To assist your facility in meeting the staff breastfeeding training components, DSHS offers free onsite breastfeeding training and low-cost, nationally recognized regional trainings. Due to the increased demand, there may be an extended wait for the free onsite trainings. All trainings provide Continuing Education credit for various health-care disciplines. The DSHS breastfeeding courses are updated on an annual basis. Therefore, staff is required to retake breastfeeding courses at least every five years in order to stay current with evidence-based practices, research, and initiatives.
The two DSHS breastfeeding trainings listed below are currently available in six Texas locations each year:
Principles of Lactation Management Participants will be able to counsel families about the benefits of breastfeeding, assist mothers in managing common breastfeeding problems, make appropriate referrals, teach breastfeeding classes, prepare breastfeeding materials, and support breastfeeding through breastfeeding-friendly policies and procedures.
Lactation Counseling and Problem Solving This course is designed for health professionals who counsel breastfeeding mothers, and wishes to improve problem-solving skills. The emphasis is in critical thinking and the helping process. It is an intermediate level course and is activity oriented. Course content is reviewed on a regular basis by the authors in accordance with the Standards of Practice set forth by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBLCE).
**Full completion of BOTH trainings will assist your facility staff to fulfill the 15 hour didactic training components required through the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI). Areas of instruction that are NOT addressed in DSHS trainings include the 5 hours of supervised skills/ clinical competencies required by BFHI:
- Communicating with pregnant and postpartum women about infant feeding
- Observing and assisting with breastfeeding
- Teaching hand expression and safe storage of milk
- Teaching safe formula preparation and feeding
The following DSHS breastfeeding trainings can be scheduled on-site:
Breastfeeding Management Course content includes advantages of breastfeeding, composition of human milk, anatomy and physiology of breastfeeding, skin–to-skin contact, latch on and positioning, common problems impacting breastfeeding, maternal nutrition during lactation, maintaining milk production while separated from infant, medications and lactation, and overview of the Texas Ten Step and Mother-Friendly Worksite programs.
Breastfeeding the Compromised Infant This course uses current scientific data that supports breastfeeding the premature or otherwise compromised infant. The course will enable health-care providers in assisting mothers of these infants to establish a supply of breastmilk for the infant’s successful transition to the breast, resulting in improved health outcomes for these fragile infants and their mothers.
Managing Breastfeeding Complications Course content highlights the most common maternal and infant health complications that occur after the first 14 days and lead to early cessation of breastfeeding as well as recommendations for addressing these complications. Course participants will be able to develop a plan of care to address complications and enable the mother to continue breastfeeding.
**Physician Training: Supporting Breastfeeding When Challenges Occur:
(class availability dependent on Physician-led instructor schedule)
This training provides physicians with an update on breastfeeding management, focusing on scientific research-based practices supportive of successful breastfeeding, postpartum influences on breastfeeding, and maternal medications. A minimum of 20 physicians in attendance is required to schedule training.
