SESSION DESCRIPTIONS
Sessions noted with (CE) or (CERP) indicate those sessions for which we've applied for continuing education hours. CERPs and Nursing Contact Hours will be applied for for all Friday sessions. Three of Saturday's sessions will offer CERPs only if approved, no Nursing Contact Hours.
Friday, April 15
8:30–10:00 a.m.: General Session 1
The Non-Latching Infant: The First 48 hours and Beyond, Catherine Watson Genna (1.5 L CERPs)
One of the biggest challenges of lactation consultant practice is the non-latching infant. Designed for mixed groups of hospital and private practice lactation consultants and health care providers, this presentation provides equal emphasis on in-patient and out-patient issues for non-latching infants. Advanced strategies for helping infants who don’t latch are covered in the final half of the presentation. This presentation is copiously illustrated with clinical photos and video.
10:15–11:45 a.m.: General Session 2
Reflux, GERD, and Breastfeeding, Catherine Watson Genna (1.5 L CERPs)
Irritable infants are commonly diagnosed with reflux, but might also be suffering from feeding related difficulties or allergy. This presentation explores the recent research on regurgitation, reflux, and GERD in infants and their relationship to feeding problems. Clinical evaluation and management of breastfeeding issues that can contribute to reflux are also covered.
12:45–1:45 p.m.: Breakout Sessions
Option 1: Do babies use suction or expression during breastfeeding? What role do tongue movements play in breastfeeding? This presentation shares the various imaging studies on sucking in breastfeeding infants to build a coherent picture of how the tongue and oral structures work in normal sucking.
Option 2: Every mother and every baby deserve the chance to breastfeed. Did you know that you can breastfeed your baby even if you are not producing any milk? There are many circumstances in which a mother may want to induce lactation or relactate, or even maintain a nursing relationship with a low milk supply. In this session, we will cover a brief overview of different protocol options for inducing lactation, and how to support breastfeeding parents as they journey to nourish and nurture their babies.
2:00–3:00 p.m.: Breakout Sessions
Option 1: What is the World Health Organization's International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes? How does the United States compare to other countries regarding upholding the code? Learn when subtle and not-so-subtle marketing tactics can prevent families from meeting their breastfeeding goals. Discuss what roles lactation professionals can play to support code-compliant businesses and ideas on why and how to follow the code when working with families. (Applying for E-CERPS)
Option 2: How can craniosacral therapy make a difference for mothers and babies when breastfeeding is painful or difficult? How can the compression forces of birth create mechanical and neural restrictions that result in poor latch and colic? This session reviews anatomy of the craniosacral and myofascial systems and physiology of birth to answer these questions. We will discuss specific indicators to know when presenting problems of breastfeeding indicate referral for craniosacral therapy.
3:15–4:30 p.m.: General Session
Infant Oral Assessment, Catherine Watson Genna (1.25 L CERPs)
Normal human variation can sometimes be difficult to distinguish from minor anomalies that can impact feeding ability. This presentation uses clinical photographs to illustrate a systematic assessment of infant anatomy for optimal breastfeeding. Minor oral anomalies that may affect breastfeeding are highlighted, including tongue-tie, mandibular asymmetry due to torticollis, natal teeth, hemangioma, and palatal problems. Minor conditions are differentiated from those that might put infants at risk for significant feeding difficulties.
4:30 p.m.: Day Concludes. Turn in CERP/Contact Hour forms and evaluations.
Saturday, April 16
9:00–10:30 a.m.: General Session
Introduction to Sensory Processing and Breastfeeding, Catherine Watson Genna (1.5 L CERPs)
Sensory processing is important for successful breastfeeding, and is less developed in infants and their stressed new mothers. This lecture gives a brief overview of sensory integration theory, explains how immature or difficult sensory integration can make breastfeeding challenging, and gives strategies for working with infants and mothers with these issues. Normal infants will also benefit from the information (illustrated by clinical photographs and videos) on infant state, stress cues, and methods of helping infants re-organize.
