Breastfeeding provides immense health benefits for both infants and mothers. It is also acknowledged as a key strategy to improve public health; yet our exclusive breastfeeding rates remain suboptimal.

In this course, we will discuss prenatal colostrum expression and collection as an intervention that has the potential to enhance breastfeeding outcomes.

This program has been approved for 1.0 contact hours; provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, CEP 13692.

Presenter

Staci Gallman, RN, BSN, IBCLC

Staci Gallman, a registered nurse and international board certified lactation consultant, began her career 11 years ago and has dedicated most of her profession to maternity and lactation specific care. She has been in nursing leadership since 2017 where she currently manages an inpatient and outpatient lactation program, prenatal education program and oversees the Baby Friendly designation at a level III hospital in South Carolina. Staci is involved with many local and statewide maternity and lactation specific initiatives and coalitions.

Her experience, both professionally and personally birthed her deep passion surrounding the importance of prenatal preparedness for breastfeeding success. Staci believes that we do not have a problem with mothers desiring to breastfeed, but that our problem lies in mothers not being properly equipped as they step into their breastfeeding journeys for sustainability. This is validated through nationwide data confirming >80% initiation vs 25% sustained exclusivity at 6 months and >60% of mothers reporting their breastfeeding journeys ended sooner than they had planned. Staci believes that proper prenatal education and equipping mothers with tools in their toolkits will lead to the empowerment and self-efficacy of mothers that is demanded if we truly seek to improve breastfeeding outcomes.

Staci’s current passion project is deeply rooted in the research, advocacy, safety, efficacy and outcomes of prenatal colostrum expression, collection, storage and feeding as an effort to enhance breastfeeding goals in the early days and to help more babies receive colostrum for the very best start in life.