Breastfeeding: New Strategies for Improved Outcomes

Course Description:
If you support breastfeeding, you then recognize the need to improve breastfeeding outcomes. Join Dawn M. Kersula as she provides strategies to address the current challenges of promotion, protection and support of breastfeeding. This comprehensive day will include the latest information on:

* Latch techniques: Effective teaching and assessment strategies
* Hospital practices that increase breastfeeding duration
* Increasing milk supply right from the start
* How 21st Century obstetric challenges affect the mother/baby dyad
* Advocacy techniques that make friends for breastfeeding

Dawn M. Kersula, MA, RN, LCCE, FACCE, IBCLC, is a lactation specialist and perinatal educator at a hospital in Vermont. She has worked with birthing and breastfeeding families for more than twenty-five years and has published over thirty articles pertaining to this specialty area. She sees inpatient mother-baby dyads for breastfeeding help; she also founded and staffs the outpatient lactation clinic at the hospital. As president of the Vermont Lactation Consultants Association, she works closely with the Vermont State Breast- feeding Network to offer training and conferences around the state, and has worked on several legislative initiatives which have resulted in pro-breastfeeding legislation in Vermont.
Dawn’s passion and commitment is evidenced through her certification in Lamaze Interna- tional Childbirth Education (LCCE), active involvement with ILCA (International Lactation Consultants Association) and appointment as a fellow with the American College of Childbirth Educators (FACCE). Her master’s research focused on PTSD after traumatic childbirth and, in her role as a perinatal psychologist, she continues to have a special interest in the developmental transition to motherhood. A regular speaker at international childbirth conferences, she also coordinates her hospital’s perinatal education programs and offers a weekly support group for new moms and their babies.
Drawing on her extensive clinical breastfeeding practice, Dawn is delighted to share her knowledge and expertise to assist you in developing strategies that can lead to better breastfeeding success. Dawn will enhance your knowledge of breastfeeding ... providing you with the latest evidence-based practice findings to guide your clinical decisions. Attendees appreciate the opportunity to learn through hands-on demonstrations and rave about the passion that Dawn exudes throughout this one-day educational event. Make plans to attend today!
Learner Objectives:
At the completion of this program, you will be able to:

1. Examine new ways to talk about infant feeding choices.
2. Compare and contrast breastfeeding assessment tools.
3. Summarize ways healthcare providers can promote, protect and support breastfeeding.
4. Demonstrate appropriate ways for teaching latch.
5. Explain new evidence-based practices for the establishment of breastfeeding.
6. Outline the infant's role in initiating breastfeeding.
7. Produce success through performance improvement initiatives.
8. Discuss critical strategies that increase breastfeeding duration.
9. Relate the link between the perinatal nurse/mother relationship and effective education during the immediate postpartum period.