Breastfeeding Trainings

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Breastfeeding Essentials for Community Partners

The training will provide basic knowledge on composition of human milk, physiology of milk production, maternal and infant assessment, latch on and positioning, normal breastfeeding, documentation, counseling skills, breastfeeding challenges, milk supply issues, medication concerns and promotion of breastfeeding.

Location and Dates of 2025 Training:
To be announced. Dates will be in late summer 2025.

For information about a prerequisite course for the IBLCE Exam Prep course or information about courses needed to qualify as a Breastfeeding Friendly WIC Clinic, contact Lisa Schlientz at Lisa.Schlientz@health.mo.gov.

Click here to register

Lactation Education Training-IBCLC Prep Courses

Presented by: WIC and Nutrition Services and Community Health and Wellness, made possible by funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Office on Women’s Health.

Level 1 Lactation Training: In-person, in Arnold, MO-June 9-13, 2025 at the Drury Inn & Suites St. Louis Arnold.

This course will provide prospective lactation consultants, other health professionals and community lactation supporters with lactation and breastfeeding information that is practical, current and evidence-based.

Level 1 is an introductory course to lactation practice and will cover topics such as normal infant nutrition, growth and development, anatomy and physiology of breastfeeding, breastfeeding assessment, common infant and maternal breastfeeding issues, composition of human milk and comparison to manufactured infant formula, social and biological considerations for lactation support, information literacy, legal and ethical concerns and other topics. This course will provide 45 of the 90 lactation specific education hours needed to sit for the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBLCE) exam.

Level 2, scheduled to be offered in 2026, will cover advanced lactation topics such as variations in maternal and infant anatomy and physiology, endocrinology, the physiology of transfer of substances into milk, lactation management in special situations, infectious diseases, IBLCE exam preparation and other topics. Level 2 will provide another 45 hours of lactation specific education for the IBLCE exam, completing the required 90 hours.

Due to the intensity and cumulative nature of this course, please register only if you will be able to attend all five days and complete the pre-course material. Partial credit for attendance will not be given. Students should expect to complete reading and online material prior to the in-person course and an end of class exam in order to qualify for all CERPs. This course is open to a wide variety of hospital staff, midwives, doulas, WIC staff, La Leche League leaders and community lactation supporters working in Missouri. Due to funding limitations, out-of-state registrations will not be approved.

Goal:

  • To provide prospective lactation consultants, other health professionals and community lactation supporters with lactation and breastfeeding information that is practical, current and evidence-based. This course and the following course will prepare attendees to sit for the IBLCE exam.

Important Information:

  • There is no charge for this training, but you must be registered in order to attend.
  • The Level 1 course will cover fundamentals of breastfeeding and is appropriate for most learners. Advanced concepts will be covered in the Level 2 course offered in 2026.
  • This program has been submitted for CERP approval to the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBLCE).
  • There will be work required outside of the classroom setting to attain all continuing education credit. Partial credit will not be given.
Click here to register