Physiology & Endocrinology for IBCLCs - 5 CERPs - Pack 1

Amber Valentine is a Speech-Language Pathologist who graduated from the University of Kentucky with her MS in Communication Disorders. She is a Board Certified Specialist in Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders and an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. She worked for Baptist Health Systems, Inc for 8 years before moving to Florida where she worked for Wolfsons Children’s Hospital and Mayo Florida. She is now back in Kentucky working for Baptist Health Lexington. She has experience in adults and pediatrics with feeding and swallowing difficulties including: bedside swallow evaluations, Modified Barium Swallow studies, FEES, and pediatric feeding evaluations including NICU. She has provided guest lectures for the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville on feeding and swallowing topics. She has presented at the hospital level, local, state, national, and international levels on pediatric feeding/swallowing and breastfeeding.

Lillian Scott is a speech-language pathologist and certified lactation counselor employed by Baptist Health Lexington in Lexington, Kentucky. She received master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Gallaudet University. She received dual bachelor degrees in Communication Sciences and Disorders and Special Education from the University of Kentucky. She has worked with pediatrics and adults in the areas of speech, language, and swallowing. She has NICU, Mother/baby, and outpatient clinical experience working with feeding dyads of breast and bottle feeding infants. In the area of adults and pediatrics, she has experience with clinical swallowing evaluations and Modified Barium Swallow Studies. She has experience with adult Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluations of swallowing (FEES). Her interest is in successful feeding by mouth for infants with complex medical histories and promoting breastfeeding in cultures that are not likely to receive the supports for feeding difficulties due to knowledge, costs, and/or access.

Dr. Sharon Unger comes from the East Coast of Canada and is a neonatologist at Sinai Health System in Toronto, Canada. She is a co-primary investigator for the Canadian Institutes of Health Research funded OptiMoM and MaxiMoM programs of research as well as the medical director for the Rogers Hixon Ontario Human Milk Bank. Her research interests are primarily in the use of human milk for the high risk neonate and its long term impact.

Alyssa has been helping parents and babies with breastfeeding since 2002, first as a La Leche League Leader and since 2009 as an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant.

Alyssa works in private practice serving clients worldwide, primarily through telehealth. She is the author of Breastfeeding Without Birthing: A Breastfeeding Guide for Mothers Through Adoption, Surrogacy, and Other Special Circumstances and a professional supplement to the book, The Breastfeeding Without Birthing Professional Pack online training.

Alyssa has authored articles for The Journal of Human Lactation: The Three Step Framework for Inducing Lactation and Successful Co-Lactation by a Queer Couple: A Case Study. She has also authored articles for La Leche League’s Leader Today and Breastfeeding Today magazines, and Adoptive Families magazine. She is an international speaker on the topics of inducing lactation, relactation, and other related topics. Alyssa is the proud mother of three breastfed children, two by birth and one by adoption. She lives in St. Louis, Missouri, USA.

Kathryn Stagg is mum to 4 boys, twins and 2 subsequent singletons. She trained as a breastfeeding peer supporter and volunteered in the groups for years in and around Harrow, NW London, UK.

Kathryn caught the breastfeeding support bug and decided to further her knowledge training as a Breastfeeding Counsellor with the Association of Breastfeeding Mothers and then qualifying as an IBCLC 5 years ago. Kathryn started Breastfeeding Twins and Triplets Facebook group almost 8 years ago and it now has over 9000 members. It has recently been made into a UK charity. Kathryn is passionate about delivering high quality breastfeeding support to as many twin and triplet families as possible, creating resources and educating health care professionals and breastfeeding supporters. She runs a small private practice and continues to teach music part time, her original career path. Kathryn is the author of Breastfeeding Twins and Triplets; a guide for professionals and parents. /p>

Megan Dunn is a board certified Lactation Consultant and Health Educator who views infant feeding from an anthropological perspective and through a sociological lens. Her experiences have run the gamut as a volunteer, peer-to-peer counselor, clinical IBCLC, and as an educator.

Currently she is the Breastfeeding Program Coordinator for a local WIC agency where she is coordinating a pilot program to equitably expand peer services. She is privileged to be a part of the excellent team at Legacy Health as a perinatal Educator. She also provides community lactation support as a home-visiting provider. Her goals are to support biological feeding norms and to offer practical and empowering solutions for dyads. Professionally, her special interests include the fascinating world of our microbiome, empowering parents through Participant Centered and motivational approaches, and creating successful feeding solutions for complex cases. She is eager to collaborate on projects which focus on improving public policy and accessibility to culturally aware and trauma informed care for all perinatal families.

When she’s not pondering and working on all things human milk, Megan enjoys cooking, hanging out with her teenagers, going on nature walks, volunteering, and spinning tunes as a community radio host and DJ.