Program Overview

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Human Lactation

Overview

Develop the knowledge and skills to become a competent practitioner in the field of lactation. If you're thinking of taking Pathway 1 of the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners’ (IBCLE) examination, this module will provide in excess of the 95 hours of specific lactation education the exam requires. If you work with infants, this will elevate your training further to support, train, and teach parents and colleagues.

The module covers a range of topics over seven subject areas relevant to the lactating parent and feeding infant.

You'll explore the science of lactation: anatomy, physiology, and pathology of mother and infant; facilitating and assessing the initiation of lactation and feeding; biochemistry of human milk and nutrition; and medications in breastmilk.

You will explore how to manage breastfeeding complications: maternal challenges such as nipple pain or breast pain and feeding multiples; infant challenges such as hypoglycaemia and low weight gain; breastfeeding devices and expression of milk; and longer-term breastfeeding and induced lactation and re-lactation.

Lastly, you'll explore professional issues: inviting you to explore counselling, communication, and culturally sensitive care; public health, ethics, and research; promotion, protection of breastfeeding; and providing support to modern families.

The units that you'll study will utilise online resources using our virtual learning environment. You'll work through the units and undertake mandatory formative multiple-choice exam, online, to assess your learning and highlight areas of further study.

The assessment for this module will compromise a summative multiple-choice exam at the end, and four 500-word critical reflections upon how the knowledge you've gained will be best used in practice. This exam will prepare you for the IBCLC exam, should you choose to take it.

Who Should Attend?

This module is ideal for all healthcare professionals, midwives, midwifery students, infant feeding leads, health visitors, health visiting students, dieticians, nurses, nursing students, osteopaths, community and children’s centre staff, doulas, National Childcare Trusts (NCT) birth preparation educators, or maternity nurses, developing their knowledge and understanding of human lactation.

Dates

This course is next due to run on 7 May 2025.

Where You'll Study

Your Faculty

The Faculty of Health, Medicine and Social Care at ARU is primed to meet the demand for healthcare professionals, doctors, scientists and social workers in the East of England.

We've been training undergraduates for professional roles for over 25 years, with a reputation for quality, dedication and ambition balanced with student satisfaction.

We know that our students want the very best experiential learning, and we've invested heavily in purpose-built simulated wards, science labs and skills spaces, to support your learning every step of the way.

Where Can I Study?

Distance Learning at ARU

Study at a time that suits you, using our online learning management system.

More about distance learning

Fees & Funding

Course Fees

45 credits (Level 7) for courses starting in 2024/25

£2,050

45 credits (Level 7) for courses starting in 2025/26

£2,150

45 credits (Level 6) for courses starting in 2024/25

£3,460.50

45 credits (Level 6) for courses starting in 2025/26

£3,460.50

Funding for CPD

Please ask your manager or Education Lead about available funding before you apply.

Entry Requirements

This module is ideal for all healthcare professionals, midwives, midwifery students, infant feeding leads, health visitors, health visiting students, dieticians, nurses, nursing students, osteopaths, community and children’s centre staff, doulas, National Childcare Trusts (NCT) birth preparation educators, or maternity nurses, developing their knowledge and understanding of human lactation.

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• Human Milk Sharing Today
• Understanding Contraception and Sexual Health
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