Science & Sensibility

Press time update: Over the course of my research on Monday 4/22/13, I noticed that by the end of the day, Milkscreen’s main website no longer shows links to the Breastfeeding Assesment Calculator. The Facebook page for this product has also been removed.  An email received from the company confirms that the product has been removed from the website and retailers have been instructed to pull the product from the shelves. I can only speculate that this is due to pressure from social media. ~ Deena

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I recently became aware of a new product, the Milkscreen Breastfeeding Assessment Calculator by Upspring Baby, designed to help new breastfeeding mothers be more confident in their breastfeeding abilities. This product tells them whether their milk supply is “low, normal or high” and how they can correct problems.  

This product assumes that many mothers are worried about having a low milk supply and therefore this product will reassure mothers that they are normal. To use this product, a mother must pump her milk. Additionally, this product assumes that pumping breastmilk will yield the same quantity as when a baby nurses.  We know: what a mother pumps is not indicative of what she may be producing to feed her baby. 

From the product description: 

“The Milkscreen Assessment home test determines daily breast milk supply. It was created to address the common concern many moms have: how much breast milk do I make and is that enough for my baby? Milkscreen Assessment gives mom confidence to keep breastfeeding by telling her how much breast milk she makes and how that relates to baby’s growth, identifying possible breastfeeding issues and providing recommendations on how to overcome these issues.”

This description may play directly into a mother’s fear that she isn’t making enough breastmilk for her baby. 

From the product box:

“Problem: About 50% of moms stop breastfeeding because they are concerned they don’t make enough milk for their baby. Solution: Milkscreen Calculator”

How do we know that this percentage is accurate? 

The company does not cite a source for this statement. Moms cease to breastfeed for many reasons, including, but not limited to; going back to work, pain while breastfeeding and personal preference. 

The real data on low milk supply

 An estimated 5% to 15% of all mothers experience either primary or secondary lactogenesis failure, with the actual numbers being unknown. 

Hypoplasia or Insufficient Glandular Tissue is a rare condition that some women may have. and it needs a clinical diagnosis to confirm. Many women with this condition supplement with donated breastmilk or formula while continuing to breastfeed.

I believe that the Milkscreen Calculator doesn’t help to eliminate low production worries, as advertised. I believe that it promotes this fear! 

How does Milkscreen test the breastmilk?

After scouring their website, I am not able to find any information on what nutrients they are testing for or what testing procedures they use because they don’t actually test the breastmilk! A mother doesn’t send the breastmilk to their lab for testing. A mother fills out a questionnaire and enters the amount of milk pumped in three pumping sessions, one hour apart. Milkscreen looks at a mother’s production level as “low, normal, or high” and gives her results and recommendations as to what to do if she’s having a problem, and then makes suggestions as to their other products she might like to purchase. 

From Milkscreen’s FAQ: 

How accurate is this test?

Milkscreen Assessment is modeled after a scientific paper, published in a peer-reviewed journal, and interpretation and recommendations provided in report are based on published scientific literature found in our list of references. However, each woman will respond differently to pumping breast milk. If a woman gets a result that shows low production, it’s possible that pumping was not as efficient for her as feeding at the breast.  In this case, the report will suggest to explore this possibility with a Lactation Consultant.

When I took a look through their references list, I was unable to find the paper they referred to.. They do offer useful citations and background information, but nothing supports the need or usefulness of this product.

From the video with breastfeeding expert Dr. Landers:

“This test is based on data that are normative. Hundreds of mothers have had very special calculations of daily milk supply. Our test takes an estimated amount of breastmilk supply over a shorter period of time and lets a mother know if she’s low, normal or high. Milkscreen calculator is an estimate of the day’s milk production, but in a scientifically studied, peer reviewed paper it’s actually a good approximation….. This test is an accurate estimate of daily milk supply…. It is the growth of the baby that is the most important thing. Gives mom an idea of whether baby’s weight gain is low, normal or high. (Uses the WHO growth chart)”

If the growth of the baby is “the most important thing” why don’t we weigh and measure the baby. That would tell us if the breastmilk supply is adequate.