10:45–11:45 a.m.: Breakout Sessions
Option 1: Most breastfeeding instruction includes strategies to prevent baby’s hands from ‘getting in the way’ during positioning and latch. Careful observation reveals that infants use their hands in predictable ways that help them find, shape, and move the breast to assist attachment. This presentation focuses on these predictable behaviors and ways to work with them and when necessary modify them to assist breastfeeding dyads.
Option 2: Just as you nourish your baby as its biology expects, your biology expects certain innate movements daily. Learn more about moving more, moving better, and moving differently. The session will be a little like yoga, a little like “working out,” and a little like playing.
Option 3: The tandem nursing journey begins when a nursing mother learns she is pregnant. This panel of experienced mothers will share joys and concerns of nursing through pregnancy and beyond. We will discuss the wide range of emotions and logistics that can be a part of nursing two or more children at the same time and brainstorm ways to help meet everyone’s needs.
Option 4: This workshop session focuses on an issue that impacts mothers, partners, and families throughout the world and one in which there are very few platforms or opportunities to discuss: postpartum body image. This workshop will allow participants to share personal struggles, triumphs, and overall experiences related to postpartum body image in a safe intimate round table setting. Participants will not only explore physical postpartum body image factors such as stretch marks and diastasis recti, but also social topics including celebrity/media influences, returning to work, the “fit mama” scene, unrealistic expectations, health care systems, cultural perspectives, and social class. In addition, this session will highlight several pro-body movement projects and organizations while further exploring their successes of empowerment and societal change.
12:45–1:45 p.m.: Breakout Sessions
Option 1: For 7 years I have offered the Healing Birth Stories workshop, supporting mothers who have experienced a difficult birth or feel that they have experienced birth trauma. This past year, Heal Your Birth Story was published: a self-help book focused on offering women even more opportunity to process their stories. This workshop will look at birth trauma, PTSD, the impact of trauma on breastfeeding and attachment as well as how to offer effective support to women in your community around their birth stories.
Option 2: Throughout the breastfeeding relationship many moms have questions about whether they are producing what baby needs. The big question of Is my baby getting enough milk? is not exclusive to first time nursing moms or moms of smaller or premature infants. A mother cannot feel or see what she is producing or how much baby is taking. This naturally leads to the question of how then does a mom determine if she has a low supply? If supply is low what tools can she use to increase production? This panel will address these questions of perceived and actual supply issues and provide nursing mothers a helping hand.
Option 3: Baby-led weaning is an approach to starting solids that allows baby to self-feed as opposed to be fed. Instead of purees and spoon-feeding, baby and parents can share the same foods while baby exercises his hand/eye coordination, pincer grasp, and ability to know when he or she is full. This approach follows naturally with many breastfeeding families as it emphasizes the importance of continued nursing for as long as both mother and baby want. In this session you’ll learn the benefits of baby-led weaning, signs of readiness for solids and how to get started so that solid food can be a fun and enjoyable experience for both you and your baby.
Option 4: A core philosophy of La Leche League is “From infancy on, children need loving guidance which reflects acceptance of their capabilities and sensitivity to their feelings.” But what does loving guidance or gentle discipline really look like? If you’re wondering how to set limits and respect your children’s feelings and needs at the same time, this session may help you answer some of those questions.
Bonus Session: We will learn and move through eight movement patterns that healthy human beings naturally move through in the first year of life and then create dances based on these patterns. Fun for babies, children, and adults. Happening in the Children’s Room.
2:00–3:00 p.m.: Breakout Sessions
Option 1: It's estimated that about 20% of women experience postpartum depression and related mood disorders in the first year after having a baby. Crystal Clancy, a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), and Tipper Gallagher, an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) discuss what symptoms to watch for, treatment options, and how to balance breastfeeding goals with mental health needs.
Option 2: As our children grow older and move past the breastfeeding years we may find ourselves in unknown territory. How do we stay connected with these new, independent creatures? How does communicating and connecting with our children change as they get older? All parents are welcome to join us for a discussion about exploring the unknown as we parent our older children and explore the new stages that come along with them.
