Kiddada Green is the founding executive director of Black Mothers’ Breastfeeding Association, co-‐creator of Black Breastfeeding Week, founding member of the National Association of Professional and Peer Lactation Supporters of Color, lead consultant for the First Food Friendly Community Initiative, and an esteemed member of the inaugural class of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s Community Leadership Network Fellowship Program. She is committed to supporting families, and training maternal child health professionals on culturally appropriate breastfeeding support. As an expert in community-‐centered approaches, she put forth recommendations for The U.S. Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding, has been featured in Ebony Magazine, and is a program reviewer for the American Public Health Association. She is a published writer for Breastfeeding Medicine and an avid learner. Kiddada holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Michigan State University and a Master’s Degree in the Art of Teaching from Oakland University.
This presentation provides clear and concise methods for maternal-‐child-‐health professionals and home visiting programs to become active supporters of breastfeeding families. The information shared is both for the novice and the experienced. Learn ways to build partnerships, improve advocacy and set organizational policies that are supportive of increased breastfeeding rates.
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Sejal is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) in private practice and an infant massage educator in Hillsboro, Oregon, USA. She combines her professional expertise with her personal instincts as a mother and a supportive team member.
She holds a Bachelors in Microbiology and Clinical Laboratory Science.
She also brings with her the following comprehensive toolkit: Certified Educator of Infant Massage, Formerly Certified in skin-to-skin care for full term infants from the United States Institute of Kangaroo Care Certified Provider of Innate Postpartum Care.
She has presented nationally and internationally for GOLD lactation, ILCA, community colleges, local lactation organizations.
As a lactation consultant, she believes that every individual needs to be educated about breast health, optimal infant feeding and how breastfeeding support is a basic human right and can impact world health globally.
She strives to help each family by continuing to learn all she can about breast health, breastfeeding ecology, breastfeeding movement and parent-infant connection using the neurobiological and infant mental health lens.
When she’s not with her clients, you can find her at home in Hillsboro, Oregon, USA, listening to bollywood music, hanging out with friends and spending time with her family.
Topic: Calm & Regulated: Rethinking Our Approach to Latch and Positioning - [View Abstract]
Topic: Teaching Infant Facial Massage to Parents to Support a Functional Latch - [View Abstract]
Evaluating feeding and observing babies at the breast is a big part of what lactation professionals do. The privilege to observe babies at the breast in private practice at a much slower pace has provided a unique observation opportunity. Each baby and parent dyad is unique and so are the challenges that come with it. The focus of this interactive workshop is to help participants become astute observers of the infant’s movements and posture before and during feeding. It will further enhance their clinical skills by looking at the big picture of how the infant's innate behaviors ensure harmonious breastfeeding ecology. This presentation will take a deeper dive into how the infant’s use of their senses, and nine steps of the breast crawl not only lead to self-attachment but it also lays down the foundation for self-efficacy and self-regulation in babies.
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A Dairy-free Mediterranean Diet and the Impact on Colic and Allergy in Infants Receiving Human Milk
Joanna Nawfal is a board-certified lactation consultant, a childbirth educator, a hypnobirthing instructor, and a certified baby massage instructor, with 15 years of experience in the field of maternal child health and a Masters of Science in Nursing.
Joanna is passionate about helping mothers and babies in their breastfeeding journey, and was inspired to start this path after having difficulties 10 years ago, breastfeeding her first child, Adam.
She loves teaching expecting parents about the beauty of birth, normal newborn behavior, and is exceptionally passionate about nutrition for mothers as she believes that we can always find cure in food.
Joanna enjoys doing home visits and clinic consultations for breastfeeding. She also offers birth preparation classes in her country, Lebanon, where she lives with her husband and two children. Her favorite activity is getting lost in Lebanon’s bountiful nature where the mountains and the sea are in close proximity. To Joanna, Lebanon, is the most beautiful country in the world.
