Lactation & Breastfeeding Online Course(s) & Continuing Education

Heidi Lam is a private practice IBCLC and La Leche League Leader in Hong Kong. She tandem nurse her two daughters and have more then 8 years of breastfeeding experience. She was accredited as La Leche League Leader in 2009. In 2010, to she was awarded the Trudi Szallasi Memorial Scholarship from Health-e-learning.com to complete a one year course on lactation medicine. In 2011, she was qualified as International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. Her job focus mainly on home visits to clients and running breastfeeding classes. Heidi is also active in promoting breastfeeding and was often interviewed by parenting magazines and other media in Hong Kong. Heidi was a Hong Kong delegate to spoke at the Susuibu.com International Lactation Conference 2010 in Malaysia. She also speaks regularly at local breastfeeding support groups.

Dr. Amal El Taweel is a graduate of Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, class of 1986. She obtained the Masters of Pediatrics in 1992 from Faculty of Medicine, Cairo university, and the Doctorate of Pediatrics from Al Azhar university in 2002. She became an IBCLC in 2003. Since 2004 she has been providing a pre-exam course for the Egyptian Lactation Consultants' Association of which she is a board member, treasurer and education coordinator. This program has been helping hundreds of Egyptian and Arab health care providers to certify as IBCLCs. She is also a member of the Advisory committee of IBFAN Arab world since 2012. She is a member of ILCA since 2008 and a member of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM) since 2009. She became a fellow and Board member of ABM in 2021.

Dr. Fayrouz Essawy is a pediatrician, neonatology consultant, an international board-certified lactation consultant, Neonatology Egyptian fellowship trainer, a baby friendly health initiative coordinator and Associate alumni, Harvard medical school. Fayrouz works as a neonatologist in El Mounira NICU. In 2016, she joined the LCCC course as a trainer, lecturer and course developer to train and qualify the medical team for IBCLC certification under the auspices of ELCA along with her work as a lactation consultant and a baby Friendly Coordinator and Trainer for a 20-hour course since 2019 in Rofayda maternity Hospital. She became a Neonatology Egyptian Fellowship trainer in 2020. She received the Egypt TOT (Training of Trainers), Harvard Medical School in 2020, and Research Training for Egyptian Researchers, Harvard Medical School in 2021. She is a member of the Egyptian Society of Pediatrics, the Egyptian lactation consultant association (ELCA), the academy of breastfeeding medicine (ABM) and the international lactation consultant Association (ILCA)

Dr. Yvonne LeFort has been a family physician for over 25 years and is based in Auckland New Zealand. She is a graduate of Dalhousie Medical School and University of Calgary Family Medicine in Canada. She is a Fellow of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine since 2013.

She has been involved in helping breastfeeding mothers and babies for 18 years. Her specific interest in tongue tie and its management was nurtured through her association with Dr. Evelyn Jain who was a true pioneer in the recognition of the importance of breastfeeding and the impact that untreated ankyloglossia can cause on the breastfeeding experience.

Dr. LeFort has established a private Breastfeeding Clinic in Auckland New Zealand providing comprehensive lactation care for mothers and their infants. Her service includes the management of tongue tie and involves a lactation consultant for parallel breastfeeding support.

Felisha Floyd, BS, CLC, IBCLC, is currently Lactation Coordinator for Hospital Corporations of America system in Florida. She also offers infant feeding support, mentorship, and education to her local community via her private practice, Beyond Breastfeeding. Felisha is the founder of Our Brown Baby, a community based breastfeeding support group, which serves to provide specialized culturally sensitive breastfeeding support to families of color. In addition to these roles, Felisha is one of the founding mothers and current President of the non-profit The National Association of Professional and Peer Lactation Supporters of Color, affectionately known as "NAPPLSC". She is also a Center for Social Inclusion First Food Equity Cohort member. Previously, she worked as a Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Breastfeeding Peer Counselor and Breastfeeding Coordinator.

Fueled by her professional and personal passions to ensure that all mothers have access to quality breastfeeding support and resources, Felisha has fervently pledged to reduce breastfeeding disparities in the African American community. To this end, she continually makes efforts to help increase breastfeeding rates in the African American community by unapologetically fighting that which contributes to racial health disparities. Fearlessly obsessive, she is affectionately known as the social media guru "Blactavist!" (Black Lactation Activist). This online community consists of approximately 38,000 supporters on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and is dedicated to empowering African American families to breastfeed.

