Hi friend, I’m Christine, an IBCLC in California. Here, on my Substack, I share what I’ve picked up over my 23+ years working and volunteering in lactation care & support. I write and record a podcast about my personal stories of motherhood, my professional insights from teaching and coaching hundreds of aspiring and current lactation care providers, and things I think can help you on your journey to making breastfeeding and lactation better for others.

Come on in, sit a while and read or listen, and join me in musing about how we can change the world a little bit at a time. It’s better when we do this work together.

There’s no substitute for learning about breastfeeding and lactation in a peer breastfeeding support group.

Facts and knowledge are critical.

Clinical experience one-on-one is critical.

A background in another health discipline can make a great entry point, though not necessary.

But if you’ve never sat in a breastfeeding peer support group, listening and observing, all of those things aren’t fully integrated.

If you don’t know the people in your own community who support your patients and clients AFTER they get lactation support from you, you’re missing a crucial piece of information.

You don’t know what you’re missing.

Take a listen to this episode to hear more about why this learning opportunity is not to be missed by anyone who is entering the field, new to the field, or needing a refresher after years in the field.

Links mentioned in this episode:

* Pathways to IBCLC© Credential

* Baby Café Bakersfield

* My book, Evolving the Modern Breastfeeding Experience: Holistic Lactation Care in the First 100 Hours

* My course, Holistic Lactation Care in the First 100 Hours: A Masterclass in Early Lactation Care

Thanks for reading Evolve Lactation! This post is public so feel free to share it.

If this spoke to you, I'd love for you to help it grow by sharing it with a colleague or friend who would appreciate it!

* Follow or subscribe to Evolve Lactation podcast

* Rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts

* Download Peer Support Observation Checklist PDF

Evolve Lactation is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

It started with a Reel on Instagram.

Then it became a plan for a conversation about the differences and the shared mission of hospital-based IBCLCs and private practice IBCLCs.

On this episode of the Evolve Lactation Podcast, I am joined by Nicole Longmire, MPH, IBCLC, PMH-C and LeeAnn Contreras, BSN, RN, IBCLC for an enlightening and empowering conversation about this challenging topic.

Buckle up as we take you through the bumpy journey of a family from pregnancy to labor & birth through the earliest days of lactation and on to the rest of it…and what families need to know about how lactation consultants in all of those spaces can make it smoother.

Evolve Lactation is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Here are the links that we mentioned in the episode:

Global MilCom

BreastfeedingUSA

Nicole Longmire, Mother Nurture Consulting, LLC

IBCLC Commission

Inland Empire Breastfeeding Coalition

California Breastfeeding Summit

University of North Carolina, Carolina Global Breastfeeding Institute

Baby-Friendly USA

WIC (The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, & Children) in the US

Baby Café Bakersfield

The First 100 Hours

Thanks for joining us at Evolve Lactation! This post is public so feel free to share it.

If my sisters have struggled with milk production, will I have a problem?

Join me in the Lactation Consultant's Inbox as I discuss a question about the link between milk production and genetics. We'll talk about why getting advice from a trusted, professional source is crucial because family and friends might unknowingly share misinformation. It's important to work with a professional to assess personal risk factors and learn specific information about milk production when you are planning to breastfeed.

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with someone else who needs to hear it, and while you're here, please subscribe to the podcast and leave a review so that others can find out about it!

Why hire a lactation consultant if you can just look up breastfeeding information online?

Join me in the Lactation Consultant's Inbox as I discuss why people still need lactation consultants despite the abundance of information on the internet. We'll talk about the ways people access information and how they have changed significantly with the internet, compared to the early 2000s when they relied on books, magazines, and healthcare providers. We'll discuss the importance of understanding these changes to market lactation consulting services in today's information-rich environment effectively.

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with someone else who needs to hear it, and while you're here, please subscribe to the podcast and leave a review so that others can find out about it!

Learn more at my website, www.christinestaricka.com

Evolve Lactation with Christine Staricka IBCLC is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

As healthcare workers, we should not be creating drama in the first days of breastfeeding.

When you’re a parent in the throes of learning to breastfeed your new baby, it’s normal to have questions, doubts, concerns, and anxieties.

But if you’re a healthcare worker, you should have a solid understanding of the fundamentals of human lactation; you should be able to avoid adding to the confusion or struggle.

Join me on this episode of the Evolve Lactation Podcast where I discuss the vision, the mission, and the realities of early lactation support. (You can click Transcript above to read it if you prefer.)

Thank you for reading Evolve Lactation with Christine Staricka IBCLC. This post is public so feel free to share it.

Have you read my new book, Evolving the Modern Breastfeeding Experience: Holistic Lactation Care in the First 100 Hours? It is now available at this link.

You may also be interested in my Free Guide to the 3 Best Questions to Ask in the First 100 Hours. Grab your copy here!

I’d love to hear your feedback in the Comments after you’ve listened. Please share your experiences so we can keep the conversation going!

I wrote a book about early lactation care, but not everyone is going to like it.

Many health care providers are going to have a hard time with this approach, even though it’s entirely evidence-based.

Join me on this episode of the Evolve Lactation Podcast where I read a chapter from my new book, Evolving the Modern Breastfeeding Experience: Holistic Lactation Care in the First 100 Hours.

The book is available now at this link.

You may also be interested in this free guide to the 3 Best Questions to Ask in the First 100 Hours. Grab yours here!

If you work with someone who has a really hard time advocating for breastfeeding, this might be the episode (and the book!) they need.

A clear understanding of breastfeeding and milk production is critical, but even that is not enough for people who have a bias against breastfeeding.

Healthcare providers have an obligation to advocate for protocols that are known to result in healthier outcomes, and breastfeeding is one of the most important health behaviors for both mothers and babies.

In this chapter of the book, I explain why so many people seem to resist advocating for breastfeeding, even some lactation care providers.

If you enjoyed this episode of The Evolve Lactation Podcast, please leave a review AND share it with a friend!

Thank you for reading Evolve Lactation with Christine Staricka IBCLC. This post is public so feel free to share it.

Hold on to your hats - this is a long, amazing, wide-ranging conversation!

I’ve been following the blooming IBCLC career of Nicole Longmire (@MotheringNurtured on IG) for several years now on social media.

Last week I reached out to her to praise her for a post she made that really resonated with me, and before I knew it, we were each in front of our podcasting microphones, pressing record.

In this conversation, we talk about so many things:

* mentorship of aspiring lactation consultants

* The First 100 Hours and my book

* our thoughts on the relevance of the WHO Code today

* ethics

* lactation career growth

* and so much more

Come along with me and Nicole for this important conversation!

Evolve Lactation with Christine Staricka IBCLC is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

If you’d like to learn more about (and from!) Nicole, check out these links:

Visit Nicole’s Website Here

Follow Nicole on Instagram

Subscribe to Nicole’s Podcast

The Milk Shakes Podcast Is Here

Mentioned in the Episode:

My New Book, due to release on April 2, 2024

Evolving the Modern Breastfeeding Experience: Holistic Lactation Care in the First 100 Hours