Webinar Series: Lactation Support Training for Home Visitors

BreastfeedLA‘s Clinical Director Hannah Halliwell, IBCLC, and Brandi Jordan, a lactation consultant and a doula, co-presented this 4-part webinar series on breast/chestfeeding for staff in Los Angeles County’s Family Strengthening Network. With guidance and tips on doing virtual consults, teaching the basics of latching and positioning, talking about the COVID-19 vaccine, and navigating the most challenging cases, these webinars cover a variety of issues that home visitors may face as they help L.A. County families achieve their breast/chestfeeding goals.

LA Best Babies Network and BreastfeedLA co-hosted this series. Below you will find the webinar recording and objectives for each of the webinars presented in this series.

Part I: Anatomy of the Virtual Consult

Objectives:

• Demonstrate how to create a safe and productive space and build rapport with clients in a virtual space.
• Identify the best angles and virtual techniques for assessing latch/positioning and milk transfer.

Part II: “Yeah, but can I breastfeed with it?”: Counseling Lactating People on the COVID-19 Vaccine

Objectives:

• Describe the basic science behind the COVID-19 vaccine.
• Identify where to obtain the most current evidence regarding the COVID-19 vaccine & lactation.
• Demonstrate effective and practical counseling with clients on the risks vs. benefits of receiving the COVID-19 vaccine while breast/chestfeeding.

Part III: The Do-Better Guide to Teaching & Positioning

Objectives:

• Identify why traditional teaching on latch and positioning is ineffective for most new parents.
• Demonstrate effective teaching methods for properly positioning and latching an infant at the breast/chest (that actually work!).

Part IV: Case Studies, Practical Application, and You: Live Q&A on Finding Solutions for Your Most Challenging Cases

Objectives:

• Explore root causes of common challenges educators face.
• Evaluate personal strengths and identify areas of growth.
• Demonstrate how to break down difficult/complex cases into manageable segments.