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Lactation Insights Blog
Evidence-based insights, real-world case discussions, and practical strategies to help you grow your skills, stay current, and thrive in your IBCLC career.
INSPIRATION AND EVIDENCE FOR LACTATION PROFESSIONALS
How Did We Get Here? A Lactation Educator’s Deep Dive Into the Tongue-Tie Obsession
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
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
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
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...
Cranial Nerves in Breastfeeding: The Neural Pathways of Suck, Swallow, and Rooting
Breastfeeding an infant is far more complex than it appears. Behind the seemingly simple act of a baby latching onto the breast and drinking milk lies a sophisticated orchestration of cranial nerves that coordinate sucking, swallowing, and even the rooting reflex....
Inside the IBCLC Exam: How Questions Are Developed, Scored, and What the Pass Rates Mean
Preparing for the International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC®) exam can be less intimidating when you understand how the exam is created and scored. The IBCLC exam is administered by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBLCE®) and...
Suck–Swallow–Breathe: The Infant Anatomy Behind Feeding Coordination
Feeding is one of the most complex and vital skills a newborn must perform. A healthy infant’s ability to suck, swallow, and breathe in a coordinated rhythm is crucial for efficient and safe breastfeeding. This suck–swallow–breathe process relies on a delicate...
Milk Banking 101: Part 3 – The Global Landscape of Milk Banking: Access, Ethics, and Equity
Donor milk saves lives, but who gets it—and how—is not the same around the world. In this final part of our series, we explore how milk banking systems operate globally, what barriers exist to equitable access, and the cultural, ethical, and professional...