Individual Lectures

• Innovative Programs in Maternity Care (A one-day or two-day workshop)

This workshop explores the rapidly changing role of all healthcare professionals in caring for pregnant and new families. The day details comprehensive hospital programs where a family-centered philosophy forms the cornerstone for maternity care. This philosophy emphasizes a strong education foundation, where parents and staff collaborate in the decision-making process. The workshop discusses how effective programs are established and how evidence-based education is woven into all aspects of preconception, prenatal, and postpartum services. Staff education becomes as important as client education in establishing unique and optimal care.

This education model for maternity care provides a very safe environment where poor outcomes can be minimized and quality care optimized for all childbearing families, regardless of their demographics.

• Near Term, Late Preterm, "Supposedly" Term Infant: Babies born at 34-38 weeks gestation

Infants born between 34-38 weeks gestation frequently present a unique dilemma for those who are caring for them. They are often well-developed, vigorous at birth, and their behaviors frequently mimic those of term, healthy infants. However, missing out on the last few weeks of in-utero gestation may result in a more subtle immaturity that requires vigilant assessment and care to prevent subsequent problems. Experience shows that these infants are more vulnerable to hypothermia, progressive lethargy, poor feedings over time and a greater than 10 percent weight loss if allowed to breastfeed on demand without intervention. Our goal is to prevent these complications without creating unnecessary complexity and intervention and without creating unnecessary anxieties for the parents.

This lecture is often combined with The Preterm Infant into a four hour workshop: The Preterm, Near Term, Supposedly Term Infant: Caring for the Youngest Babies

• Family-Centered Care: Words or actions when caring for sick or premature babies?

For many decades, nurses and physicians believed they could provide the best care for the most vulnerable babies in large hospital ward settings. This concept had never been challenged until recently when several hospitals, which practiced a philosophy of family-centered care for birth, decided to re-evaluate how they delivered care to babies requiring a high level of specialization. This presentation discusses the positive aspects of single-room care for high risk infants, as well as the difficulties and challenges of incorporating a family-centered philosophy into the Special Care Nursery. Pictures and case studies of families staying in this new unit will demonstrate that it can be very successful!

• Searching for Excellence

This talk discusses what women and their families want and need from the healthcare system, no matter where they live, what language they speak, what economic status they come from. It looks at the roles we all play - doctors, nurses, midwives, lactation consultants, mother support groups. It considers the words we use, the power we have, and how these things can affect new families negatively or positively. This talk examines our relationships not only with the families we work with, but also with each other as professionals. This is a nice plenary opening or closing talk.

• Babies Who Gain Slowly or Poorly at the Breast

Investigating the causes for babies who are not thriving at the breast can be one of the greatest challenges for the professionals working with new mothers and babies. This lecture looks at the role of the physician, midwife or lactation consultant, as she works with the family to protect the baby without sabotaging breastfeeding. There is discussion of expected weight gain, the usefulness of pre and post feeding weights, the use of supplementation and alternative feeding equipment. It also discusses what practices are evidence-based versus what we believe to be true.

• Nipple Shields: Another Tool of the Trade

Although the use of nipple shields is frequently criticized, there is no clear evidence that they are problematic. In fact, there is excellent research to show how effective they can be in certain breastfeeding situations. This talk takes a close look at the research and the use of equipment. It is a reminder that we need to be thoughtful in how we use any "tool of the trade".

• Getting Breastfeeding Started with Evidence-Based Care

This lecture examines the various elements that contribute to successful first feedings. It looks beyond the essentials of correct positioning and latch to a much broader picture of how the healthcare system "welcomes" the newborn. This lecture looks at the scientific rationale of the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative's in-patient steps and helps nurses, midwives and physicians plan for providing optimal care during the first hours and days, without jeopardizing breastfeeding success. Supplementation and hypoglycemia protocols are also discussed.