This product oversimplifies the issue of low milk supply. “Low, normal or high,” doesn’t give a mother any real data to go on.

How do others test* for nutritional quality of breastmilk?

The Mayo Clinic provides us with some insight as to how breastmilk is tested and what it is tested for. They use thin-layer chromatography (TLC)/colorimetry/spectrophotometry (SP)/other methodologies as appropriate. With their testing, they use samples that are 4-5ml of breastmilk.

From the Mayo Clinic:

“The nutritional content of breast milk changes considerably from day 1 to day 36 postpartum. Subsequent to that time the nutritional content is considered to be stable.

Measured nutritional components are glucose, lactose, triglyceride, and protein. Deficiency of any of the measured or calculated parameters is suggestive of decreased nutritional quality of human breast milk.”

Mayo Clinic, Breast Milk Nutritional Analysis

“Several different methods are used in the analysis of human breast milk. The sample is analyzed for triglycerides using an enzymatic method. One aliquot of breast milk is tested for total protein using biuret reagent and titration methodology and for measurement of glucose using a glucose oxidase method. A second aliquot of breast milk is pre-incubated with beta-galactosidase and glucose is measured. Lactose is calculated using results obtained by the methods listed above.”

*These tests are not FDA approved.

What is the rate of false positive / false negative results from the Milkscreen test?

An incorrect assessment can have a huge impact on the mother’s breastfeeding relationship. If a mother is led to believe falsely reassured that she is making enough milk, she may not seek appropriate help from a lactation consultant or other breastfeeding professional and her baby may suffer, Alternately, a mother may choose to supplement with formula when in fact, there was no issue or her supply could have been corrected with professional help.

Breastfeeding confidence 

In the video explaining the science behind Milkscreen, Dr. Landers states;  

“Anything we can do to help a new mom, especially a first time breastfeeding mom, to have confidence in her body’s ability to make milk and nourish her baby would be a huge, huge addition to our tools to help breastfeeding moms and babies. We know from clinical studies that moms stop breastfeeding because they think they don’t have enough breastmilk supply. It’s the mother’s perception of an inadequate supply and that she doesn’t know what she’s doing… Modern women don’t have confidence in that process (supply and demand). So one of the reasons this product is so important is that it is a huge confidence builder for the average mom.’

Phrases like  “they think they don’t have enough milk” and “mother’s perception of inadequate supply” or “doesn’t know what she is doing” reinforce the idea that women are not capable of being knowledgeable or confident about breastfeeding. 

Milkscreen Assessment also claims that if a mother has too much milk, she will likely have growth issues with her baby as well. They attribute this to the foremilk/hindmilk imbalance, including the problem of ‘loose stools’ with the infant.  Current research no longer supports the foremilk/hindmilk theory, and exclusively breastfed babies normally have loose, mustardy stool.  According to Kellymom.com, “Your breasts don’t “flip a switch” at some arbitrary point and start producing hindmilk instead of foremilk. Instead, think of the beginning of a nursing session as being like turning on a hot water faucet.” In other words, there is always fat in breastmilk but the quantity varies dependent upon how long baby nurses. Feeding from a relatively empty breast will yield a higher fat content in the milk. However, it’s the fat over the course of the day, not just in a single feeding which is important.

As educators and professionals, we know to refer a mother who is questioning her milk supply to seek help from a qualified lactation consultant or other breastfeeding professional.  Additionally, we can be sure that our breastfeeding and newborn care classes are evidence based, offer useful information and instill confidence in new mothers so they can start their breastfeeding relationship off on the right foot.  We also make sure that new mothers are aware of support groups and local resources that can help them if they run into problems and concerns. 

Lamaze’s Healthy Birth Practice #6: Keep Mother and Baby Together- It’s Best for Mother, Baby and Breastfeeding is a great resource for parents and includes a wonderful video for use in class. 

Resources and References:

 AAP Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk (2012) 

American Academy of Pediatrics, Adequacy of Milk Intake During Exclusive Breastfeeding: A Longitudinal Study, (2011)

Butte NF, Garza C, Smith EO, Nichols BL. Human milk intake and growth in exclusively breast-fed infants. J Pediatr. 1984 Feb;104(2):187-95.

