For Lactation Professionals

Episode 6 | Recorded June, 2026

Natalie Blythe, IBCLC used to work in business/finance, she graduated with a business management degree and went on to work in that field for nearly a decade. After having her own babies, she took 5 years to earn her IBCLC and then launched her own private practice in 2018. Initially, she had lactation consultants work with her and now she operates as the sole provider.

I had an opportunity to sit and observe her in action during some of her lactation consults. Listen in on our chat about what I observed during her consults and questions I had about her being a business management graduate owning her own private practice.

She also tells us about her personal experience using AI Scribe as a lactation consultant.

In This Episode:

Beginning: Cozy and comfortable, how she sets the tone of her appointments

12:00 How she decided to start her private practice

20:00 How she grew her private practice

24:00 How she switched careers to become an IBCLC

33:00 Owning a private practice: is it actually profitable?

37:00 Building a business with OUT relying on social media.

60:00 Her personal experience using AI Scribe

70:00 Consider finding a business mentor

77:00 She is part of a multidisciplinary team approach to oral assessments, along with a dentist and chiropractor

Resources:

Not endorsements, and not recommending these products/services, they are simple resources that Natalie found helpful on her own personal journey:

Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC) 

https://sbtdc.org

Annie Frisbee Paperless Lactation

https://learn.paperlesslactation.com/home

AI Scribe Heidi

https://www.heidihealth.com/en-us

More on Natalie with The Milky Mermaid

The Milky Mermaid

https://www.themilkymermaid.com/

• ​Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themilkymermaid
• ​Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/milkymermaidnc/
• ​Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalieward-ibclc-themilkymermaid/

Bonded Beginnings, TT Clinic at Cape Fear Smiles (multidisciplinary team that Natalie is a part of)

https://www.bondedbeginningsnc.com

Hosted by Suzanne Sanders, IBCLC

As of the recording and publishing of this June/July 2026, neither myself nor Natalie Blythe receive any funds from the products or services that she spoke about. We are not endorsing any products or services, they are simply part of her story.

This podcast is intended for healthcare professionals only and is for informational purposes. Content is not medical advice and should not replace professional judgment or individualized patient care. Exercise your own clinical judgment before applying any information discussed. Product or service mentions do not constitute endorsements.

Episode 5 | Recorded May 8, 2026

Angela Love-Zaranka shares everything you need to know about recertifying for the IBCLC.

In This Episode:

• ​Recertify through Continuing Education: The Types of CERPs, Taking the CE Self Assessment, and How to record and find your old CERPs
• ​Recertify by retaking the Exam: Why, How, and What to Study
• ​All the resources you need to know
• ​Bonus: How to learn about lactation from different cultures

Websites

• ​IBCLC Commission Prepare for IBCLC Recertification https://ibclc-commission.org/how-to-become-an-ibclc/step-1-prepare-for-ibclc-recertification/
• ​IBCLC Commission Important Dates and Fees https://ibclc-commission.org/step-2-recertification-fees-and-key-dates/
• ​IBLCE Recertification Guide https://ibclc-commission.org/ibclc-information/recertification-guide/
• ​Individual CERPs Guide https://ibclc-commission.org/ibclc-information/individual-cerps-guide/ (How to count educational activities towards your CERPs if they have not yet been recognized as CERPs)
• ​Track your 250 Clinical Hours https://ibclc-commission.org/ibclc-information/lactation-specific-clinical-practice-calculator/
• ​Recertification FAQ: https://iblce.org/?faq-group=recertification 
• ​Detailed Content Outline (to help determine what to study for the exam) https://ibclc-commission.org/ibclc-information/detailed-content-outline/
• ​Login to the IBLCE Portal: https://portal.examstudio.com/default.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2f%3fid%3d500102&id=500102
• ​To keep up to date with IBCLC recertification information and changes go to IBLCE.org and IBCLC-Commission.org
• ​LER blog on recertification: https://www.lactationtraining.com/resources/blog/entry/your-last-minute-guide-to-recertifying-by-cerps (We did not discuss this in the episode, but I, Suzanne, personally found it very helpful. Angela is the program director at LER.)
• ​To learn more from Angela go to lactationtraining.com or email [email protected]

Books

*Ensure you get the newest version of the book*

• ​LEAARC; Spencer, Becky and Hetzel Campbell, Suzanne and Chamberlain, Kristina Core Curriculum for Interdisciplinary Lactation Care - This is in outline form and you can go through all of the different topics in the Detailed Content Outline.
• ​Lawrence, Ruth A. and Lawrence, Robert M. Breastfeeding: A Guide for the Medical Profession - If you want to learn more about hospital-based practices and heavy duty medical topics.
• ​Walker, Marsha Breastfeeding Management for the Clinician: Using the Evidence - Phenomenal. Clinical practice
• ​Mohrbacher, Nancy Breastfeeding Answers - Also available via pdf. Highly consider this if you work in the hospital and have less experience with extended breastfeeding.
• ​Wilson-Clay, Barbara and Hoover, Kay The Breastfeeding Atlas - Full of pictures and a very light book
• ​HMBANA Best Practice for Expressing, Storing, and Handling Human Milk in Hospitals, Homes, and Childcare Settings

Visit ForLactationProfessionals.com to see the blog post for this episode

Hosted by Suzanne Sanders, IBCLC

This podcast is intended for healthcare professionals only and is for informational purposes. Content is not medical advice and should not replace professional judgment or individualized patient care. Exercise your own clinical judgment before applying any information discussed. Product or service mentions do not constitute endorsements.

