International Lactation Consultant Association

Annual conference: the Association's annual conference is the premier Lactation education and professional development event of the year. The conference provides a learning environment for Lactation professionals, midwives, child and family health nurses, general practitioners, physicians, dieticians and nutritionists, breastfeeding counselors, researchers, pharmacists, nurses, doulas, policy advocates, and other advocates who assist mothers and babies with breastfeeding. The Association provides continuing education for Lactation consultants, nurses, and physicians. The 2021 annual conference offered up to 23 contact hours as well as networking opportunities with colleagues around the world and access to committee meetings and other groups.

Publications and communications: the Association provides resources for its members and others who care for breastfeeding mothers and infants that can be purchased from the Association's online store or may be available as downloads. The Association's other publications and communications include position papers, standards of practice, and clinical guidelines as well as materials that can be used to promote the Lactation Consultant profession.

The journal of human Lactation, the official journal of the Association, is a quarterly, peer-reviewed multi-disciplinary journal publishing original research related to all aspects of human Lactation and breastfeeding behavior, non-research articles on policy and practice issues relevant to the practicing Lactation Consultant and other health professionals who assist lactating mothers or their breastfeeding infants, and columns and commentaries that discuss relevant current issues in the Lactation field. Jhl is consistent with International ethical standards in publishing and Lactation. Jhl editorial staff mentors International researchers, offering both technical and english language editing.

The Association's educational mission is to advance the International board certified Lactation Consultant (ibclc) profession worldwide through professional development. The Association provides Lactation professionals with innovative education and networking and provides access to and interpretation of Lactation research. In 2021, the Association's annual conference disseminated reserach related to human Lactation and encouraged its integration into clinical practice; faciliatated greater development of cultural humility among Lactation specialists; promoted ethical, evidence- based practice that projects the well-being of breastfeeding dyads in diverse contexts; promoted breastfeeding as the biological norm for feeding and nurturing infants and young children; promoted equitable across to breastfeeding, breastfeeding support, and the ibclc profession; promoted support of families' informed decisions regarding breastfeeding; and promoted breastfeeding-supportive practices in healthcare, social service, and community settings. The Association also provided a wide variety of opportunities for earning continuing education units including live and recorded webinars and conference sessions as well as independent study modules. These units help ibclcs, nurses, physicians, and other professional meet the educational requirements of the accrediting and licensing bodies that govern their professions.