Daly SEJ, DiRosso A, Owens RA, Hartmann PE. Degree of breast emptying explains changes in the fat content, but not fatty acid composition, of human milk. Exp Physiol 1993;78:741-55.

Highlights of, and thoughts regarding the AAP’s Policy Statement “Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk”

Hurst, N (2007) Recognizing and Treating Delayed or Failed Lactogenesis II, Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health

“Hypoplasia/Insufficient Glandular Tissue.” KellyMom RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2013.

 World Health Organization on Breastfeeding

Deena Blumenfeld Babies, Breastfeeding, Childbirth Education, Evidence Based Medicine, Guest Posts, Healthy Birth Practices, Healthy Care Practices, informed Consent, Newborns, Social Media breastfeeding, breastmilk, Childbirth Education, Deena Blumenfeld, guest post, Healthy Birth Practices, power of social media, Social Media

Taking the hospital tour is considered to be a right of passage for expectant parents choosing to birth in the hospital.  They gather together in a group, a bit nervous, a bit excited, following the tour guide, quietly tiptoeing through the labor and delivery unit, hearing and seeing women in labor, peeking into empty rooms, learning where to park and finding out about the amenities that the facility has to offer.  They smile slightly to themselves and begin to imagine themselves birthing in one of these very rooms in the not too distant future.

A few families may ask questions, inquiring about policies and what they are “allowed” to do once admitted.  In fact, some of these questions may come up in your classes or you may hear stories about what the students learned on their various tours.

Lamaze International is offering a Parent Webinar: Getting the Most out of Your Hospital Tour next Wednesday, April 24th. at 12 PM EST.  This one hour webinar is being presented by Allison Walsh, IBCLC, LCCE.  This engaging learning opportunity can help parents to prepare for their tour,  ask questions that count and really understand what they need to do to have an active, upright birth within the hospital setting.

I encourage childbirth educators to inform their students about this webinar opportunity and suggest your CBE families register now.  The webinar will be made available in recorded form in a timely fashion after the live presentation is completed.  As an educator, I see lots of opportunities to bring this webinar into your classroom for discussion, watch snippets of it throughout your series, or ask your students to do a fun role play, incorporating what they learned from the webinar.

Some CBEs and L&D nurses may be the tour guide at the hospital, and this webinar can help them to offer an effective and evidence based tour that thoroughly meets the need of participants.

Tweet about this opportunity, post it on Facebook and share with students and your community of pregnant families, encouraging them to register now!  By attending this free webinar, families will become more informed maternity care consumers and in a better position to “Push for Their Baby.”

The Lamaze Parent blog, Giving Birth With Confidence highlighted this webinar in a comprehensive blog post yesterday that you may also want to share with your families.

To learn more about the Parent Webinar: “Getting the Most out of Your Hospital Tour” and to register, please click here.  See you at the webinar!

Sharon Muza Childbirth Education, Continuing Education, Evidence Based Medicine, Giving Birth with Confidence, Healthy Birth Practices, Healthy Care Practices, informed Consent, Maternity Care, Patient Advocacy, Push for Your Baby, Social Media, Webinars Allison Walsh, CBE, Childbirth Education, Giving Birth With Confidence, Lamaze webinars, maternity care continuing education, Sharon Muza

by Jeanette McCulloch, IBCLC and Amber McCann, IBCLC

Jeanette McCulloch and Amber McCann recently presented a session at the 8th Breastfeeding and Feminism Symposium on March 21, 2013, speaking about the ways that social media can be used to support breastfeeding by protecting and promoting the WHO code.  They share their presentation today on Science & Sensibility to encourage all of us to be active participants in promoting action steps that help mothers and babies.  Sharon Muza, Community Manager, Science & Sensibility.

