BfMedPCP Resource Hub now accessible via app! Scroll down for links to download.
This month we're excited to relaunch our community as the BfMedPCP Resource Hub: a central place for resources to support YOU, as you work toward improved lactation care at your practice.
You already have access to the Resource Hub if you have completed the First Weeks Course or have completed our lactation consultant/primary care provider breastfeeding support survey. (Already a member? Click Here to check out the revamped Resource Hub!)
Our Resource Hub provides:
- A 15 minute introductory video on Team-Based Lactation Consultant/Primary Care Provider care
- A downloadable sample Practice Change Proposal "Optimizing Breastfeeding Support" that you can edit with your practice-specific information and share with practice administration. This sample proposal illustrates the pieces of information to gather to support your reasoning and the feasibility for expanding breastfeeding support at your clinic
- An introductory pdf Team-Based Care: Starting the Conversation about Primary Care Breastfeeding Support. This pdf introduces the topic and importance of primary care breastfeeding support and can be a place to start discussing options.
- Links with billing resources for practices and pdfs of our research articles.
- Lactation professional resources, including United States Lactation Consultant Association's overview of "Who's Who" in breastfeeding support with an overview of required training.
And, most importantly, our Resource Hub remains a place to ask questions for your specific practice setting and learn from others' questions!
Did you know that Kajabi has an app? The Kajabi Mobile App provides ready access to the Resource Hub as well as your courses, all in one location.
Join our Resource Hub after a brief survey to download the full & editable version of our Practice Change Proposal Template, along with so much more, today!
Get access to the Resource Hub for FREE
Research Updates
Building breastfeeding knowledgeable health
systems: Focus groups with physician leaders
- This qualitative study reports on focus group findings from Breastfeeding & Lactation Medicine providers working at large health systems in the United States.
- The findings highlight the opportunity for health systems to model breastfeeding supportive practices and the influence of both leadership and staff personal breastfeeding experiences on health system policies.
- Barriers to breastfeeding knowledgeable health care systems (nice infographic in the paper to check out!) reported include: health care providers who had a negative personal experience with breastfeeding, lack of leadership support, fragmented support rather than multi-disciplinary, institutional barriers to hiring of lactation professionals with racial/ethnic concordance with patients, as well as insurance and funding barriers.
Perception, Barriers, and Facilitators to Obtaining the International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) Certification Among Current and Aspiring IBCLCs in the United States
-
While International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) is considered a gold standard for lactation care there is a limited number of IBCLCs to provide care in the United States and a lack of diversity amongst IBCLCs.
-
The study sampled 20 individuals having obtained or in the process of obtaining their IBCLC.
- Barriers to the certification included high monetary costs, difficulty finding mentorship, balancing multiple responsibilities, gatekeeping, a lack of standardization in training, insurance and compensation issues, and exam preparation and anxiety.
- Facilitators included personal motivation and passion, supportive mentorship,scholarships and financial aid, strong networking, and flexible learning options.
Lactation Care Management: Advancing Rural Health Equity With an Integrated Care Delivery Model
- This study adapted the Transition Care Model (TCM) and designed a TCM model led by an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) experienced in rural health care to provide ongoing breastfeeding support.
- Families were enrolled in the 3rd trimester and followed through 6 months. The IBCLC met in person 3rd trimester, during hospital stay, approximately 5 days postpartum and at 1 month, 3 month and 6 months postpartum via phone or in person as needed.
- The model of care resulted in human milk feeding initiation and duration rates beyond New York State reported rates and HealthyPeople 2030 goals.
- The authors concluded integrated IBCLC into health teams was positive, helped address infrastructure needs, improved lactation outcomes and patient satisfaction.
- from Journal of Human Lactation, 2026
Helpful Resources
- Billing challenges: If you bill for delivery, global/bundling rules make it challenging to bill separately for breastfeeding services. Check out this recent summary about United Health Care denying additional breastfeeding support services by listing them as included in bundled care for delivery
- Guide to Strategies to Support Breastfeeding Families, from CDC
- How to Become an IBCLC, from IBCLC Commission
Responses