Colic and allergy symptoms are problems commonly encountered in newborns exclusively receiving human milk, and are thought to be triggered by inflammatory responses in the gut. Maternal diet, especially cow’s milk intake, has been associated with infantile colic and allergies, but no previous studies have examined the effect of a Mediterranean diet. Thus, this new research aims to investigate whether maternal adherence to a dairy-free Mediterranean diet, known for its anti-inflammatory properties, reduces colic and allergy symptoms in infants exclusively fed human milk. This presentation will discuss the methodology of this recent study and present the results of the Mediterranean diet on allergy symptoms and average daily crying of infants.
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Evelyne Ruf is a family physician from France, and an International Board Lactation Consultant (since 1993). More than 25 years ago, she shifted to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), working for the Ministry of Health, in Sharjah MCH Center. She opened there the first Lactation Clinic in the UAE, with the support of volunteers from Breastfeeding Friends (BFF), which she had co-founded.
Five years ago, the Lactation Clinic has been shifted to the Family Health Promotion Center, where it continues to offer, to a very cosmopolitan population, skilled lactation support as well as assessment and release of tethered oral tissues.
A member of the National Breastfeeding Committee, Evelyne has been involved in the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative as a lecturer, trainer, adviser and assessor. Her workplace became the first Baby-Friendly Health Center in the UAE and received the IBCLC Care Award (community category) in 2015.
She has also been actively involved in the Sharjah Baby-Friendly Emirate Campaign, a multi-sectorial initiative launched in 2012, and presented its achievements during Gold Lactation 4 years ago.
With her husband of 34 years, she is the proud and grateful mother of 5 grown-up breastfed children and the grandmother of 4 breastfed little ones.
Topic: The Sharjah Baby-Friendly Campaign: A Community-Based Model for Breastfeeding Promotion, Protection and Support - [View Abstract]
“Hello, the Lactation clinic? Here is a nurse from Primary Health Care; we have a mother engorged in the hotel, can you help her?”…
After taking some time to understand this strange call, we embarked on a totally unexpected journey: trying to support 25 Covid-19 positive asymptomatic mothers, most of them isolated without their newborn. This happened between April and June 2020, in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, as a consequence of the initial USCDC recommendations.
This presentation describes the intense practical, clinical and emotional support needed by these mothers to cope with their traumatizing situation, but also the silver lining of their resilience, the amazing power of peer support, and a new cooperation between health care providers from different facilities, and with lay supporters.
Further insight is provided by some research done in the UAE: an observational study from a hospital who has followed WHO recommendations, and a cross-sectional study among mothers from the community.
Lessons should be taken from the past, to prevent the repetition of decisions based on a distorted balance of benefit/risk, affecting so many families and their care providers globally.
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Tamara Drenttel Brand holds an MA in Near Eastern Studies from the University of Arizona and a Master’s in Public Health (MPH) from the American University of Beirut. She spent 10 years in the Middle East, where she worked as a public health practitioner, infant and maternal health consultant and an IBCLC. She has supported breastfeeding dyads from all over the world both in private practice and as a volunteer. In 2011, she founded and still actively facilitates “Mama 2 Mama Beirut Breastfeeding Support,” the largest breastfeeding peer support network in the Middle East (currently at 25k+ members). Additionally, she founded Galactablog, a professional group for lactation specialists and those aspiring-to-be (currently at 4.7k+ members) and has authored several articles for La Leche League’s monthly leader publications in both the Middle East and Ireland.
She is currently an international speaker on the topics dealing with breastfeeding in the Middle East, innovative lactation teaching strategies, working in resource-scarce settings, providing culturally sensitive lactation support, developing and implementing peer counselor training programs, mast cell disease and other related topics. Due to her own chronic health conditions, she has a special interest in educating others about mast cell disease and supporting those with chronic illnesses. She currently resides in a seaside village in Ireland with her family.
Topic: Contextualizing Breastfeeding in Lebanon - [View Abstract]
Topic: Lactation Education Outside the Box: Innovative Teaching Strategies to Engage Your Audience - [View Abstract]
Topic: Mast Cell Diseases and Lactation Care in the Post-Covid Era - [View Abstract]
Topic: Providing Culturally Sensitive Support for Breastfeeding Muslim Families - [View Abstract]
Topic: Reflections on a Breastfeeding Peer Counselor Program in Lebanon: Lessons Learned and Looking Forward - [View Abstract]
Mast Cell diseases are rare but still underdiagnosed. Even among specialists, there is a lack of consensus on terminology, diagnostic techniques and even diagnostic criteria. Clinically, mast cell diseases manifest in divergent ways. Triggers, symptoms, management and treatments differ widely from patient to patient. To date, there is no cure, just palliative management of this chronic, sometimes life-threatening condition. Because of this, there is a poor understanding of Mast Cell-related issues in the broader medical community, particularly in the realms of pregnancy, birth and lactation.