Reaching breastfeeding women today means being savvy about the use of social media. While breastfeeding organizations – long without sufficient marketing resources – are stepping up to increase online efforts, formula companies are better funded and are developing sophisticated tools for reaching mothers using the Internet. Nestle, in particular, has launched a well funded social media center that has the effect of undermining women’s breastfeeding efforts. This “Formula Death Star,” though, is not going unchallenged. Using the unprecedented capacity of social media for advocates to educate and mobilize concerned consumers, a rag-tag group of rebel forces – online WHO code activists – are working to protect the WHO code and breastfeeding mothers everywhere. 

Meeting Women Where They Are At Means Using Social Media

Social media represents a revolution in communications that rivals the introduction of the printing press. Ninety-three percent^[1] of the “Millennial Generation” (those born after 1982, who have come of age in a time of dependence upon technology) are communicating online, and in the United States, for example, nearly 3 of 4 are using a social networking Website, such as Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.^[2]  Social media is widely accessed by women 18 – 29, regardless of race, ethnicity, or socio-economic status.

These changes are having a significant impact on how we talk about, learn about, and share information around birth and breastfeeding. More than half of all women responding to one survey expressed their intention to share their birth experience, as it happens, on social media.^[3] Moreover, time online increases after the birth—44% of US women spend more time online after a new baby is born—and the likelihood that a new mother will seek breastfeeding information and support online is high.^[4]

Women Are Seeking Information about Health Care – Including Breastfeeding – Online

Research tell us that health care providers continue to be the “first choice for most people with health concerns, but online resources, including advice from peers, are a significant source of health information in the United States.”^[5] Eighty percent of US Internet users have sought health care information online, and birth and related topics are an area of focus. Consumers using social media are not only seeking information online, but are sharing their knowledge with others. As connectivity soars through increased Internet access and the rise of the smartphone,^[6] so does altruistic sharing of what mothers learn online.^[7]

Formula marketers are fully aware of these changes. As advocates for breastfeeding mothers, we argue that it is our responsibility as advocates to understand these changes. We also can take advantage of unparalleled opportunities social media provides for advocacy organizations to engage in dialogues with mothers and affect change.

What is the WHO Code?

The International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes (commonly called the WHO code) was written with the goal of reducing the impact of predatory marketing worldwide of formula and related products to new and expectant mothers.

The code was written and adopted in 1981 by the World Health Organization by a vote of 118 to 1 (United States was the lone dissenting vote). Thirty two countries have adopted the code as national law, with 76 others adopting portions of the code. Ethically and morally, the code should be considered worldwide, even where it has not yet been adopted as law.^[8]

Despite common misconceptions, the code does not limit access to or use of formula or related products. The code addresses marketing. And for good reason. When marketing spending on formula goes up, breastfeeding rates go down.^[9]

Formula Companies Are Making Significant Investments In Social Media

Savvy institutions understand what we’d teach you in any social media 101 presentation: social media is an unprecedented tool for listening to and engaging with an audience. Nestle has become a leading example of the use of social media both to reach consumers and to manage conflict and dissent.

Nestle is the world’s largest food company and also one of the world’s most controversial.^[10] Nestle was founded on the formulation of artificial infant milk, made of cow’s milk, wheat flour and sugar.^[11]

But they are not alone in their use of social media to reach parents. Research conducted in 2011 – before Nestle doubled their social media budget – found that 10 out 11 brands commonly available in the US have a social media presence. Examples of their use included Facebook pages, Twitter accounts, YouTube channels, mobile apps, sponsored reviews on blogs, and interactive web sites.^[12]

How Do the TOP Breastfeeding Profiles Stack Up?

Nestle and other formula companies have built these audiences using significant budgets. While overall marketing budgets are not generally available, at least $50 million was spent on formula advertising in 2004^[13]  and Nestle has been quoted saying they have doubled their social media spending in recent years.^[14] Compare this to the resources of top breastfeeding organizations, groups like La Leche League International, which is by far the best resourced breastfeeding organization in the US. In 2011, LLL International had total revenues of $1.5 million and spent a little over $115,000 on “public relations, external relations, and advocacy.”^[15]

Other organizations, like KellyMom, BestforBabes, and the relatively new Breastfeeding USA have small budgets and rely largely on volunteer efforts. The result? Although all of these organizations make a significant impact on the women they reach, compare the total number of all of their followers on Facebook – about 145,000 as of this writing – to that of Nestle Good Start at five million followers.^[16] 

