BreastfeedLA is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of infants and families through education, outreach, and advocacy to promote and support breastfeeding. Your donation is urgently needed to strengthen and grow the work of BreastfeedLA. If you like the work we are doing, please consider giving today. Your generous gift will help offset our costs and will support our mission. |
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BreastfeedLA’s Lactation Education program was developed in an effort to expand outreach and provide access to an inclusive environment for lactation education for underrepresented communities. Following BreastfeedLA’s 2018 Equity Summit, it became glaringly obvious that one way to address the racial disparities in infant feeding in Los Angeles County was to help train the next generation of lactation professionals. Witnessing the serious deficit of Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) birthing professionals, and even fewer BIPOC lactation consultants in Los Angeles and across the nation, BreastfeedLA saw the need for a culturally competent, intersectional, holistic, and financially accessible lactation course. Although unequal care is multi-faceted, research has also indicated that culturally appropriate lactation support can contribute to higher initiation and duration rates among lactating individuals and their babies. |
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By early 2019, our 45-hour Lactation Education Specialist course was launched welcoming community doulas, midwives, home visitors, family support specialists, nurses, and family advocates from across Los Angeles. In the first year of our program, we successfully graduated over 100 new Lactation Education Specialists in LA County. We knew there was more we could do. After speaking with students, local healthcare facilities, and our community partners, BreastfeedLA decided to create our Lactation Consultant Education course — providing the remaining 50 hours needed for students to complete their 95-hours of lactation specific education required by IBLCE and creating a pathway for students towards IBCLC certification. In 2020, our program received LEAARC approval, the highest recognition of quality lactation education worldwide. To date, we have graduated over 450 students from our didactic program; and in the winter of 2020, we launched our first ever Clinical Lactation Training program.
Our program is designed to meet the unique needs of our community members. Whether goals include becoming a lactation educator to better counsel and support families on the foundations of breast/chestfeeding or working in clinical lactation management by becoming eligible for certification as an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), we can help!
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Meet a graduate of our program, Iliana!
Hello, I am Iliana Andrade Luna and I recently passed my IBCLC Exam!!! For about 7 years I have worked for the Welcome Baby Program as a Public Health RN visiting postpartum mothers at home (now on Zoom due to Covid), wholly assessing mom and baby, while also providing important breastfeeding support and education, in the capacity of a Certified Lactation Educator, during those crucial days after birth. I work majority with communities of color, conscious of cultural practices and beliefs; fulfilled when meeting the gaze of relief when a mama hears me speak in Spanish. I believe strongly I am exactly where I was meant to be! I hear an overwhelming number of traumatizing birth stories, which inspired me to train as a birthing Doula 4 years ago. As much as I fell in love with that role, it was not conducive with my schedule when I became a single mother, the most significant role of them all. My son Alexander brought a whole new perspective to my work. Our breastfeeding journey of over 3 years has given me valuable insight and experience that I find extremely useful in supporting the mothers I see in Welcome Baby. Thanks to my employer, Maternal and Child Health Access, I was a part of BreastfeedLA’s Lactation Consultant Education Program, where Brandi Jordan convinced me I was destined to “change the world” as an IBCLC! It is my hope to continue as a public health nurse, advocate for birthing justice and serve the breastfeeding community to my fullest ability. Thank you BreastfeedLA for ongoing lactation education, professional development, resources and potential opportunities within the profession.
- Iliana A. Luna MSN, RN, PHN, CLES, IBCLC
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Congratulations Iliana! We are so excited to have you in the field supporting lactating families in LA County!
BreastfeedLA’s Lactation Consultant Education course is an advanced and comprehensive educational course that provides the additional 50 hours required by the IBLCE to meet eligibility criteria to sit for the International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) certification examination. Course content will provide graduates with the background necessary to make the leap from educator to clinician while preparing students to sit for the IBLCE exam for certification as an IBCLC. This course may be utilized to satisfy the lactation education requirements for Pathway 1 or Pathway 3 of the IBCLE requirement — including the IBLCE 2021 updated requirement for 5 hours of counseling and communication skills training. Prerequisite is BreastfeedLA’s LES course or another comparable 45-hour lactation education training provided in the previous 5 years.
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Upcoming Events-Continuing Education |
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Friday, March 5
8AM- 3:15PM
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Dr. Newman will discuss
What They Didn't Teach You About
Breastfeeding in Your Training; When the Baby Is Not Getting Enough
From The Breast; Late Onset Milk Supply; and will conclude with
Hypoglycemia and Jaundice. This
program will help clarify and provide solutions, dealing with rising concerns in infant feeding and milk transfer without undermining breastfeeding.
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Upcoming Events-Lactation Consultant Education |
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Clinical Placements Available |
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Are you in need of clinical hours in order to sit for the IBCLC exam?
Are you having trouble finding a clinical placement to complete your hours?
Introducing BreastfeedLA's Clinical Lactation Training Program!