Option 3: The intensity of the birth journey can affect mothers and babies physically and emotionally. Painful breastfeeding, ineffective feeds, and colic can be caused by compression forces of birth. Misalignments can affect a woman’s pelvic functions. Spinal misalignment can create pain in the upper or lower back with breastfeeding. Some mothers and babies experience trauma which can confound the breastfeeding relationship and disrupt sleep. Both women and babies can greatly benefit from gentle bodywork and movement activities to recover from the intensity of birth. In this session we will discuss sample activities to take home for self-care.
Option 4: Join the Twin Cities Chapter of Holistic Moms Network to discuss eco-friendly and healthy baby supplies, natural remedies, mommy communities/support, activities to do with baby, and advice to help moms-to-be and new moms be prepared, live healthy.
3:20–4:45 p.m.: General Session
Whatcha Say Baby? Infant Communication, Catherine Watson Genna (1.25 R CERPs)
Infants communicate through facial expressions, motor activity, autonomic responses and vocalizations to indicate their needs to caregivers. Infant communication is explored with the goal of supporting responsive parenting. Infant state, hunger cues, feeding behaviors, entrainment vs. avoidance signals, satiety cues, and normal neurobehavioral modulation are all included in a framework that highlights to competence of human infants. Includes a brief introduction to conditions that might impact breastfeeding through the lens of infant facial expressions and motor responses.
4:45 p.m.: Day concludes. Turn in CERP forms.
Sessions noted with (CE) or (CERP) indicate those sessions for which we've applied for continuing education hours. CERPs and Nursing Contact Hours will be applied for for all Friday sessions. Three of Saturday's sessions will offer CERPs only if approved, no Nursing Contact Hours.
Friday, April 15
8:30–10:00 a.m.: General Session 1
The Non-Latching Infant: The First 48 hours and Beyond, Catherine Watson Genna (1.5 L CERPs)
One of the biggest challenges of lactation consultant practice is the non-latching infant. Designed for mixed groups of hospital and private practice lactation consultants and health care providers, this presentation provides equal emphasis on in-patient and out-patient issues for non-latching infants. Advanced strategies for helping infants who don’t latch are covered in the final half of the presentation. This presentation is copiously illustrated with clinical photos and video.
10:15–11:45 a.m.: General Session 2
Reflux, GERD, and Breastfeeding, Catherine Watson Genna (1.5 L CERPs)
Irritable infants are commonly diagnosed with reflux, but might also be suffering from feeding related difficulties or allergy. This presentation explores the recent research on regurgitation, reflux, and GERD in infants and their relationship to feeding problems. Clinical evaluation and management of breastfeeding issues that can contribute to reflux are also covered.
12:45–1:45 p.m.: Breakout Sessions
- Synthesizing Sucking Research, Catherine Watson Genna (1.0 L CERPs)
- Breastfeeding Outside the Box: Supporting Mothers to Breastfeed in Adoption, Surrogacy, Co-Nursing, and Other Extraordinary Circumstances, Hope Lien (1.0 L CERPs)
Option 1: Do babies use suction or expression during breastfeeding? What role do tongue movements play in breastfeeding? This presentation shares the various imaging studies on sucking in breastfeeding infants to build a coherent picture of how the tongue and oral structures work in normal sucking.
Option 2: Every mother and every baby deserve the chance to breastfeed. Did you know that you can breastfeed your baby even if you are not producing any milk? There are many circumstances in which a mother may want to induce lactation or relactate, or even maintain a nursing relationship with a low milk supply. In this session, we will cover a brief overview of different protocol options for inducing lactation, and how to support breastfeeding parents as they journey to nourish and nurture their babies.
2:00–3:00 p.m.: Breakout Sessions
- The WHO, ... what, where, when, why and how... of the Code, Jen Mason (1.0 E CERPs)
- Craniosacral Therapy for Breastfeeding & Recovery from Birth, Catherine Burns (1.0 R CERPs)
Option 1: What is the World Health Organization's International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes? How does the United States compare to other countries regarding upholding the code? Learn when subtle and not-so-subtle marketing tactics can prevent families from meeting their breastfeeding goals. Discuss what roles lactation professionals can play to support code-compliant businesses and ideas on why and how to follow the code when working with families. (Applying for E-CERPS)
Option 2: How can craniosacral therapy make a difference for mothers and babies when breastfeeding is painful or difficult? How can the compression forces of birth create mechanical and neural restrictions that result in poor latch and colic? This session reviews anatomy of the craniosacral and myofascial systems and physiology of birth to answer these questions. We will discuss specific indicators to know when presenting problems of breastfeeding indicate referral for craniosacral therapy.
