GOLD Learning Speakers
Attie Sandink, RN IBCLC CBE
- Speaker Type: CLCA 2015
- Country: Canada
Biography:
After starting her career as a Registered Nurse Attie progressed through many areas in healthcare from hospital to community care and back to a combination of all areas of the Maternal and Child specialty care. Early in her career she trained and began teaching prenatal classes. This led to her becoming involved in committee work in local coalitions bringing together local hospitals and communities with the end goal of building bridges of support to young and new families. Identified at the committee level was the need for better breastfeeding education at all levels, not only for clients but also for the professionals working with these clients. Because of that information, in 1992 Attie started one of the first 18 Hour WHO (World Health Organization) Lactation Management workshops in her local area and taught this in two area hospitals and communities. This teaching in turn led her to become a Co-trainer and Facilitator for INFACT Canada and the Quintessence Programs for a brief time. She was also instrumental in re-writing the Mohawk College 90 Hour Breastfeeding course to meet the International standards for course work for others who would like to become IBCLCs (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant). As programs changed Attie became the Lactation Director and Educator with CAPPA (Childbirth and Post Partum Professional Association) Canada. When CAPPA International evolved into the company it is today her role changed again and with the support of CAPPA International Attie is now the Canadian Lactation advisor, faculty member, trainer and facilitator. Her role in planning, setting up, teaching and working as an IBCLC, in a number of Breastfeeding Clinics both in the hospital and various communities, as well as working as a Registered Nurse in an active Labour and Delivery Unit, has given Attie greater insight in understanding the whole process of breastfeeding. As an Educator and an active program organizer Attie continues to remain research based as well as remaining firmly entrenched in the normal behavior of the Breastfeeding Dyad.
