Tools, Insight, and Mentorship for Lactation Professionals

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Meet Margaret Salty: The Lactation Consultant Mentor

Margaret Salty is a dedicated teacher and mentor for both aspiring and experienced IBCLCs. With a background in clinical lactation, public health, and education, she’s spent years guiding students and professionals through the real-world challenges of lactation work. Margaret’s approach is practical, inclusive, and evidence-based. Whether you’re studying for the IBCLC exam, navigating your first consults, or refining your clinical skills, Margaret is here to offer clear guidance, honest insight, and steady support to help you grow in confidence and competence.

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Practical, evidence-based courses designed to help aspiring and practicing IBCLCs build clinical confidence, deepen their knowledge, and grow their lactation careers with clarity and support.

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Downloadable guides, cheat sheets, and resources to help you build your skills and confidence as a lactation professional.

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Evidence-based, practical study guides designed to help lactation professionals master key concepts and prepare for the IBCLC exam.

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Live mentorship meetups where lactation professionals explore real-world cases, gain practical insights, and grow their confidence.

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Join us as we delve into the world of lactation consulting with insightful discussions and expert interviews. Our podcast is designed to enrich your practice with practical tips, real-world experiences, and the latest research in the field. Whether you’re an aspiring IBCLC or a seasoned professional, our episodes offer valuable knowledge to support your journey.

Insights and Education Blog

The Risks of Formula Feeding: What You Need to Know

by msalty | December 10, 2025 | Clinical Skills, Evidence-Based Practice | 0 Comments

Formula companies present their products as safe, scientifically tested, and nutritionally complete. But when you look beyond the glossy labels, a different picture emerges—one marked by contamination outbreaks, devastating illnesses like necrotizing enterocolitis...

Thrush and Breastfeeding: What Lactation Professionals Need to Know

by msalty | December 3, 2025 | Clinical Skills, Evidence-Based Practice | 0 Comments

Few topics stir as much debate among lactation professionals as “nipple thrush.” Some clinicians see it frequently, while others doubt whether Candida albicans is the true culprit of nipple and breast pain. What is certain is that pain during breastfeeding can be...

The Apgar Score: History, Application, and Relevance for Lactation Professionals

by msalty | November 26, 2025 | Clinical Skills | 0 Comments

When Virginia Apgar introduced her scoring system in the early 1950s, she transformed newborn care. Before her innovation, attention during delivery was almost exclusively on the mother; the infant often received little systematic evaluation in those critical first...

Telelactation: Expanding Access, Advancing Equity, and Knowing When It’s Appropriate

by msalty | November 26, 2025 | Clinical Skills, Private Practice | 0 Comments

One question I hear from students all the time is:“How do you know when telehealth is appropriate for a lactation visit?” It’s an important question. Telelactation has become one of the most powerful tools we have for expanding access to care—especially for families...

Swaddling and Breastfeeding: What the Evidence Really Says

by msalty | November 19, 2025 | Clinical Skills, Evidence-Based Practice | 0 Comments

Swaddling — the age-old practice of wrapping infants snugly in cloth — is still commonly seen among new parents today. My students and patients often ask about it, wondering whether it helps babies sleep, whether it’s safe, and how it affects breastfeeding. It’s a...

Growth, Not Health: The Formula Industry’s Standard

by msalty | November 3, 2025 | Clinical Skills | 0 Comments

Walk into any U.S. grocery store and you’ll see an aisle of infant formula promising peace of mind in shiny cans. Labels boast “closest to breast milk,” “for brain development,” or “trusted by pediatricians.” The marketing makes formula sound like a scientific...

How Did We Get Here? A Lactation Educator’s Deep Dive Into the Tongue-Tie Obsession

by msalty | October 28, 2025 | Evidence-Based Practice | 0 Comments

As a Pathway 2 instructor, I have the privilege of working with hundreds of aspiring International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs) each year. Across every cohort, the topic of tongue-tie—or ankyloglossia—inevitably comes up. Students are eager to learn...

PCOS and Breastfeeding: What Lactation Professionals Need to Know

by msalty | October 22, 2025 | Clinical Skills, Pathology | 0 Comments

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder, affecting 5–15% of reproductive-aged women (Joham et al., 2016). It is characterized by hyperandrogenism, insulin resistance, and often obesity. While much of the research on PCOS has focused on...

Coombs-Positive Jaundice in Newborns: Implications for Breastfeeding Support

by msalty | October 15, 2025 | Clinical Skills, Pathology | 0 Comments

Lactation professionals often encounter infants with neonatal jaundice. A subset of these cases involves a positive direct Coombs test, indicating an immune-related cause of jaundice due to blood-type incompatibility. Understanding this scenario is key to supporting...

Understanding Jaundice in Breastfed Infants: What Lactation Consultants Need to Know

by msalty | October 8, 2025 | Clinical Skills, Pathology | 0 Comments

Newborn jaundice (neonatal hyperbilirubinemia) is a common condition, affecting up to 60–80% of infants in the first week of life (Kemper et al., 2022). It manifests as a yellowing of the skin/eyes due to elevated bilirubin. For lactation professionals, understanding...

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