Hi everyone, 

We hope all is going well for you being aware that level of ‘normalcy’ will vary depending on where you are located. 

This week, ABA welcomes our new Executive Officer, Victoria Cerins-Marshall. We wish her well as she settles into her new role. 

Hopefully you have found your way to our collection of online education modules. Don’t forget the Ethics for lactation professionals is your included module for 2020, and that you have a 20% off voucher code for the others. This was in your welcome email and can be found here. 

Update on our resources designed for you and your work with mums and babies. 

We have added two new online education modules: 

  • Breast Refusal ($30 — 20% discount for members) 
  • Relactation, Induced Lactation and Breastfeeding (FREE).  

Both have professional development points applied (CERPs and ACM CPD). Check them out here. 

This month’s additions to the resources section were: 

  • a link to the World Health Organization’s ‘Frequently asked questions on the roles and responsibilities of health workers’ with regards to the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes 
  • a link to a useful paper discussing the importance of keeping mothers and babies together When Separation is not the Answer: Breastfeeding Mothers and Infants affected by COVID‐19 by Tomori, Gribble et al. These can both be found here.  

In the news was the WHO launch of 2020 report on Status of the Code, that highlights which countries have implemented measures required by the Code. Given the important role of health workers in protecting pregnant women, mothers and their infants from inappropriate promotion of breast-milk substitutes, bottles and teats, the 2020 report provides an extensive analysis of legal measures taken to prohibit promotion to health workers and in health facilities. 

Your June Fact Sheet is Storing Expressed Breastmilk with guidelines for storage times, thawing/warming, method of delivery covered. 

Our Feature article, written by Dr Jeni Stevens, RN, RN (Hons Class 1), RM, IBCLC, PhD, titled Skin to Skin Contact/Kangaroo Care, is an update on the latest research on this important practice. 

As usual, please know that we love to receive your feedback, and particularly would love to hear if there are any resources you would love to find on our website, or topics you would love covered in our Feature articles, or fact sheets. Email: bir@breastfeeding.asn.au 

Take care, 

Naomi Hull 

Senior Manager Breastfeeding Information and Research