Rebel Forces vs the Death Star

Nestle has combined its significant financial resources with social media experts and tools that have made it a shining example of how corporations should handle social media. Nestle’s “Digital Acceleration Team” has a trained staff monitoring each and every mention of Nestle’s brands. Team members identify negative “emerging issues” based on the volume of mentions and respond to those with a high level of engagement using a scripted playbook for team members.^[17]

The Formula Death Star, as it has become known to WHO code activists, can feel overwhelming, both because it limits our capacity to reach families and because it can feel impossible to influence change at the world’s largest food company.

However, Nestle developed these tools in response to their inability to manage an onslaught of angry advocates and consumers on social media. In 2010, Greenpeace activists were able to secure significant changes in how Nestle sources palm oil, all thanks to a YouTube video spoof that garnered over 1.5 million views, along with a resulting social media campaign that netted more than 200,000 e-mail complaints.^[18] Policy change at Nestle based on calls from consumers is possible.

Examples of Efforts to Support the WHO code Online

Although Nestle may have the Death Star, rebel forces are pulling together to provide much needed social media support for the WHO code.

A recent campaign demonstrates the power of using social media tools to organize individuals, even without an official organizing body like Greenpeace. A blog post^[19] exposing that Pan American Health Office – the regional representative in the Americas for the World Health Organization – accepted more than $150,000 in donations from Nestle sparked outrage among activists concerned that the fox was helping to buy the hen house. Within days, a private Facebook group experienced rapid growth to 400 members, now at 900 members as of this writing. Each day, members were given specific action steps, including suggested scripts for tweets directed at PAHO and WHO.^[20] Members provided impromptu trainings on Twitter use and etiquette, researched the money trail, and quickly developed strategy, including a decision to target WHO and call for a rejection of the Nestle funding.

The result: A relatively small group of consumers and advocates – through the use of Facebook and Twitter alone – were able to force the World Health Organization to respond. But more importantly, advocates began to organize and mobilize a group of motivated individuals, who will come to the next battle more organized and prepared to engage. 

How The Rebel Forces Can Defeat The Death Star

As the Greenpeace example shows, social media provides advocates with a unique opportunity to influence how companies do business. With ongoing support to the rebel forces, much-needed pressure can be put on Nestle to change their policies. But this will not come without significant work. Some areas that need support:

• Ongoing consumer support and education around the WHO code. In our anecdotal experience, mothers generally are unaware of the WHO code, or if they are aware, think that it limits access to formula (rather than limiting marketing of breastmilk substitutes). The importance of the WHO code needs to be distilled into social media friendly images and infographics to build awareness and support for future efforts.
• Ongoing education of maternal health advocates. The WHO code impacts more than just breastfeeding. Anyone concerned with infant and maternal health should be aware of and providing support for the adoptions and enforcement of the WHO code worldwide.
• Bring even more social media savvy to the table. After Nestle’s run in with Greenpeace, they brought in a top notch social media strategist to revamp their approach and provide training for the digital engagement team. Nestle uses sophisticated tools to monitor and respond to issues. The Friends of the WHO Code – and any group hoping to use social media for impact – needs people on hand who are savvy in the use of social media and the funding for at least some basic tools to help make the job collaborative.
•  Keep doing what we know best. One the greatest impacts of the PAHO/WHO crisis was to bring together the community that will need to continue to take action. This and other groups need to use traditional community organizing strategies, with social media as the tools they use to create a more level playing field.

Sharon Muza Babies, Breastfeeding, Continuing Education, Guest Posts, Healthy Birth Practices, Healthy Care Practices, Infant Attachment, Newborns, Social Media, Uncategorized Amber McCann, breastfeeding, Jeanette McCulloch, power of social media, Social Media, WHO, World Health Organization

Everyone loves a good conference and birth professionals are no different.  The opportunity to attend a conference, learn about new research, hear current evidence, and acquire new skills, while also networking with other people who share your professional interests is very valuable.  Coming home with information to share with your local colleagues, and apply in your workplace is an added bonus.  There is the additional lure of contact hours and continuing education hours that can be applied towards your certification or licensing requirements.

