Lactation Matters

A recent controversy regarding an article about the handling of human milk containers during the COVID-19 pandemic has raised important concerns from readers of the Journal of Human Lactation. We hope that the following helps answer some of your questions and guide your next steps as a skilled lactation provider. What is the article about? […]

Every day, new information is released about the COVID-19 virus. New statistics refute earlier assumptions, new data challenges current protocols, and just-released guidelines are revised and replaced. As a professional helping lactating families, how do you wade through the flood of information? And how do you translate it to action steps for your practice? In […]

The International Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA) and the United States Lactation Consultant Association (USLCA) stand firmly in support of the World Health Organization (WHO) and their critical work helping “mothers and children survive and thrive,” particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The care plans and policies that are established during COVID-19 for the care of new […]

New York City, New York, United States currently has more COVID-19 cases than any other place in the world—and one borough, Queens, has had more deaths than any other place in New York City. Annie Frisbie, IBCLC, has run a private practice from her home in Queens since 2011, and she has helped hundreds of […]

Are you providing lactation support via telehealth? Help families learn that they can access your care online by choosing to display our new telehealth frame on Facebook.  Choose from any of the following options: #1 #2 #3  How to Add a Profile Frame on Desktop  Navigate to your profile page by clicking your name on […]

Statement released: 18 March 20 All international world health guidelines agree: Breastfeeding should continue and be supported during the COVID-19 epidemic, with appropriate precautions. Breastfeeding protects infants and young children, particularly against infectious disease. When a person is lactating and becomes ill with a virus, they develop antibodies to fight the illness. Those antibodies are […]

As skilled lactation providers, we know that national and global policies affecting health care, workplace support, and access to breastfeeding and chestfeeding support impacts our individual clients’ ability to reach their infant feeding goals. We additionally know that reaching those individual goals impacts that one family, but also the health of the community and even […]

Lactation education. Home lactation support. Helping breastfeeding and chestfeeding families in clinics and hospitals. Human milk research. Emergency and disaster support for displaced families with infants. These are just a few of the ways that you as International Board Certified Lactation Consultants® (IBCLCs®) are contributing to world health outcomes by sharing your expertise. On 4 […]

How well does your clinical setting or private practice serve LGBTQIA patients and clients? Is there more you could be doing? In ILCA’s recently released webinar, Care of the Same Sex Family, Diane DiTomasso, PhD, RN, shares strategies for effectively supporting LGBTQIA families. Here are ten highlights for providing culturally appropriate care from her webinar. […]

Show your pride in transforming world health through skilled lactation care. Educate your community by changing your Facebook Profile Frame to celebrate IBCLC Day! This day – celebrated in 2020 on 4 March – is an opportunity to honor how IBCLCs transform world health by providing skilled lactation care. (Find other ways to celebrate IBCLC […]

The ILCA Board of Directors is pleased to ask ILCA voting members (those who are currently certified as an IBCLC®) to vote on the 2020 bylaws changes. The ILCA Board of Directors supports the proposed changes. Voting ILCA members are encouraged to make an informed decision after thoughtful consideration of the issues, before they visit […]

New understanding of how human milk affects the gut microbiome is helping to explain exactly how the benefits of human milk are achieved. We hear a lot these days about the gut microbiome—and with good reason. Evidence suggests that the bacteria in our gut influence virtually every aspect of our functioning, from our stress and […]

Your baby has not yet arrived, but you know you plan to breast- or chestfeed. What are the best ways to prepare? Below, International Board Certified Lactation Consultants® (IBCLCs®) share six top tips on how to get ready for the journey ahead. Taking these steps now will maximize your chances of meeting your breastfeeding goals. […]

Self-efficacy—most of us have heard the term. Similar to self-confidence, self-efficacy is the feeling you have when you see yourself as capable of accomplishing a goal, and you are pretty certain that you can succeed. You probably know intuitively that your client’s self-efficacy about breast- or chestfeeding is an important component of their success. But […]

Let potential clients know that your Hospital-Based Facility or Community-Based Agency recognizes the role of the International Board Certified Lactation Consultant® (IBCLC®) in protecting, promoting and supporting breastfeeding by applying for the IBCLC Care Award. The IBCLC Care Awards are promoted to new families and the general public which means your facility can enjoy the […]

On topics ranging from addressing disparities to trends in research on human milk exchange, our community tapped into the top-accessed resources of Journal of Human Lactation (JHL) nearly 180,000 times last year. As we wrap up 2019, we compiled this list of the year’s top ten most accessed JHL articles. Planning on using research to guide […]

Families often do not know the difference between infant formula and toddler milks. According to UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO), advertising and promotion of toddler or follow-up milks is a way to circumvent the protections provided by the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes (International Code). These toddler or follow-up milks are […]

Guest post by Journal of Human Lactation Editor in Chief, Joan Dodgson, PhD, MPH, RN, FAAN The aim of state of the science literature reviews that Journal of Human Lactation (JHL) features in our August issue is to provide an up-to-date picture of what is well established in a particular aspect of lactation and to […]

At ILCA, all of our advocacy work is defined by our overarching goal: sustainable policy change so that more children survive and thrive through breastfeeding/chestfeeding and so that skilled lactation care is valued globally. The advocacy strategy was shared with our community by advocacy advisor Michele Griswold at the recent All General Meeting at the […]

The evidence is now stronger than ever: breastfeeding is critically important for women and children in both high- and low-income countries. Increasing the rates of breastfeeding worldwide will help countries to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—including Goal 5 on gender equality and women’s empowerment. Breastfeeding is a woman’s right and empowers women as mothers, […]