On this episode of Behind the Latch, Margaret Salty interviews Sarah Quigley, IBCLC, about the rewarding and sometimes challenging process of mentoring IBCLC students. They discuss what makes a great mentee, how to provide hands-on training, and practical advice for IBCLCs considering taking on interns.

Sarah’s Journey into Lactation Consulting

Sarah shares her path to becoming an IBCLC, including:

• Transitioning from a career in teaching English as a second language
• How her experience as a La Leche League Leader influenced her journey
• The role her mother, also an IBCLC, played in inspiring her career
• How she built her private practice before moving into a full-time hospital-based IBCLC role

Sarah breaks down the qualities that make a lactation intern successful, including:

• Kindness and a strong desire to learn
• The ability to read the room and adjust to client needs
• Solid communication and writing skills for charting and patient education
• Quick math skills for calculating weight gain and supplementation plans

Sarah explains how she gradually introduces interns to clinical work:

• Starting with observing visits and assisting with positioning and weight checks
• Teaching interns a basic script for initiating consultations
• Slowly increasing their involvement in latch adjustments and problem-solving
• Providing constructive feedback after visits to build confidence and refine skills

Margaret and Sarah discuss some of the biggest challenges of mentoring interns:

• The mental and emotional exhaustion of supervising students while managing a full caseload
• The struggle of stepping back and allowing interns to take the lead
• The time-consuming process of teaching charting and documentation
• Finding a balance between guiding interns and allowing them to develop independence

Sarah emphasizes the importance of staying within scope as an IBCLC and teaching students to do the same. They discuss:

• The growing trend of IBCLCs overstepping into medical roles, such as diagnosing tongue ties or interpreting lab results
• How to work collaboratively with healthcare providers rather than trying to replace them
• The need for IBCLCs to focus on their core skills—feeding the baby and protecting the milk supply
• Why building strong referral networks is essential for providing ethical and comprehensive care

Sarah highlights why mentoring interns benefits not only the students but also the preceptors themselves:

• How teaching forces IBCLCs to reflect on and refine their own clinical reasoning
• The opportunity to stay engaged with new research and evolving lactation practices
• The long-term impact of growing the next generation of IBCLCs and expanding access to quality lactation care

For IBCLCs who want to take on interns, Sarah offers the following advice:

• You don’t have to commit to a full-time mentorship—offering partial hours is still valuable
• Be clear on your expectations and set firm boundaries with interns
• Use hospital templates or structured forms to teach effective charting
• Remember that you don’t have to have all the answers—mentoring is a learning process for both parties

Sarah Quigley, IBCLC, is a hospital-based lactation consultant in San Francisco, California. She has mentored multiple IBCLC students and is passionate about training the next generation of lactation professionals.

📌 La Leche League – Volunteer opportunities for those interested in lactation work

📌 Pathway 2 and Pathway 3 IBCLC Programs – Understanding different training pathways for IBCLCs

📌 Research on lactation mentorship and hands-on training for IBCLCs

Have questions or suggestions for future episodes? Reach out to Margaret at [email protected] or connect on social media:

📸 Instagram: @margaretsalty

📘 Facebook: Margaret Salty

🎙 Hosted by: Margaret Salty

🎧 Guest: Sarah Quigley, IBCLC

🎵 Music by: The Magnifiers, My Time Traveling Machine

#IBCLC #LactationTraining #Mentorship #LactationConsultant #BreastfeedingSupport #LactationEducation

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