The Lactation Network

At TLN, we’ve long dreamed of a space to amplify and celebrate the effort of our IBCLCs, both as healthcare experts and as business owners. After months of hard work and planning, that dream is finally becoming a reality. The Lactation Network’s inaugural Summit — kicking off Sunday, September 29, 2024, in Chicago — is designed to connect leading experts, peers, and advocates in lactation support, maternal care, and small business ownership to amplify the impact our IBCLCs have made (and continue to make!) in the lives of families across the country. This conference was created for the many wonderful caregivers who make up our network of TLN IBCLCs. As the only national provider of expert lactation care delivered by the largest network of IBCLCs in the U.S., our goal at The Lactation Network is to center, fortify, and resource the practices and clinical care goals of the IBCLC community. With that in mind, TLN 2024 Summit features two days of robust, curated resources: Inspiring content, opportunities to connect with peers and maternal health industry leaders, and insights offered by trusted entrepreneurship experts that our IBCLCs won’t find anywhere else. We hope what attendees learn at TLN 2024 Summit will give them the knowledge they need to enrich and expand their private practices *their* way, and feel truly celebrated for the incredible work they do every single day. ??

Every breastfeeding experience is unique — even if you’ve done it once before, it could be totally different with the next child. An International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) can help you every step of the way, with each unique breastfeeding journey. From prenatal planning to finding a pumping schedule that works with your schedule, to weaning one, two, or three kids at different times, an IBCLC will be there to help you figure out what’s right for you and baby at that moment.

It’s officially back-to-school season, and we know life may be a flurry of new notebooks and getting kids ready in the morning before heading to work. If you’re a breastfeeding parent, it’s important to take time out to set yourself up for success this school year, whether you’re a working parent juggling a new drop-off schedule and a pumping schedule or a teacher returning to the classroom. Our new patient newsletter, Nourished, by TLN, is full of advice for breastfeeding parents this season and we wanted to share a few of our favorite tips. What are your go-tos for making breastfeeding manageable during the school year?

There are few things International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs) can’t do — the list of what they can help families with is long and varied. IBCLCs work with parents at all steps of their breastfeeding journey, from prenatal breastfeeding preparation and education to creating a clinically-based weaning plan. Everyone’s experience with their IBCLC is different because every parent is different. IBCLCs provide individualized, expert care tailored to the needs of the families they support and hold the highest and only internationally recognized credential in the field of lactation. They demonstrate specialized knowledge and clinical expertise in lactation care. We don’t use this title lightly; it’s hard-earned! If you’ve worked with an IBCLC, what would you add to this list?

??????????????????????????. It’s real, it’s raw, it’s messy, it’s hard work. It’s a team sport. It takes milk, sweat, and sometimes, tears. It needs no podium, but it is precious. It sustains people, communities, and cultural legacies. It’s foundational to life. It’s intimate, but it needn't be done in isolation. It’s a feat to recognize, relish, and revere. It is natural, but not always easy. It is a skill. It must be learned. It takes a team. As Breastfeeding Awareness Month comes to a close, we want to wish a happy BFAM to everyone who has ever breastfed, has supported someone who has breastfed, to those who plan to one day breastfeed, and to our IBCLCs for their support and wisdom.

“Something has to change. It begins with fundamentally shifting how we value parenting, recognizing that the work of raising a child is crucial to the health and well-being of all society. This change must extend to policies, programs and individual actions designed to make this vital work easier.” —?Dr. Vivek H. Murthy, U.S. Surgeon General Thank you, Dr. Murthy. Also: We *????????.* We know because we see parents in indescribably vulnerable moments. We know because we hear and trust parents when they tell us what they need. We know because our clinicians and IBCLCs continue to serve pre- and postpartum parents in a country with no national leave policy and haphazard health insurance coverage. We know “something has to change.” We’ve *??????????.*?It’s why we exist. At The Lactation Network, we've been championing this cause long before it became a headline, because we *????????. believing and supporting parents makes “this vital work easier” for all of us. We're committed to: ?? Making sure as many parents as possible are aware that they can get insurance-covered breastfeeding support and care, especially since we know only 59% of parents go back to work on average, while 92% of parents who get care through TLN do. ?? Saying the quiet part out loud and centering the narrative of what parents truly need to thrive at work and at home. ?? Partnering with senators and representatives to pass laws granting access to donor breastmilk, pathways to certification for International Board Certified Lactation Consultants, and care for military families. ?? Knocking on the door of every employer and health plan to get. this. care. adequately. covered. Parents everywhere: We know *?????? ????????.* Employers, health plans, community partners: Now that *?????? ????????,* we're here to help you answer the Surgeon General's call to action for your working parents. Let's work together to give them the care and support they need. ?? Read More: https://nyti.ms/4g5nOOb

Even though the Olympics are over, the marathon work of breastfeeding continues. And just like the gold-medal athletes who took to the podium, breastfeeding parents deserve a team to support them. International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) Leah Tribus, BSN, RN, IBCLC recently spoke to Motherly? about the care IBCLCs provide, and how they help parents achieve their breastfeeding goals. Click the link below to read more. https://bit.ly/4cN4kuO

It’s Black Breastfeeding Week and today we’re celebrating the work of our partner, Nekisha Killings MPH, IBCLC founder of The Melanated Mammary Atlas?. Black Breastfeeding Week highlights issues specific to Black breastfeeding parents and centers their stories. It is also a time for organizations to share their work to combat systemic issues and celebrate breastfeeding traditions in the Black community. Lactation activism extends beyond medical facilities and legislative chambers; it meets disparity in all the subtle and smaller places where it thrives. The Melanated Mammary Atlas? collects images of Black and brown breasts and nipples so medical professionals can see how conditions manifest in non-white patients. Breast conditions aren’t often shown on dark skin in textbooks and other medical resources, so it is harder for health professionals to diagnose their Black and brown patients. The Melanated Mammary Atlas equips practitioners with the visual tools they need to provide accurate care for people with dark skin. #NormalizeBrownBreasts