Human Lactation

• If you're thinking of taking Pathway 1 of the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners’ (IBCLE) examination, this module will provide in excess of the 95 hours of specific lactation education the exam requires.
• If you work with infants, this will elevate your training further to support, train, and teach parents and colleagues.

Course content
The module covers a range of topics over seven subject areas relevant to the lactating parent and feeding infant.

You'll explore the science of lactation: anatomy, physiology, and pathology of mother and infant; facilitating and assessing the initiation of lactation and feeding; biochemistry of human milk and nutrition; and medications in breastmilk.

You'll explore how to manage breastfeeding complications: maternal challenges such as nipple pain or breast pain and feeding multiples; infant challenges such as hypoglycaemia and low weight gain; breastfeeding devices and expression of milk; and longer-term breastfeeding and induced lactation and re-lactation.

Lastly, you'll explore professional issues: inviting you to explore counselling, communication, and culturally sensitive care; public health, ethics, and research; promotion, protection of breastfeeding; and providing support to modern families.

Study online using our virtual learning environment. You'll work through the units and undertake a formative multiple-choice exam, online, to assess your learning and highlight areas of further study.

Assessment includes a summative multiple-choice exam, and four 500-word critical reflections upon how the knowledge you've gained will be best used in practice. The exam will prepare you for the IBCLC exam, should you choose to take it.

What our students say

"I have thoroughly enjoyed the course and learned a huge amount throughout. The content has kept it interesting and informative and developed my knowledge and confidence in the world of lactation."

"I felt the course was incredibly interesting and I learnt so much."

"I feel this course offers far greater depth and feels much better preparation for practice and the [IBCLC] exam."

"I have learned a great deal and significantly expanded my knowledge, which has already been beneficial in my infant feeding role."

"I have recently accepted a position as a midwifery lecturer where the knowledge I have gained in this course will be extremely valuable".