This webinar will provide participants with a general overview and understanding of the various types of Mast Cell Diseases including Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), Mast Cell Activation Disease (MCAD) and Mastocytosis. Participants will learn how to put this knowledge into practice to provide their Mast Cell clients with specialized, empathetic, and supportive care. It will discuss how to provide patient-centered care, the importance of coordinated care and the crucial role lactation specialists play within their client’s multidisciplinary health care team. It will examine Mast Cell treatments that are compatible with lactation.
Additionally, light will shed on approaches lactation specialists can utilize to empower their clients with the tools needed to establish and maintain the breastfeeding relationship desired, including helping clients manage their parenting and breastfeeding expectations given the limitations imposed by their disease.
A Neuroscience-Based Paradigm Shift for Parenting Kids with Dysregulated Behaviors
Robyn Gobbel, LMSW-Clinical, has over 15 years of practice in family and child therapy experience, specializing in complex trauma, attachment, and adoption. Robyn is a therapist, trainer, and consultant who recently relocated to Grand Rapids, MI from Austin, TX.
Robyn's diverse clinical training includes EMDR (including EMDR adapted for children with attachment trauma), Somatic Experiencing, Theraplay, Trust Based Relational Intervention®, Circle of Security Parent Educator, The Alert Program® and Yogapeutics Aerial Yoga Level 1 Teacher Training. Robyn has integrated these training modalities with a foundation of attachment theory and the relational neurosciences to create an attachment-rich, sensory-sensitive, and relational neurosciences supported healing environment for children and families.
Robyn consults, teaches, and trains extensively throughout the US, including previously as an instructor for the Foundations of Interpersonal Neurobiology Certificate Program at Portland Community College. She was an instructor with the Adoptive & Foster Family Therapy Post-Graduate Certificate Program and has served on the working board of the Global Association for Interpersonal Neurobiology Studies (GAINS).
Research emerging from Relational Neuroscience, including polyvagal theory, regulation theory, and the neurosequential model of development, has shifted our understanding of the origins of behavior. When parents, caregivers, and child development professionals are armed with the latest science about what behavior really is, they increase their capacity for connecting with dysregulated behavior in a way that promotes positive growth and development of the relational, social, and behavioral brain of the child. This workshop will briefly summarize the latest research from the relational neuroscience and then move into practical interventions that will help caregivers soothe difficult behaviors while promoting attachment, regulation, and stress resilience.
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Kimberly is a Sexological Bodyworker, Somatic Experiencing trauma resolution practitioner, Structural Integration practitioner, culture worker, and single mom. She specializes in helping women heal from birth injuries, gynecological procedures and sexual boundary ruptures. She is the author of the early mothering classic The Fourth Trimester: Healing Your Body, Balancing Your Emotions and Restoring Your Vitality and Call of the Wild: How We Heal Trauma, Awaken Our Own Power and Use It for Good- a feminist nervous system treatise, as well as the newly released Reckoning, co-authored with Stephen Jenkinson. She is the host of the Sex Birth Trauma podcast.
Somatic Experiencing is a body-oriented therapeutic model that supports the regulation of the autonomic nervous system. Reframe your approach to the fourth trimester by learning how to work with your client’s physiology to promote healing. Learn more about the four domains of health that influence the postpartum experience, the five cross-cultural universal postpartum needs and the five channels of inner and outer experience, as a tool to help clients get out of looping cycles of shame and blame.