Dianne Cassidy, MS, IBCLC, ALC, CCE, is a Lactation Consultant in Rochester, New York with Advanced Lactation Certification.  Dianne works in Private Practice, and in a busy Pediatrician office supporting mothers and babies. She also teaches prenatal breastfeeding and childbirth in the hospital setting.  In the fall of 2013, Dianne completed her MA in Health and Wellness/Lactation.  She is dedicated to serving mothers and babies, and has the unique ability to identify with the needs and concerns of new mothers.  Dianne has worked extensively with women who have survived trauma, babies struggling with tongue tie, birth trauma, milk supply issues, attachment, identifying latch problems, returning to work and breastfeeding multiples.

Dianne has 3 biological children, including twins, 3 step children and a wonderful husband.  Dianne is an author and public speaker and enjoys teaching caregivers how to support new families through breastfeeding struggles.

Carmela Kika Baeza, MD, IBCLC, is a family medicine MD, bachelor´s degree in Public Health Education, and IBCLC since 2005. She is also a BFHI Evaluator and the current president of the Spanish Lactation Consultant Association (AECCLM). She works in a private Family Wellness Clinic, Raices, as person in charge of the lactation program, which includes two IBCLCs attending breastfeeding families and an extensive offer of breastfeeding training for health care professionals and breastfeeding peer counsellors. The team has trained over three thousand doctors, midwives and nurses from both the Spanish National Health Service and the private sector in Spain. She is a frequent lecturer at national conferences, and has also lectured internationally, both on-site and online. She is the author of several scientific papers on breast pain, mastitis and tongue tie. She is also the author of a breastfeeding/parenting book, “Amar con los Brazos Abiertos” (To Love with Open Arms). She is married to Carlos and they homeschool their four children.

Paulina Erices, BS, IBCLC, RLC, is the mother of three children, a bilingual Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) in private practice and Maternal Child Health Specialist for the Jefferson County Health Department in Colorado. She is originally from Chile and has lived in the US for almost 15 years. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from PennState and is currently completing her Masters of Science in Leadership and Organizations from the University of Denver. She has been a La Leche League Leader for 12 years where she has held different mother and Leader support roles across the US. She is a member of several groups working to improve child health and well-being, including the Early Childhood Colorado Partnership, the NICU Consortium, and the Community Leaders in Health Equity. Paulina's goal is to elevate and empower the voices of the community to effectively improve systems of care through advocacy and policy. Paulina lives in Littleton, Colorado where she spends her free time birding with her family and training her dog Aussie.

Fiona Lang-Sharpe, IBCLC, NAMCM, is a Birth Doula and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant in private practice in Edmonton, AB, Canada. Fiona has over 20 years of experience attending births, supporting mothers post partum, and offering lactation case management services. Having studied in England under the National Association of Maternal and Child Welfare, Fiona moved to Canada in 1989 and after having her first born son was accredited through La Leche League Canada as a Leader and went onto obtain her certification as an IBCLC. Fiona's experience in perinatal health along with her interest in technology and social media and passion for quality education makes her an excellent fit for GOLD Conferences International. Fiona is one of the first voices you'll hear as one of GOLD's online Master of Ceremonies, and is also often one of the first faces you'll see, online and in person, as she represents GOLD at industry events and via social media. Fiona is highly anticipating an expanding role with GOLD, as GOLD increases it online offerings.

Mariana Colmenares Castano was born in Mexico City, and from an early age she was fascinated by animals and nature.She studied medicine at the National University of Mexico (UNAM), and foundher passion as a pediatrician doing her residency at the National Pediatric Institute. When her first child was born she witnessed the lack of knowledge and commitment to breastfeeding within the medical profession, and so she decided to specialize in breastfeeding medicine. She certified as a Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) in 2011.Mariana is a member of the International Lactation Consultant Association, the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, and a proud founding member of the National Lactation Consultant Association of Mexico (ACCLAM), where she served on the Board of Directors as Education Coordinator (2014-2019). She is part of board director for the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine for a 3 year period (2019-2022) and recently named as secretary for the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine. Mariana is a member of the team for Breastfeeding Country Index BFCI, a project from Yale University and Universidad Iberoamericana. She is consultant for the National Health Institute in Mexico and has collaborated with UNICEF in breastfeeding projects and part of the steering committee for the WHO. She has spoken at national and international conferences, co-published numerous articles and co-authored a chapter for the National Academy of Medicine. At the moment she is a Clinical Fellow in Community Paediatrics in London.