Designed to offer graduates of the 90 hour Lactation Consultant Education course (or equivalent) a chance to receive hands-on experience in clinical lactation management. Once admitted to the program, students will be paired with an experienced IBCLC mentor at local healthcare facilities in Los Angeles, CA. During placement, students will have the opportunity to gain exposure to and experience with the clinical competencies set forth by IBLCE, mastering skills and gaining the hands-on experience required to sit for the IBCLC exam. This program supports candidates for pathways 1, 2, & 3, offering opportunities to gain between 300-1000 hours of clinical experience.
Learn more at:
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For more information and to register for ALL of our events visit us at
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Legislative/Advocacy Updates |
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The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, just reintroduced in the House of Representatives, is a long overdue measure to ensure pregnant workers are no longer forced to choose between their job and the health of their pregnancy. #protectpregnantworkers
As the pandemic rages on, pregnant workers and mothers, especially women of color, are losing their jobs at alarming rates. We must fight to ensure pregnant workers and mothers aren't pushed out of the workforce. We must fight for the #PWFA. #protectpregnantworkers
30 states and D.C. require certain employers to provide reasonable accommodations to pregnant employees. It’s time for a uniform law to #protectpregnantworkers: the federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, just re-introduced in the House.
Thank you @RepJerryNadler, @RepJohnKatko, @BobbyScott, @HerreraBeutler, & @RepLucyMcBath for your leadership in reintroducing the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. This legislation will take critical steps to #protectpregnantworkers during the pandemic and beyond.
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Partner News & Opportunities |
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HOSPITALS! Last chance to complete your mPINC survey! Due 2/26!
There is still time for every hospital to be counted. To receive an individualized Hospital Report and be included in state and national level reports, hospitals must complete and submit their survey.
CDC understands that 2020 was a difficult year. mPINC data are important even in tough times. These data help us all understand the progress and challenges hospitals may face providing maternity care practices supportive of breastfeeding. We can make progress together.
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Promoting Breastfeeding-Friendly Physicians’ Offices
From Breastfeeding Medicine: The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM) has released a new clinical protocol to ensure breastfeeding-friendly physician’s offices and optimize care for infants and children. The updated protocol is published in the peer-reviewed journal Breastfeeding Medicine.
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When you invest in one lactation student from BreastfeedLA, you invest in a multiplier effect that has a profound impact on Los Angeles' most complex problems of discrimination, poverty, and violence.
It only costs $495 to champion one student to complete our 45 hour lactation education specialist course and $990 to complete our 90 hour lactation consultant course. However, we greatly appreciate gifts of any amount—a single contribution holds the potential to ignite the power of a future lactation consultant and forever change our world!
When she is strengthened, she advocates for herself and changes her community.
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Help Wanted!
BreastfeedLA is HIRING a Development and Communications Manager! Visit our job page for all the details!
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Thank you!
Your generous contributions in 2021 help make our work possible.
Our programs are made possible through the generosity of our supporters like YOU! Join the elite and be recognized! Please donate and help us to continue and remove breastfeeding barriers for mothers and babies in the greater Los Angeles area. Support BreastfeedLA with a monthly donation of just $10 or more per month.
Leaders of BreastfeedLA are those who gave $500 or more in 2021 or are monthly donors who support the ongoing mission of BreastfeedLA.
Patrons of BreastfeedLA are individuals who gave $100-$499 in 2021.
Friends of BreastfeedLA are those who gave $99 or below in 2021.
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Oluwapelumi Adeboyejo
Lori Berkemer
Michele Bragger
Tanya Colligan
Wendy DeLeon
Renee DiGregorio
Sandy Gillis
Judith Dunaway
First 5 LA
Daisy Hamory
Health Connect One
Melinda J. Kiely
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LA Best Babies Network
LA County Department of Public Health
Summer Lall
Los Angeles Regional Reentry Partnership
Sally Selah Kia
Mothers Milk Bank San Jose
Jill Nighswonger
Joan Ortiz
PACLAC
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Denise Parker
PIH Health
Lindsey Renker
Nakeisha Robinson
ROSE: Reaching Our Sisters Everywhere
South Los Angeles Health Projects (SLAHP)
Katherine Waters-Smith
Mindy Werth
Loretta Williams
Maggie & Donald Whitman
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Gwendolyn Brown
Wilhelmina Gandionco
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University of California Health Milk Bank |
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Sharon Bottomley
Jasmine Castillo
Linda Goldman
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Kimberly Mills
Rosa Mojica
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Brenda Montano
Vanessa Poster
Kristen Wills
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We strive to make the Bee an informative source of breastfeeding education and events throughout greater Los Angeles and breastfeeding research and resources from across the globe. Send comments (we LOVE feedback), ideas, announcements and resources to us. Just click HERE.
Please note: Inclusion of an item in the Bee does NOT imply endorsement or support of such item by BreastfeedLA, unless specifically noted.
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together we can create a healthier LA for every baby!
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BreastfeedLA
2851 West 120th Street, Suite E #335,
Hawthorne, CA 90250
Phone: 323-210-8505
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