A Sensory Motor Approach to Neuromuscular Re-Education Post Frenotomy
Lori L. Overland, M.S., CCC-SLP, C/NDT, CLC is a licensed speech and language pathologist with her neurodevelopmental certification and certificate as a lactation counselor. Lori is currently working on her IBCLC under the mentorship of Dr. Tina Smilie M.D., IBCLC, and Cathy Watson-Genna IBCLC. Lori’s private practice focuses on infants, toddlers and preschool children with oral sensory-motor/feeding disorders. Lori has co-authored two books: A sensory motor approach to feeding, and Functional assessment and treatment of tethered oral tissue. In addition to her private practice, Alphabet Soup, Lori is a member of the TalkTools® speakers’ bureau, and has lectured on sensory-motor/feeding disorders around the United States and internationally. Lori holds degrees from Hofstra University and Adelphi University.
This session will focus on functional assessment and treatment of tethered oral tissue in the breastfeeding infant. Participants will understand the importance of task analysis of the motor skills to support sucking, prior to referring an infant for a release. Post op treatment has focused on active wound management (Ghaheri, B. 2017) rather than neuromuscular re-education. This approach multidisciplinary approach encourages lactation consultants to partner with body works specialists and speech pathologists to develop the underlying motor skills to support sucking.
I am an Independent midwife, freelance midwifery teacher. I completed a BsC in Midwifery and a Master Degree at King's College and City University of London. I have worked as a community midwife and a in a Birth center in London at University college and at st Thomas hospital .I am a certified acupuncturist specialized in obstetric acupuncture. I am teaching nationally and internationally workshop for midwives on the use of acupressure for labour preparation, induction of labour and for pain relief. I am using acupressure whiting my clinical practice, providing antenatal classes and facilitating home birth. I strongly advocate the use of acupressure internationally as it will allow midwives to expand their role, becoming more complete and independent practitioner. Acupressure being drug –free and therefore having not harmful teratogenic effect, provides a much safer and satisfying childbirth experience as well as facilitating a more natural and less medicalized childbirth.
Acupressure is the application of pressure to acupuncture points. It originates in ancient traditional Chinese medicine, based on the concept of meridians or channels carrying QI , or energy, throughout the body. In good health Qi moves smoothly, through the channels, however excess, deficiency or blockage of Qi may cause pain and illness.
Acupressure is used as a technique for unblocking these occlusions, and restore good health. The stimulation of these points has effects on blood flow to the uterus, cervical dilatation movement of the baby, release of endorphins and oxytocin helping the mother to relax, promoting physical and emotional wellbeing. Acupressure can be used from 37 weeks to encourage beneficial hormonal responses for labour preparation and encourage the baby to move into an optimal position. Learn more about the results of recent research on the use of acupressure during labour and delivery and how acupressure can be incorporated into your care of clients.
Acupuncture in pregnancy and the postpartum period. Use in New Zealand by midwives and in a hospital outpatients clinic
With a nursing background Debra gradu¬ated with a diploma in Acupuncture in 1989 while living in London. On returning to New Zealand build a practice using acupuncture for women’s health including pregnancy care. She commenced teaching acupuncture courses for midwives in 1997. This led to publications on the use of acupuncture and acupressure in obstetric practice including “The Essential Guide to Acupuncture in Pregnancy & Childbirth” in 2006, which has now been translated into German and French. Debra completed her PhD on the use of acupuncture in threatened miscarriage in 2014 through the University of Western Sydney and is currently the Director of Postgraduate Programmes for an online Masters course through New Zealand School Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine. She is also a clinical supervisor at a hospital antenatal acupuncture clinic in New Zealand, and lectures internationally on the use of acupuncture in obstet¬ric care.
A certificate in midwifery acupuncture has been available in New Zealand since 2007. This short course was specifically developed for midwives and run through an acupuncture school. Midwives successfully completing this qualification receive elective education points and may incorporate acupuncture into their midwifery practice. In June 2008, a maternity acupuncture service began operating within the Hutt Valley Hospital outpatient department, offering women access to free acupuncture care for pregnancy and postpartum period. This was the first and, to date, the only clinic of this type within a New Zealand hospital. This clinic is also run through The New Zealand School of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine, with fourth year students providing treatment under supervision. This presentation reports on how acupuncture is used by the New Zealand midwives and in this outpatient’s clinic. It will also cover the current evidence base for acupuncture in pregnancy and the postpartum period.
