Education Sessions
Supported by the Apollo fund
Lowestoft and Waveney Breastfeeding Support's education sessions are delivered by our 3 IBCLCs*.
The sessions are for healthcare professionals and healthcare students who work or study within Norfolk and Suffolk.
Certificates can be used for revalidation.
Each of the 6 education sessions are 2 hours long (including a short break).
The sessions are at Breastfeeding Counsellor level (2 years of breastfeeding training before qualification) and aim to improve knowledge of supporting families with breastfeeding and lactation.
These sessions are funded by the Apollo Fund.
About the Speakers
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Our Apollo Education Sessions are is being delivered by our IBCLC team. They have supported over 400 families in the last 3 years across Lowestoft and Waveney
*To become an IBCLC, trainees need to complete 90 hours of breastfeeding and lactation education, at least 1000 hours of breastfeeding support and 14 health sciences. After this they continue with their continuing professional development and recertify as an IBCLC every 5 years. IBCLC’s are the gold standard in breastfeeding support.
Jenny Clark (RM, TTP, IBCLC)
Clinical Director
Jenny has been a Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) for 4 years, a Registered Midwife for 10 years, an RLF/Tongue tie practitioner for over 2 years as well as the Clinical Director and 3-Step Rewind Practitioner for Lowestoft and Waveney Breastfeeding Support.
Although a Midwife, Jenny’s own feeding experiences led her to specialise in infant feeding and she has supported families for over 10 years. Jenny has a special interest in physiology and complexities in lactation and breastfeeding.
Lucy Lowe (IBCLC)
Wellbeing Manager
Lucy has been a Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) for 3 years and is LWBS’ Wellbeing Manager and a 3-Step Rewind practitioner
Lucy has a professional background in psychology, mental health and training, and has worked in infant feeding support in the NHS and voluntary sector for the last 11 years. Lucy has a special interest in perinatal mental health and infant feeding, diabetes and lactation, and breastfeeding in the early days.
Kaya Thorpe (IBCLC)
Chief Executive Officer
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Kaya has been an IBCLC for 3 years and is also the CEO for LWBS. Kaya comes from a volunteer background having been volunteering and working within the world of breastfeeding for 10 years.
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Kaya's personal feeding experiences inspired her to become an IBCLC after breastfeeding her first baby who had a cleft lip, her second who struggled with faltering growth and then finally her third who suffers with multiple allergies. Kaya also works privately as an IBCLC working directly with families struggling with allergy concerns across the UK.
Education Sessions: Details and Booking
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All sessions are recorded and emailed out afterwards for participants to view in their own time
Breastfeeding Physiology and Establishing Lactation
Date: 18th September 2024
Time: 09:30-11:30
This session will start off our six sessions focusing on an overview of breastfeeding and making breastmilk (lactation). It will include breast anatomy, physiology and the changes that occur through menstruation, pregnancy and postnatally, an insight into the hormones affecting milk supply and regulation, breastmilk composition and the importance of good positioning and attachment.
The second half of this session focuses on supporting breastfeeding in the early days, the importance of early feeding and skin to skin, and provides some helpful tips for those early feeds.
What Can Affect Milk Supply? and Faltering Growth and Breastfeeding
Date: 23rd October 2024
Time: 09:30-11:30
This session explores what physical and medical factors can affect milk supply, how to support families to maximise their supply and what issues can impact supply later in a feeding journey.
After a short break we will dive into faltering weight, the causes from both mum and baby, as well as case studies from families w have supported.
Causes of Breast Pain
Date: 27th November 2024
Time: 09:30-11:30
Session 3 will investigate the reason for nipple pain and discomfort, including ineffective attachment, an allergic reaction, infection, or inflammation. Learn about the common signs/symptoms and how to manage these.
After a short break we will look at the physiology behind engorgement, blocked ducts, mastitis and abscess – What is the mastitis spectrum and what is mammary dysbiosis? We aim to increase your understanding so you can support breastfeeding parents to avoid and manage/treat this.
We will finish by answering the question ‘What is true oversupply?’, and explore how it should be appropriately managed and treated, as well as tips for fast letdown/milk ejection reflex.
Birth, Medication, Diabetes and Breastfeeding
Date: 22nd January 2025
Time: 09:30-11:30
Session 4 will investigate the birth interventions that can have an impact on breastfeeding, the education families need on this and how we can support them to reach their feeding goals.
We will explore the impact of medications in birth on feeding, what general medications do or do not affect breastfeeding and the reliable resources to research medication safety and compatibility with breastfeeding.
This session will finish with looking at diabetes and breastfeeding, including how diabetes can affect feeding and how to support families with diabetes with their infant feeding choices.
Breastfeeding and Premature/Complex babies
Date: 11th February 2025
Time: 09:30-11:30
Session 5 investigates the impact on prematurity and breastfeeding - why can premature babies struggle to breastfeed? We will discuss donor milk and its importance for premature babies. How can you support babies that are medically complex to breastfeed? This includes cardiac abnormalities, Down’s Syndrome or babies with cleft lip/palate.
This session will finish with an overview of expressing milk using a pump, explore what is important when using a pump, and how to correctly fit and use a pump to maximise milk production.
Allergies and Breastfeeding; Listening and Communication Skills
Date: 17th March 2025
Time: 09:30-11:30
Here we will investigate the most common allergens, the types of allergic reactions and the symptoms a baby may have if they have an allergy. We will cover the management and referral process if a baby has a potential allergy and how you can support the family during this. Both reflux and the causes of a fussy baby will be discussed during this session, as well as developmental changes that can occur in relation to breastfeeding in the first few years of life.
The Listening and Communication Skills session will provide an understanding of active listening and communication skills and discuss a variety of communication tools that can help to develop effective professional relationships with families during their feeding journey.