Science & Sensibility in partnership with Birthswell has created a calendar (with links) of all the upcoming Maternal Health, Birth and Breastfeeding conferences we could find.  We will continually update this list as new ones are added or more information becomes available.  And we are asking for your help! If you have a conference to share with our readers, or you have some updated information on a conference already listed, please use our conference contact form to pass the info along.  We will then make sure to update our information!

You can always find the most updated conference list by clicking on the “calendar” logo that resides in the right hand column of this blog!  That will always take you to the current list!

Did we miss anything for 2013? Have you set your schedule for 2014 and beyond? Share your conference schedule updates here.

2014

April 6-9: NASPOG Annual Meeting, Columbus, OH

2013

November 14-17:  Association of Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology and Health’s  Annual Conference On Birth Psychology in Asilomar, CA

November 6-9:  Birth and Beyond Conference in London, ON, Canada

November 6-8: Perinatal Mental Health Conference, Chicago, IL

November 2 – 6: American Public Health Association Conference in Boston MA

October 25 – 27: CAPPA Anniversary Conference in Destin, FL

October 24 – 27: Midwives Alliance of North America Annual Conference in Portland, OR

October 24 – 25: PSI PMAD Training, Grand Rapids, MI

October 11 – 13: Lamaze Innovative Learning Forum in New Orleans, LA

October 4 – 6: LLL of the Sunshine State Conference in Daytona Beach, FL

September 29 – 30: Bringing Light to Motherhood Training, Los Angeles, CA

September 28-29: VBAC Summit, Miami, FL

September 26 – 29: American Association of Birth Centers Conference in Minneapolis, MN

September 25-26: Midwest Lactation Conference, Indianapolis, IN

September 18-22: Trust Birth Conference in Sydney, Australia

August 29 – 30: PSI PMAD Training, Winfield, IL

August 3: Northwest Area Childbirth Educators Forum, Tualatin (Portland), OR

August 2 -3: Squat Birth Journal Squatfest, San Francisco, CA

July 29-30: Bringing Light to Motherhood Training, Los Angeles, CA

July 26-28: Birth Activist Retreat, Salt Lake City, UT

July 25 – 28: International Lactation Consultant Association Annual Conference, Melbourne, Australia

July 19 – 20: DONA International Virtual Conference 2013, ONLINE

June 21 -22: Postpartum Support International Annual Conference, Minneapolis, MN

June 21 – 22: Inequity In Breastfeeding Support Summit in Seattle, WA

June 20-23: 2013 Tongue-Tie Summit,  Orlando, FL

June 15 – 19: AWHONN Annual Convention in Nashville, TN

June 9: The Importance of Core Strength in the Prenatal and Postnatal Client, Elgin, Illinois

June 7-9: Breastfeeding and PSI of Washingtion Professional Training, Spokane, WA

June 5 – 7: Normal Labour and Birth: 8th Research Conference, Grange Over Sands, English Lake District,
UK
May 30 – June 4: ACNM 58th Annual Meeting in Nashville, TN

May 24 – 26: LLL Regional Conference – Southern California/Nevada Region, Newport Beach, CA

May 22 – 24: ISPOG Conference, Berlin Germany

September 28-29: VBAC Summit, Miami, FL

May 17 – 19: LLL Leader Education Weekend and Parent Day, Denver, CO

May 16 – 19: American Association for the History of Medicine Annual Meeting, Atlanta, GA

May 14: Partners in Perinatal Health 24th Annual Conference, Norwood, MA

May 5 – 6: California Maternal Mental Health Collaborative, Sacramento, CA

May 4 – 8: ACOG 61th Annual Clinical Meeting in New Orleans, LA

May 3 – 5: United States Lactation Consultant Association Annual Conference in St. Louis, MO

May 2 – 3: Baystate Medical Center Lactation Services Annual Breastfeeding Conference, Holyoke, MA

April 26: A Day with Jack Newman Workshop, Bellaire, MI

April 22 – 27th: Christian Midwives International Conference in Savannah, GA

April 22 – May 31: GOLD Online Conference 2013 ONLINE

April 15 – 16: PSI PMAD Training, Indianapolis, IN

April 11 – 12: Perinatal Professionals Consortium, West Jordan, UT

April 6: LLL of Massachusetts/Rhode Island/Vermont Breastfeeding and Parenting Conference, Lowell, MA

April 4 – 5: PSI PMAD Training, Jacksonville, FL

April 3 – 7: Midwifery Today Conference in Eugene, OR.