Professor Amy Brown is based in the Department of Public Health, Policy and Social Sciences at Swansea University in the UK. With a background in psychology, she has spent the last thirteen years exploring psychological, cultural and societal influences upon infant feeding decisions in the first year. Her research seeks to understand how we can shift our perception of how babies are fed away from an individual mothering issue to a wider public health problem – with societal level solutions. Dr Brown has published over 60 papers exploring the barriers women face in feeding their baby during the first year. She is a mother to three human children and three book babies: Breastfeeding Uncovered: Who really decides how we feed our babies, Why starting solids matters, and The Positive Breastfeeding Book: Everything you need to feed your baby with confidence. She is a regular blogger, aiming to change the way we think about breastfeeding, mothering and caring for our babies.

Kathryn Stagg is mum to 4 boys, twins and 2 subsequent singletons. She trained as a breastfeeding peer supporter and volunteered in the groups for years in and around Harrow, NW London, UK.

Kathryn caught the breastfeeding support bug and decided to further her knowledge training as a Breastfeeding Counsellor with the Association of Breastfeeding Mothers and then qualifying as an IBCLC 5 years ago. Kathryn started Breastfeeding Twins and Triplets Facebook group almost 8 years ago and it now has over 9000 members. It has recently been made into a UK charity. Kathryn is passionate about delivering high quality breastfeeding support to as many twin and triplet families as possible, creating resources and educating health care professionals and breastfeeding supporters. She runs a small private practice and continues to teach music part time, her original career path. Kathryn is the author of Breastfeeding Twins and Triplets; a guide for professionals and parents. /p>

Bryna is a lactation consultant, mentor, educator, and birth doula in the Pacific Northwestern United States. They are active in their community as an advocate for mutual aid, reproductive justice, and reduction in barriers to care. They also own and manage an inclusive private practice. As a member of both Queer and Neurodivergent communities, offering inclusive care on every level is very important to Bryna. Their vision is to offer information and tools to providers to build a community of comprehensive, concordant, and individualized care for all families in the perinatal period.

Mariana Colmenares Castano was born in Mexico City, and from an early age she was fascinated by animals and nature.She studied medicine at the National University of Mexico (UNAM), and foundher passion as a pediatrician doing her residency at the National Pediatric Institute. When her first child was born she witnessed the lack of knowledge and commitment to breastfeeding within the medical profession, and so she decided to specialize in breastfeeding medicine. She certified as a Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) in 2011.Mariana is a member of the International Lactation Consultant Association, the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, and a proud founding member of the National Lactation Consultant Association of Mexico (ACCLAM), where she served on the Board of Directors as Education Coordinator (2014-2019). She is part of board director for the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine for a 3 year period (2019-2022) and recently named as secretary for the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine. Mariana is a member of the team for Breastfeeding Country Index BFCI, a project from Yale University and Universidad Iberoamericana. She is consultant for the National Health Institute in Mexico and has collaborated with UNICEF in breastfeeding projects and part of the steering committee for the WHO. She has spoken at national and international conferences, co-published numerous articles and co-authored a chapter for the National Academy of Medicine. At the moment she is a Clinical Fellow in Community Paediatrics in London.

Fiona Jardine is a PhD candidate at the University of Maryland’s iSchool where she is conducting pioneering research into the experiences of those who exclusively pump human milk, specifically focusing on the information they need, how they find it, and what they do with it. In addition, she is able to provide insights into many different aspects of exclusive pumping thanks to the breadth of the data she collected; follow along with her findings here: bit.ly/EPresearch. Fiona is also an Advanced Lactation Consultant and a postpartum doula so that she can provide the support that she believes is so desperately needed, especially in the fourth trimester. Find out more about Fiona, and the Universal Breastfeeding Symbol she designed, on her website: fionamjardine.com.