• Relationships in the Breastfeeding Family

What happens to fathers when partners choose to breastfeed? What happens to couple relationships after the birth of a baby when a woman is breastfeeding? This lecture discusses couple communication issues, discussion of postpartum sexuality, and the impact of breastfeeding on sexuality. The prevalence and management of postpartum depression and adaptation issues while breastfeeding are also discussed.

Depending on time, this can also include women's use of Lactation Amenorrhea (LAM) for contraception.

• Feeding after Exclusive Breastfeeding or Taking the Bite out of Picky Eaters

This talk translates professional, scientific, nutritional information into enjoyable, practical, helpful ideas for parents of small babies. This lecture discusses how the baby's biology determines the need for starting other foods after exclusive breastfeeding, just as it did with feedings in the early weeks. This lecture discusses the science and rationale behind the recommendation of exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months. There is discussion of parents' food memories, the known nutritional needs of small children and common sense practical suggestions for parents to help them achieve happier mealtimes with their babies and small children.

• Lactation Suppression, Weaning and Breastfeeding Past the Cultural Norm

This lecture looks at weaning from a cultural, developmental, and medical perspective and includes the role of healthcare providers in assisting families through a variety of weaning situations. It discusses the mothers' and child's feelings in the decision to wean and how these decisions are usually based on the culture, rather than the biology. This lecture also includes discussion of lactation suppression when a mother chooses or needs to wean prematurely or when weaning happens with the death of a baby.

• Honor the Parent: Honor the Child - Respect for Human Biology

This session discusses the findings from the Parent Baby groups, where more than 2000 families have come on a weekly basis for education and support. The focus of the talk is the conflict parents experience about the information they receive from the "experts" (the healthcare system, their families, society in general) contrasted by the biological messages and the feelings of their hearts. The areas of greatest concern deal with dependency, feeding, carrying, sleep issues, starting of solid foods, and weaning. Breastfeeding is at the core of each of these conflicts. The statistics on outcomes when parents are supported with accurate and empowering information will be shown.

• Why Breastfeeding Promotion Matters for Everyone

This session describes the need for commitment to breastfeeding by all healthcare workers as well as families, how to educate about breastfeeding without a turnoff, and how to successfully provide this breastfeeding education. This lecture discusses why we have a responsibility to promote breastfeeding and also includes information on how to support the mother who has chosen to formula feed her infant. Case studies will be presented of women who have changed their thinking, or formula feeding mothers who have breastfed subsequent babies after influential breastfeeding promotion. (90-120 minutes)

• Patterns of Feedings and Predictable Breastfeeding Hurdles in the Early Weeks

What can parents and healthcare professionals expect from a healthy newborn? This lecture looks at the normal frequency of feedings, length of feedings, feeding behaviors, as well as dealing with the sleepy or disorganized newborn. This lecture also includes the questions parents ask, such as "How do I know my baby is getting enough?", "How would I know if I should be concerned?" as well as strategies for keeping mothers going when they get discouraged. (90-120 minutes)

• Professional Liability and Breastfeeding

Are there risks to professionals when offering mothers breastfeeding advice? This lecture looks at some of the potential risks to counseling breastfeeding women and provides information to help professionals avoid poor outcomes. Information from women's focus groups is shared which provides suggestions for easy communication skills to establish a trusting relationship with clients. (60-90 minutes)

• The Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative: A Guide for Best Practice, not an Award

The Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding, as outlined under the UNICEF/WHO Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative, provide an excellent framework for healthcare practices and a good focus for a quality improvement process in the historically weak area of infant feeding. This workshop details these steps and describes in practical, realistic ways, the basic breastfeeding management skills necessary for any clinical setting. This lecture/workshop reviews the current research confirming that the implementation of The Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding results in better health outcomes and breastfeeding success. Baby Friendly is not an impossible feat, but a helpful, practical and solid foundation for the care of mother and baby in any healthcare setting. (2 hours - 3 days)

• BFHI: Would Your Hospital Make the Grade?

This workshop contains similar information to the session above. However, in this workshop, the actual assessment process is discussed, and the steps required in approaching the assessment are examined.