Episode 4 | Recorded May 2026

In This Episode:

• ​Two changes I will make in my practice after re-reading the Clinical Competencies and the Scope of Practice

See the blog post here, at ForLactationProfessionals.com

Resources

IBLCE, Scope of Practice for IBCLCs, Effective Date: December 2018 https://iblce.org/about-iblce/bylaws-iblce-documents/ under the category IBCLC Professionals Standards

IBLCE, Clinical Competencies for the Practice of IBCLCs, Effective Date: December 2018 https://iblce.org/about-iblce/bylaws-iblce-documents/ under the category IBCLC Professionals Standards

Hosted by Suzanne Sanders, IBCLC

This podcast is intended for healthcare professionals only and is for informational purposes. Content is not medical advice and should not replace professional judgment or individualized patient care. Exercise your own clinical judgment before applying any information discussed. Product or service mentions do not constitute endorsements.

Episode 3 | Recorded December, 2025

I rely heavily on the WHO weight-for-age Growth Chart when assessing littles. Let’s dig in and learn all about this tool. 

In This Episode:

• How was the WHO Growth Chart created?
• What’s the difference between a standard and a reference?
• How to describe percentiles to patients
• Should I assess developmental milestones in combination with the growth chart when looking at a child’s growth?

Resources:

1. “WHO child growth standards: length/height-for-age, weight-for-age, weight-for-length, weight-for-height and body mass index-for-age: methods and development.” World Health Organization. 2006 Nov. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/924154693X

2. “WHO Multicentre Growth Reference Study Group. WHO Motor Development Study: windows of achievement for six gross motor development milestones.” Acta Paediatr Suppl. 2006 Apr;450:86-95. doi: 10.1111/j.1651-2227.2006.tb02379.x. PMID: 16817682.

3. “Understanding baby growth charts” Pregnancy Birth and Baby. Australian Government, Department of Health and Aged Care. Last updated May, 2024. Accessed May, 2025 https://www.pregnancybirthbaby.org.au/amp/article/understanding-baby-growth-charts

Hosted by Suzanne Sanders, IBCLC

This podcast is intended for healthcare professionals only and is for informational purposes. Content is not medical advice and should not replace professional judgment or individualized patient care. Exercise your own clinical judgment before applying any information discussed. Product or service mentions do not constitute endorsements.

Episode 2 | Recorded December, 2025

Satiate your curiosity: Does the food that mom eats change the flavor of her breast milk?

We dive into the systematic review "Influence of maternal diet on flavor transfer to amniotic fluid and breast milk and children's responses" to explore how maternal nutrition shapes infant taste experiences through breastfeeding.

In This Episode:

• ​The authors’ conclusion
• ​How researchers actually measured and detected flavors in breast milk
• ​Which flavors make the journey: the specific flavors that have been shown to transfer to breastmilk

Systematic Review:

Spahn JM, Callahan EH, Spill MK, Wong YP, Benjamin-Neelon SE, Birch L, Black MM, Cook JT, Faith MS, Mennella JA, Casavale KO. Influence of maternal diet on flavor transfer to amniotic fluid and breast milk and children's responses: a systematic review. Am J Clin Nutr. 2019 Mar 1;109(Suppl_7):1003S-1026S. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/nqy240. PMID: 30982867.

Read the blog post for more info on this topic: ForLactationProfessionals.com

Hosted by Suzanne Sanders, IBCLC

This podcast is intended for healthcare professionals only and is for informational purposes. Content is not medical advice and should not replace professional judgment or individualized patient care. Exercise your own clinical judgment before applying any information discussed. Product or service mentions do not constitute endorsements.

Episode 1 | Recorded January 2026

My journey to becoming an IBCLC, and other things you may want to know about your host - like my experience, qualifications, and where I'm still growing.

In this Episode:

• Why I launched a podcast and blog
• My experience as a lactation consultant
• Becoming an IBCLC: The unexpected twists and turns on my journey to earning those five letters after my name

Learn with me on my blog ForLactationProfessionals.com

Hosted by Suzanne Sanders, IBCLC

This podcast is intended for healthcare professionals only and is for informational purposes. Content is not medical advice and should not replace professional judgment or individualized patient care. Exercise your own clinical judgment before applying any information discussed. Product or service mentions do not constitute endorsements.