3:15–4:30 p.m.: General Session
Infant Oral Assessment, Catherine Watson Genna (1.25 L CERPs)
Normal human variation can sometimes be difficult to distinguish from minor anomalies that can impact feeding ability. This presentation uses clinical photographs to illustrate a systematic assessment of infant anatomy for optimal breastfeeding. Minor oral anomalies that may affect breastfeeding are highlighted, including tongue-tie, mandibular asymmetry due to torticollis, natal teeth, hemangioma, and palatal problems. Minor conditions are differentiated from those that might put infants at risk for significant feeding difficulties.
4:30 p.m.: Day Concludes. Turn in CERP/Contact Hour forms and evaluations.
Saturday, April 16
9:00–10:30 a.m.: General Session
Introduction to Sensory Processing and Breastfeeding, Catherine Watson Genna (1.5 L CERPs)
Sensory processing is important for successful breastfeeding, and is less developed in infants and their stressed new mothers. This lecture gives a brief overview of sensory integration theory, explains how immature or difficult sensory integration can make breastfeeding challenging, and gives strategies for working with infants and mothers with these issues. Normal infants will also benefit from the information (illustrated by clinical photographs and videos) on infant state, stress cues, and methods of helping infants re-organize.
10:45–11:45 a.m.: Breakout Sessions
- Facilitating Infant Competence: Hand Use During Latch, Catherine Watson Genna (1.0 L CERPs)
- Human Movement, Jill Lock
- Tandem Nursing Panel, Jessica Heinz
- Postpartum Body Image: Exposing the Soft Underbelly of Motherhood, Angie Sonrode
Option 1: Most breastfeeding instruction includes strategies to prevent baby’s hands from ‘getting in the way’ during positioning and latch. Careful observation reveals that infants use their hands in predictable ways that help them find, shape, and move the breast to assist attachment. This presentation focuses on these predictable behaviors and ways to work with them and when necessary modify them to assist breastfeeding dyads.
Option 2: Just as you nourish your baby as its biology expects, your biology expects certain innate movements daily. Learn more about moving more, moving better, and moving differently. The session will be a little like yoga, a little like “working out,” and a little like playing.
Option 3: The tandem nursing journey begins when a nursing mother learns she is pregnant. This panel of experienced mothers will share joys and concerns of nursing through pregnancy and beyond. We will discuss the wide range of emotions and logistics that can be a part of nursing two or more children at the same time and brainstorm ways to help meet everyone’s needs.
Option 4: This workshop session focuses on an issue that impacts mothers, partners, and families throughout the world and one in which there are very few platforms or opportunities to discuss: postpartum body image. This workshop will allow participants to share personal struggles, triumphs, and overall experiences related to postpartum body image in a safe intimate round table setting. Participants will not only explore physical postpartum body image factors such as stretch marks and diastasis recti, but also social topics including celebrity/media influences, returning to work, the “fit mama” scene, unrealistic expectations, health care systems, cultural perspectives, and social class. In addition, this session will highlight several pro-body movement projects and organizations while further exploring their successes of empowerment and societal change.
12:45–1:45 p.m.: Breakout Sessions
- Heal Your Birth Story, Maureen Campion
- Finding Sufficiency Panel, Jo Carrane
- Introduction to Baby-Led Weaning, Vickie Albright
- Gentle Discipline: Resources and Strategies, Casey Berberich
- BONUS SESSION: BrainDance, Jessica Heinz
Option 1: For 7 years I have offered the Healing Birth Stories workshop, supporting mothers who have experienced a difficult birth or feel that they have experienced birth trauma. This past year, Heal Your Birth Story was published: a self-help book focused on offering women even more opportunity to process their stories. This workshop will look at birth trauma, PTSD, the impact of trauma on breastfeeding and attachment as well as how to offer effective support to women in your community around their birth stories.
