Lactation After Infant Loss: The Role of Lactation in the Social, Emotional, and Physical Dimensions of Grieving Infant Death by Facilitating and Companioning the Mother's Identity as a Parent

Description

Infant loss is a growing public health tragedy impacting mothers every 16 minutes across America. Families face complex grief, trauma, stigma, and the physical challenges of the fourth trimester without an infant. Relieving the pain of lactation challenges can be one of the first compassionate support services grieving parents receive, setting the pace for their grief journey, learning to facilitate companioning using evidenced-based strategies and shared decision-making steps in supporting lactation after infant death.

Hot Topics in Breastfeeding is a lactation education series for local WIC agencies, health departments, hospitals and healthcare professionals offered via Webex once a quarter. Each session will focus on a topic related to lactation management and care of the breastfeeding dyad. This series receives funding and is hosted by the Region I WIC LATCH (Lactation Area Training Center for Health) and will feature guest speakers on assorted topics related to lactation. Every October is recognized as Infant Loss Awareness month.

Target Audience

Healthcare Professionals, Health Department Staff, Nurses, Nutritionists, Social Workers

Objectives

At the end of the presentation, the learner will be able to:

• Companion at a time of infant death
• Describe the impact of infant death on lactating people
• Facilitate shared decision-making for the family experiencing infant loss
• Assist the parent to find purpose through milk donation

Faculty

• Katherine Hyde-Hensley, PsyD, LCMHC, PMH-C, LCAS