Webinar: The Effects of Human Breastmilk and Feeding on Diabetes
Breastfeeding provides a wide range of benefits for both mom and baby, making it the recommended choice for infant nutrition. But breastfeeding is not always easy, and for mothers with diabetes, it can pose additional challenges. How can home visitors and other family-support specialists help these mothers achieve their breastfeeding goals?
In an LA Best Babies Network-hosted webinar on September 29, 2025 — for Registered Nurses and other staff of our network’s home visiting organizations and Welcome Baby hospitals — Carmen Rezak:
- Discussed several ways to optimize support for diabetic mothers who are breastfeeding
- Outlined the beneficial effects of breastfeeding for lactating mothers, newborns, infants, and children
- Shared recommendations from the AAP and ACOG for breastfeeding infants for the first 6 months and up to one year
- Debunked some myths or misconceptions about diabetes and breastfeeding
- Outlined the long- and short-term impacts of breastfeeding and diabetes for mothers and their infants
- Shared red flags to look for when assisting the diabetic mother and her infant with breastfeeding
Watch the webinar recording here, and don’t miss the links to related resources below:
About the presenter:
Dr. Carmen Rezak is a senior healthcare nurse leader with extensive expertise in Maternal-Child Health, serving the greater Los Angeles area for over 30 years. She has worked as a Perinatal Nursing Specialist, a Director of Perinatal Services, and the Maternal-Child Health Project Coordinator for AHMC Health Care. She is considered a pioneer in leading hospitals to promote and support breastfeeding, resulting in the Baby Friendly designation at four hospitals, including the first hospital in Los Angeles County. Carmen is the past Board President of BreastfeedLA, and is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of women, infants, and families through quality care, outreach, and advocacy to promote and support breastfeeding and best practices. She received a Masters of Jurisprudence in Health Law from Loyola University Chicago and is a staunch advocate for quality care. In 2017, she co-founded the Asian, Pacific Islander, Native Hawaiian Breastfeeding Task Force of LA County to improve education and to support the cultural needs of breastfeeding Asian American women. Her other passion is advocating and supporting women and families experiencing perinatal mood, anxiety, and depression (PMADS), and she is very focused on bridging the healthcare disparity gap.