Option 2: Throughout the breastfeeding relationship many moms have questions about whether they are producing what baby needs. The big question of Is my baby getting enough milk? is not exclusive to first time nursing moms or moms of smaller or premature infants. A mother cannot feel or see what she is producing or how much baby is taking. This naturally leads to the question of how then does a mom determine if she has a low supply? If supply is low what tools can she use to increase production? This panel will address these questions of perceived and actual supply issues and provide nursing mothers a helping hand.
Option 3: Baby-led weaning is an approach to starting solids that allows baby to self-feed as opposed to be fed. Instead of purees and spoon-feeding, baby and parents can share the same foods while baby exercises his hand/eye coordination, pincer grasp, and ability to know when he or she is full. This approach follows naturally with many breastfeeding families as it emphasizes the importance of continued nursing for as long as both mother and baby want. In this session you’ll learn the benefits of baby-led weaning, signs of readiness for solids and how to get started so that solid food can be a fun and enjoyable experience for both you and your baby.
Option 4: A core philosophy of La Leche League is “From infancy on, children need loving guidance which reflects acceptance of their capabilities and sensitivity to their feelings.” But what does loving guidance or gentle discipline really look like? If you’re wondering how to set limits and respect your children’s feelings and needs at the same time, this session may help you answer some of those questions.
Bonus Session: We will learn and move through eight movement patterns that healthy human beings naturally move through in the first year of life and then create dances based on these patterns. Fun for babies, children, and adults. Happening in the Children’s Room.
2:00–3:00 p.m.: Breakout Sessions
- Supporting Breastfeeding Families Through Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders, Tipper Gallagher and Crystal Clancy
- Parenting into the Abyss, Anne Casey and Deb Pladsen
- How Bodywork Can Help for Pain-free Breastfeeding and Recovery from Birth, Catherine Burns
- A Mom's Guide to Natural Baby Care, Holistic Moms Network, Carrie Stephens and Laura Calbone
Option 1: It's estimated that about 20% of women experience postpartum depression and related mood disorders in the first year after having a baby. Crystal Clancy, a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), and Tipper Gallagher, an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) discuss what symptoms to watch for, treatment options, and how to balance breastfeeding goals with mental health needs.
Option 2: As our children grow older and move past the breastfeeding years we may find ourselves in unknown territory. How do we stay connected with these new, independent creatures? How does communicating and connecting with our children change as they get older? All parents are welcome to join us for a discussion about exploring the unknown as we parent our older children and explore the new stages that come along with them.
Option 3: The intensity of the birth journey can affect mothers and babies physically and emotionally. Painful breastfeeding, ineffective feeds, and colic can be caused by compression forces of birth. Misalignments can affect a woman’s pelvic functions. Spinal misalignment can create pain in the upper or lower back with breastfeeding. Some mothers and babies experience trauma which can confound the breastfeeding relationship and disrupt sleep. Both women and babies can greatly benefit from gentle bodywork and movement activities to recover from the intensity of birth. In this session we will discuss sample activities to take home for self-care.
Option 4: Join the Twin Cities Chapter of Holistic Moms Network to discuss eco-friendly and healthy baby supplies, natural remedies, mommy communities/support, activities to do with baby, and advice to help moms-to-be and new moms be prepared, live healthy.
3:20–4:45 p.m.: General Session
Whatcha Say Baby? Infant Communication, Catherine Watson Genna (1.25 R CERPs)
Infants communicate through facial expressions, motor activity, autonomic responses and vocalizations to indicate their needs to caregivers. Infant communication is explored with the goal of supporting responsive parenting. Infant state, hunger cues, feeding behaviors, entrainment vs. avoidance signals, satiety cues, and normal neurobehavioral modulation are all included in a framework that highlights to competence of human infants. Includes a brief introduction to conditions that might impact breastfeeding through the lens of infant facial expressions and motor responses.
4:45 p.m.: Day concludes. Turn in CERP forms.