Comprehensive Lactation Education Training

• Complete a Lactation Education Accreditation and Approval Review Committee (LEAARC) Recognized Breastfeeding course.
• Receive a certificate of course complete, which allows you to use the designation of a Certificated Prenatal Lactation Educator.
• Complete 95 of the 95 hours of lactation education, including 5 hours focused on communication skills, required to qualify for the certification exam one must pass to earn the designation of International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant. 
• Earn continuing education credits.

Training Format

• All training sessions will be delivered virtually in a hybrid format: 20% of the instruction will be delivered live via zoom and remaining 80% will be delivered via pre-recorded lectures and assignments completed on a weekly basis.

Training Dates and Times CLET:

• Live sessions will take place on select Saturdays.  For details on specific training dates and times click the Red 'Register Now' button at the top of this page.

Training Facilitator information:

• Sherri Garber Mendelson, PhD, RNC, CNS, IBCLC
• Byanka V. Melgar, MPH, CHES, IBCLC

• $1040
• Registration includes: Electronic version of syllabus, continuing education credits and upon successful completion of the training certificate of course completion.
• Required textbooks (approximate cost: $100-$200): 
  • Lauwers, J. & Swisher A. (2021). Counseling the nursing mother: A lactation consultant’s guide.  Seventh Edition. Sudbury. MA:  Jones and Bartlett Publishers.  (ISBN: 978-1-2841800-1-5)
  • Mohrbacher, N. (2020). Breastfeeding answers: A guide for helping families.  Second Edition. Arlington Heights, IL: Nancy Mohrbacher Solutions, INC.  (ISBN: 978-1-7345239-0-4)
• Cancelation Policy: We reserve the right to reschedule trainings, if necessary. Every effort will be made to notify the participants of a cancelled training. Fees paid may be applied to an alternate training, or a 100 percent refund will be issued. Please allow four to six weeks to receive a refund. A full refund will be granted if the training is canceled. The full registration fee will be refunded for withdrawal requests made 30 days before the first class meeting. 50% refund will be refunded for withdrawal requests made 29- 15 days before first day of class. No refunds are available 14 days or less before the first day of class.

Week 1

• Introduction
• Current Breastfeeding Recommendations, Trends and the Medical advantages of Breastfeeding
• Historical Evidence of Breastfeeding the Decline of Breastfeeding
• The Impact of Infant Marketing of Formula on Global Infant Health outcomes & Breastfeeding Rates
• Understanding the Unique and Species-Specific Factors in Human Milk
• The Rise in Breastfeeding & the Evolution of lactation as a Specialty
• Health Care Professionals, Paraprofessionals & Volunteers’ Role in Supporting Breastfeeding

Week 2

• International Breastfeeding Promotion Initiatives
• National Breastfeeding Promotion Initiatives
• The Anatomy of Breastfeeding
• The Physiology of Breastfeeding
• Application of Health Behavior Theory to Understand Breastfeeding Behavior
• Breastfeeding Barriers in the United States

Week 3

• Common Breastfeeding Barriers
• Strategies to Overcome Common Breastfeeding Barriers
• Counseling and Communication Skills for Lactation Professionals
• Applying Parent Centered Counseling Techniques to Help Families Reach their Breastfeeding Goals 

Week 4

• Dispelling Common Lactation Myths and Misconceptions 
• Nutrition during Pregnancy
• Nutrition during Lactation
• Hospital Practices that Support Breastfeeding

Week 5

• Hospital Practices that Hinder Breastfeeding 
• Getting Breastfeeding Started
• Biological Breastfeeding 
• Exam

Week 6

• The lactation Consult Process
• Infant Anatomy and Physiology of Sucking
• Infant Assessment and Development
• Controversies of Co-Sleeping
• Medications and Herbs

Week 7

• Causes and Solutions of Common Breastfeeding Problems
• Lactation Education and Counseling Skills 
• Milk Banks and Donor banks

Week 8

• Breastfeeding Devices
• Breastfeeding Beyond the First Month

Week 9

• High Risk Infants
• Problems with Milk Production and Milk Transfer
• Inadequate Weight Gain and the Breastfed Infant

Week 10

• Hyperbilirubinemia and Hypoglycemia and the Breastfed Newborn
• Maternal and Infant Conditions
• Induced lactation and Relactation
• Combining work and school with breastfeeding
• Exam

This training is provided in collaboration with:

• CSUN’s: Minor in Human Lactation Program
• CSUN’s Master in Public Health Program
• CSUN’s Center for Health Promotion and Leadership
• The Perinatal Advisory Council: Leadership, Advocacy and Consultation (PAC/LAC)

Continuing Education Units (CEUs) will be provided at no additional fee through our Joint Provider PAC/LAC.

• PAC/LAC is approved by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists to sponsor continuing education for LMFT and LCSW. CE Provider #128542. PAC/LAC maintains responsibility for the program/course and its content. Course meets the qualifications for hours of continuing education credit for LCSW and LMFT as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences
• PAC/LAC, a designated provider of continuing education contact hours (CECH) in health education by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. This program is designed for Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES) to receive Category 1 continuing education contact hours.
• PAC/LAC is an approved provider by the California Board of Registered Nursing Provider CEP 5862. This course is approved for contact hours of continuing education

Grievances: Students with a grievance must complete a grievance from within 30 days after they complete a training and email cathy.kitinoja@csun.edu

Accommodations: For Accommodations email Cathy Kitinoja at cathy.kitinoja@csun.edu within 30 days before first day of class.