April 3 – 6: Breastfeeding; The Gold Standard, New Orleans, LA

March 22: REACHE Conference, in Renton, WA

March 20: New Jersey Birth Network Symposium on Birth Practices in New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ

March 21 – 22: 8th Breastfeeding & Feminism Conference, Chapel Hill, NC

March 18: Boston Association for Childbirth Education & Nursing Mother’s Council Breastfeeding Conference, Boxborough, MA

March 6 – April 6: iLactation Conference, Premies, Priorities, and Practice, ONLINE

March 1 – 3: MANA region 1 Conference in Nashua, NH. Contact birthart@metrocast.net for details.

March 1 – 2: CIMS 2013 Forum, Kansas City, MO

February 2-3: When Survivors Give Birth Workshop, Seattle, WA

January 25-26: When Survivors Give Birth Workshop, San Diego, CA

TBA:
9th International Black Midwives and Healers Conference 2013

updated 05/08/13

This list is developed and maintained in partnership with our friends at Birthswell. 

 

 

 

Sharon Muza Breastfeeding, Conference Calendar, Conference Schedule, Continuing Education, Evidence Based Medicine, Lamaze International 2013 Annual Conference, Maternity Care, Social Media, Uncategorized, Webinars Birthswell, Conference Calendar, Lamaze International, Lamaze International 2013 Annual Conference, Sharon Muza

 

Lamaze International wants to share some opportunities for paid positions and volunteer tasks that you may be interested in.  Lamaze International is a leader in childbirth education offerings and is well respected amongst consumers and professionals alike.  Do you want to get more involved?  Work with leaders in the field and make a positive contribution to improving birth outcomes with your efforts?

Lead Nurse Planner- Compensated Position

Lamaze International is searching for a Lead Nurse Planner to work as an independent contractor to manage its ANCC Accredited Approved Provider Unit for continuing nursing education. This is a prime opportunity for an experienced nurse planner who would like to take an active role in high-level planning for Lamaze educational activities, including development of content, objectives and evaluations and reporting, working hand-in-hand with education related committees/task forces and the education staff team. For more information on the requirements, detailed job description and compensation, please click here. Interested applicants should submit a letter describing qualifications and a current resume to Linda Harmon, Executive Director at director@lamaze.org by December 15, 2012.

Volunteer Positions

Nurse Planner- to serve on the Approved Provider Planning Committee, contact Kacy Reams

Giving Birth With Confidence Blog guest writers – contact Cara Terreri, Giving Birth With Confidence community manager

Social Media Networkers- If you hang out on Twitter, Facebook or your own blog, consider helping out Lamaze International as well, Please contact Tim Hendrickson to express your interest.

Translators –  familiar with Spanish, Russian, Mandarin, Czech and Romanian languages, to update Lamaze Care Practice Papers.  This position earns recertification hours! Contact Jeanne Mendelson.

Inside Childbirth Education Content Contributors- Share your tips and success stories! Contact the Inside Childbirth Education editor.

Certification Exam Item Writers – If you are an LCCE, consider submitting exam questions to the Certification Committee for review and receive recertification hours.

If any of these paid or volunteer positions are something that peaks your interest, please inquire and consider giving of your time and energy!  Lamaze International and the parents that rely on our evidenced based information will surely benefit.  Check out the Lamaze International link for more information on ALL these positions.

 

 

Sharon Muza Childbirth Education, Continuing Education, Lamaze News, Social Media Continuing Education, Lamaze International, Nurse Planner, Sharon Muza, Volunteer