National Breastfeeding Month (in the USA) is ongoing and the first week of August saw World Breastfeeding Week offer the international perspective, while the last week of August will focus on Black Breastfeeding Week. The 2016 World Breastfeeding Week theme is Breastfeeding: A Key to Sustainable Development. Science & Sensibility has been covering this topic all month.

Today I would like to share some of my favorite online resources for the birth professional, doula, childbirth educator, lactation consultant, midwife, L&D nurse or physician. These are valuable resources that I use during breastfeeding class, with birth doula clients one on one or when I need to find information for my own professional needs. Some are meant to be shared with consumers and others are more appropriate for the professional.

1. The Journal of Human Lactation (JHL) is making available ten essential articles to everyone - FREE through 1 September 2016 in honor of World Breastfeeding Week - though the access continues all month.

Read the following JHL articles-free through 1 September 2016!*

1. Suck-Swallow-Breathe Dynamics in Breastfed Infants
2. Weighing the Facts: A Systematic Review of Expected Patterns of Weight Loss in Full-Term, Breastfed Infants
3. Therapeutic Breast Massage in Lactation for the Management of Engorgement, Plugged Ducts, and Mastitis
4. Behavior of the Newborn during Skin-to-Skin
5. Breastfeeding Duration and Primary Reasons for Breastfeeding Cessation among Women with Postpartum Depressive Symptoms
6. Breastfeeding Self-efficacy: A Critical Review of Available Instruments
7. Transfer of Methamphetamine (MA) into Breast Milk and Urine of Postpartum Women who Smoked MA Tablets during Pregnancy: Implications for Initiation of Breastfeeding
8. Cultural Determinants of Optimal Breastfeeding Practices among Indigenous Mam-Mayan Women in the Western Highlands of Guatemala
9. Effect of Cup Feeding and Bottle Feeding on Breastfeeding in Late Preterm Infants: A Randomized Controlled Study
10. Self-Reported Reasons for Breastfeeding Cessation among Low-Income Women Enrolled in a Peer Counseling Breastfeeding Support Program

Journal of Human Lactation is the official journal of the International Lactation Consultant Assocation (ILCA). It is a quarterly, peer-reviewed journal publishing original research, insights in practice and policy, commentaries, and case reports relating to research and practice in human lactation and breastfeeding. JHL is relevant to lactation professionals in clinical practice, public health, research, and a broad range of fields related to the trans-disciplinary field of human lactation.

2. Kellymom.com is a consumer friendly resource for families feeding babies and beyond. You and parents can search for a plethora of information on most any topic imaginable pertaining to infant feeding and every article has links to additional useful resources. A very user friendly website that I like to share with new families.

3. Stanford Medicine videos - there are a total of four that you should explore. 1) Hand Expressing Milk, 2) A Perfect Latch, 3) Maximizing Milk Production, and 4) Early Initiation of Breastfeeding. I think every parent should be taught how to hand express milk, and this particular video along with the others are evidence based, simple, short and very effective to supplement the information that you share with parents.

4. Ameda Latch On Video. While this is an "oldie but goodie", it is still a perennial favorite of mine. This short six minute video has wonderful animation showing the baby's latch on the breast, including the placement of the nipple in the baby's mouth. It really helps families understand how much tissue needs to go into the baby's mouth and how to get a good latch.

5. Janelle Durham's Hunger Cues Video. Janelle Durham is a very talented local colleague of mine and a talented doula and childbirth educator and CBE trainer. She edited this concise and useful video that demonstrates a baby's hunger cues. An excellent visual of what new parents can expect when their baby is hungry.

6. Lactnet Listserve. This resource is free and just jam packed with information. I am more of a "lurker" on this site, where I do a lot of reading but don't comment. It is composed mostly of IBCLCs from around the world and I always learn so much. The listserve is an "old school" but internationally friendly service that has over 20 years of archives. The archives are searchable which makes them so valuable.

7. Breastfeeding Medicine, the peer-reviewed journal of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine is offering five high impact articles free to all during the month of August.

What are your favorite free resources for professionals (and consumers?) on the topic of breastfeeding? Please share with me and S&S readers in the comments section.

Published: August 18, 2016

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