Breastfeeding 101

Get the knowledge and skills you need to get breastfeeding off to a good start and meet your long-term breastfeeding goals.

This 2-hour class, led by a board certified lactation consultant, is designed to teach you about you and your baby’s anatomy, reflexes, and hard wiring, so that you can best support baby’s natural instincts to nurse.

Learn about the first feeding, strategies for common challenges, and resources for extra help if you need it.

Instructors: 

Alison Velasco, IBCLC

Alison Velasco is a Senior Postpartum Doula and an IBCLC as well as a mother of three children, Alex born 1995, Eric born 1998, Anika born in 2002 all of whom she breastfed.  Alison moved to Peru in 1988, and as she became a mother came to see the lack of breastfeeding support available to mothers there and eventually co-founded La Leche League Peru in 2000.  She has now returned to Evanston, Illinois with her family.  She has supported nursing babies and their mothers for more than 15 years. She is thorough and compassionate with all of her clients as she troubleshoots and guides families to their vision of success.

Emily Smith Ploegman, M.S.

Emily brings extensive experience supporting breastfeeding mothers - including hundreds of hours as a senior level postpartum doula and a La Leche League leader - to her role on the Birthways lactation team. She also brings the first-hand knowledge of the challenges with breastfeeding she experienced after the birth of her son. She has assisted families with multiples, older siblings, and medically fragile infants, and is particularly experienced with assessing the needs of the whole family in the early days and weeks of a new arrival. Emily holds a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood and a master’s degree in child development from the Erickson Institute.

Cost:

$50 for a two hour class or $37.50 for Birthways Members (25% discount)

Class schedule:

Regularly scheduled Mondays from 6p-8p (may vary due to holidays or instructor availability; please see the registration page for current schedule)

To register:

Pre-registration is required. Online registration available here.

E-mail or call us today to learn more.