assessment can reveal a variety of feeding challenges. Additionally, we will explore how integrating oral assessments into consultations can serve as an unexpectedly powerful counseling tool, enhancing our ability to support families through each step of the feeding journey.
Dr. Christine L. Kan, OTD, OTR/L, IBCLC, is an occupational therapist and a board certified lactation consultant who is passionate at helping parents breast or bottlefeed their baby through challenges. She specializes in lactation, reflux & food allergies, lip and tongue ties, and infant feeding therapy. She graduated from the University of Southern California with a doctorate in occupational therapy in 2013, focusing on feeding therapy. She is trained in Beckman Oral Motor Protocol, Infant and Pediatric Neurodevelopmental training (NDT), Neonatal Oral Motor and Assessment Scale (NOMAS), Neonatal Touch and Massage Certification (NTMC), and has her advanced practice in feeding, eating, and swallowing (SWC). She currently works part time as a neonatal occupational therapist in the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) and part time in private practice. She is the NICU therapist at Valley Presbyterian Hospital in Van Nuys, CA.
As infant feeding and developmental specialist, she is comfortable working with preterm infants, infants with tethered oral tissues, infants with allergies and reflux, infants with cleft lip/palate, and infants with complex medical backgrounds (failure to thrive, cardiac, chronic lung disease, etc). She is also familiar with down syndrome, clavicle fractures or shoulder dystonia, torticollis/ plagiocephaly or head flattening, neonatal abstinence withdrawal, and autism.
Being a mother of three children has also influenced her practice. Her children all had variations of lip and tongue ties and she understands the stress of ties and how it impacts breastfeeding. Her middle child has multiple severe food allergies, asthma, and eczema, and understands food elimination diets, itchy skin, and anaphylaxis. She hopes with her own personal experience and medical training, she can connect with parents, share their burdens, and support their feeding journey.
Topic: The Transition to Oral Feedings and Establishing Direct Breastfeeding in the NICU: Literature Review and Best Practices Overview - [View Abstract]
1. Describe the components of suck-swallow-breathe coordination in a healthy infant.
2. Explain the difference between the sucking reflex and the suck-swallow-breathe coordination.
3. Describe how swallowing can be disrupted in common diagnosis such as laryngomalacia, GERD, torticollis, and prematurity.
4. List practical strategies to support an infant’s swallowing and appropriate referrals based on individual needs.
Suck-swallow-breathe coordination is a mature, synchronized process involving the suck-swallow reflex and respiratory structures. As lactation professionals, we often focus intensely on the sucking mechanism of an infant, but we may lose sight of how it functions as part of a coordinated sensorimotor sequence working alongside other systems in the body. This coordination is high-level process that involves the brainstem, stability from head and neck control, the interplay of voluntary and involuntary muscles, sensorimotor feedback, airway protection, and the proper movement of the bolus from the mouth to the stomach.
In this session, we will take a deeper dive into understanding suck-swallow-breathe coordination. We will discuss how issues with the airway, muscular system, gastrointestinal system, and overall development can interfere with a baby’s suck-swallow-breathe coordination and ability to transfer milk effectively at the breast. Additionally, we will cover practical strategies and identify appropriate referral sources based on individual needs.
Accreditation
CERPs - Continuing Education Recognition Points
Applicable to International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs), Certified Lactation Counselors (CLCs), Certified Lactation Educators (CLEs), Childbirth Educators (CBEs) and Doulas. GOLD Conferences has been designated as a Long Term Provider of CERPs by IBLCE--Approval #CLT114-07. This program has applied for 3 L-CERPs.
CMEs - Continuing Medical Education Credits for Physicians & Nurses
An Application for 3 Prescribed CME credits has been filed with the American Academy of Family Physicians.Determination of credit is pending.
Nurse Contact Hours (ANCC)
This activity has been submitted to American Nurses Association Massachusetts for approval to award 3 contact hours. American Nurses Association Massachusetts is accredited as an approver of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission (ANCC) on Accreditation. For more information regarding contact hours, please contact Nicole at 1-604-566-8311.
Upon completion of this activity, GOLD participants will be able to download an educational credit for this talk. Please note:
- Credit awarded commensurate with participation.
- Requires completion of a 3-question post-test. Learners must score 100%.
- Requires completion of an evaluation form.
If you have already participated in this program, you are not eligible to receive additional credits for viewing it again. Please send us an email to [email protected] if you have any questions.
Additional Details:
Viewing time: 6 Weeks
Tags / Categories
Bodywork to Support Breastfeeding, Breastfeeding Support, Infant Anatomy & Physiology, Lactation & Breastfeeding, Maternal & Infant Assessment
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