WALC

Monday, Feb. 18, 2019

The United States Lactation Consultant Association (USLCA) has adopted new organizational guiding principles. The development of this new foundational profile, that includes USLCA’s Mission, Vision and Values, follows a year of organizational reflection and examination and reflect the beginning of an evolution of the association.

“Like healthcare and community health professionals in virtually every healthcare discipline, lactation care providers are experiencing the everchanging landscape of healthcare in our country,” Executive Director, Danielle Harmon said. “USLCA leadership recognized this and set a course for the future with a refreshed focus and purpose in order to continue to thrive both as a profession and as a professional association.”

Over the past year, USLCA’s board and executive leadership conducted research to help guide the association to a path forward to create more relevancy in serving both today’s membership and the new members it will work to attract. The research also provided insight on the future value of building stronger relationships and meaningful collaboration among professional peer groups and the broader family healthcare team, which USLCA believes will lead to greater recognition of the important role of lactation care providers across all communities.

Who are we?
The United States Lactation Consultant Association is a leader in advancing the lactation profession and advocates for the valuable contribution of lactation care providers on the healthcare team and other community health settings. A trusted source of continuing education and professional development, USLCA and its members strive to improve the health and well-being of children and families.

What is our mission?
USLCA exists to support the advancement of the lactation profession and lactation care providers for the health of families across the country.

What is our vision?
Families in every community will have access to professional lactation care to form a foundation for a lifetime of optimal health and wellness.

As an organization, what are our core values?
The U.S. Lactation Consultants Association is a:
Leader in advancing the community of lactation care providers through professional development, mentoring and advocacy;
Welcoming, inclusive, member-driven association providing opportunities for professional development and advancement of all lactation care providers;
Trusted source of relevant information;
Advocate for lactation care providers and the important role they have on the healthcare team;
Connector to and convener of other organizations and individuals which seek to improve the health and well-being of families everywhere.

Our 2019 WALC Conference is quickly approaching!  The deadline for Early Bird registration is February 1st – (register online or postmark your mail-in registration by the 1st).  See our website for more conference information and registration – walc.net  

9:30 a.m, for details and on-line registration, http://www.walc.net Meetings. “Low Milk Supply Strategies” Anne Eglash, MD.

You won’t want to miss this opportunity!  Location: UnityPoint Health-Meriter, McConnell Hall, across the street from the hospital, Classroom 9, park in the hospital ramp.  Check under “Next Meeting” for more details and registration.

Hope to see you there!

Hi WALC Members,

October 25, 2018 -Northwestern WI Breast-feeding Conference in Eau Claire, WI with Nancy Mohrbacher and Summer Kelly.

2018 NWBN Conference brochure FINAL

In solidarity with thousands of individuals and many organizations across the United States of America and the world, the U.S. Lactation Consultant Association calls on lawmakers to end immediately the forced separation of children from their parents at the U.S. border. This unnecessary practice is harmful to both adults and their children, and no justification for this practice should be prioritized above the health and well-being of human beings.

As International Board-Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs), we work daily alongside many more breastfeeding advocates and providers of health care to support and ensure optimal health of pregnant people, parents, infants, children, and the general public through education about and assistance with breastfeeding. The IBCLC is an expert in infant feeding and is responsible to uphold scientific, evidence-informed theory and practice that is free from conflict of interest, be it financial, academic, personal, political, or otherwise.

Separation of children from their parents creates barriers to breastfeeding and safe infant feeding, and to our knowledge, no IBCLCs have been contacted with regard to how to appropriately feed infants away from their parents, to support and protect continued lactation in lactating persons who do not have access to their children for breastfeeding, or any general information about infant and young child feeding in national emergencies, natural disasters, or humanitarian crises. It is critical to understand that globally, children breastfeed far beyond infancy and that this practice is important to the health of families and the general public. The abrupt removal of the opportunity to be breastfed or to express breast milk has serious health consequences for infants, toddlers, and their lactating parents, and USLCA firmly opposes this practice in all circumstances. In addition, all major health organizations with policies about infant feeding call for the use of pasteurized donor human milk in all situations where their own parent’s milk is not available; the use of safely prepared infant formula for all children under the age of 12 months is only recommended when neither their own parent’s milk nor pasteurized donor human milk are available.

USLCA calls for the immediate and rapid reunification of families who have been separated from each other, as well as the provision of appropriate health care and support for all persons who have been directly affected by the practice of forced separation. This includes comprehensive health consultation for all facets of physiological and mental health, as well as support for resuming breastfeeding, milk expression, and education and support to ensure safe infant and young child feeding.

We received many interesting and ambitious grant applications this year! Lactation support is growing in our area and we are fortunate to have so many people supporting breastfeeding families!

This year WALC is supporting the following agencies and programs –

The Mother’s Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes – A High Capacity Shaking Water Bath and Thermometer

Milk Depot at 9th Street Wellness Center in Green Bay – Purchase of a Freezer

Breastfeeding Alliance of Northeast Wisconsin (BFAN) – Support for a focus group to determine what is preventing mothers in the community from reaching their breastfeeding goals.

Washington Ozaukee Breastfeeding Coalition – Workplace Breastfeeding Initiative

African American Breastfeeding Network – Community Breastfeeding Gatherings

Family Health/La Clinica – Breastfeeding Education and Support materials for local support group

Fond du Lac County WIC/Public Health – Workplace Breastfeeding Initiative

Full Moon Rising – Local breastfeeding promotion and support

Thank you for all you do to support breastfeeding families!

We are seeking nominations for the Secretary Position on the Board.

Thank you to Lisa Brock for your service to WALC and the Lactation Community as Secretary! Lisa has been elected to the USLCA Board and has stepped down from her position as WALC Board Secretary. Thank you for all you’ve done for mothers, families and WALC, Lisa!

Secretary is an elected Board position and we are taking nominations. You can nominate yourself or another WALC member. Send nominations to WALC President, Allison Laverty Montag at allisonlavmon@gmail.com. Please share this with anyone you think will be interested.

Secretary duties:
Take Minutes at our WALC Board meetings and WALC Business Meetings.
Board meets before our regularly scheduled WALC meetings:
3rd Friday of January
3rd Tuesday of May
3rd Friday of September
2nd Tuesday of November
We often meet the evening before these dates when the Board agenda is longer (commonly January and May meetings). (Anticipate two overnight meetings per year.)
Submit minutes to Board for review and post on website within 2 weeks of meeting.

Please contact Allison with questions allisonlavmon@gmail.com

It’s not too late to join us for the May 15th WALC meeting.  We are showing a USCLA Webinar on Tongue Tie with Alison Hazelbaker, Annette Skowronski, and Catherine Watson Genna.  2L CERPs.  RSVP to Diane Oakland at  doakland@thebirthhospital.org if you would like to attend.  More information is available on our website – walc.net

Please check out our meeting page for information on our upcoming meeting. We have some exciting plans for upcoming speakers. Stay tuned for more info!