Lactation Education

  • Careers in Lactation Speaker Series

    Careers in Lactation Speaker Series

  • Mother and Father receive baby in hospital.

    Virtual Certificated Lactation Educator Training

  • A family bonds while mother breastfeeds baby.

    Virtual 95 hour Lactation Training

  • Dr. Efrat instructing a student in class.

    CSUN's Academic Program for Human Lactation

  • Students in Lactation Education class.

    Lactation Curriculum Expands with Federal Grant

  • Students smiling in Lactation Education class.

    Student Stories About Lactation Education

  • A Lactation Educator instructing two parents on how to use a breast pump.

    Responsibilities of a Lactation Educator

Graduate Training Course

 

CSUN’s Graduate Lactation Educator Training Course is one of CSUNs new graduate courses that are part of the CAMINO project. CAMINO is a five year grant funded by the Department of Education which aims to provide graduate students in the College of Health and Human Development pathways to healthcare careers, with particular attention to the needs of low-income, first-generation, and Hispanic students. Click here to learn more about the CAMINO project.

One way CAMINO proposes to increase the number of ethnically diverse health care professionals is to expand its current graduate curriculum to offer courses that prepare graduates with the knowledge and skills needed to work in healthcare fields where demand for ethnically diverse professionals is anticipated to increase.

Increased demand for healthcare professionals with specialized knowledge in lactation is expected to increase as a result of the Affordable Care Act which requires health insurance companies to provide women with prenatal and postpartum lactation support and counseling services.

Students who complete the graduate level lactation educator training course at CSUN will earn a certificate of course completion which enables them to call themselves certificated Lactation Educators and can provide them with a competitive advantage in the workplace. To learn more about the graduate lactation education course within the CAMINO project click here.

 

Course Description

This course provides graduate students from various health disciplines with the opportunity to learn and apply approaches used by public health professionals to promote breastfeeding in the community.

Topics Covered In This Course Include:

  • Historical context of breastfeeding
  • Public health initiatives in the area of breastfeeding
  • Social norms and cultural factors influencing breastfeeding
  • Counseling skills
  • Nutrition during pregnancy and breastfeeding
  • Anatomy and physiology of lactation
  • Common breastfeeding barriers and strategies to overcome those barriers
  • Hospital practices that influence breastfeeding
  • Key concepts for getting breastfeeding off to a good start

What Requirements Will this Course Satisfy For CSUN Students?

Master of Public Health Program in Community Health Program degree requirements

This course will satisfy 3 units of the 9 units of required elective coursework that is part of the Master of Public Health Program in Community Health Program degree requirements.

 

All other Graduate Degree Programs

Contact your department Advisor if you have specific questions on how the course will help you progress toward graduation.

I Am Not a Student at CSUN, May I Take the Lactation Education (HSCI 534) Course?

Yes, community members and students not currently enrolled in a degree program at CSUN may enroll in HSCI 534  through the Tseng College without formal application or admission to the university.  Individuals may take this class on a space-available basis, if they receive instructor approval and meet course prerequisites.  For details about the course or certificate of course completion, contact  lactation.education@csun.edu.  For specific questions about fees and how to enroll in  HSCI 534 please  contact the Tseng College Admissions Office at (818) 677-2504 or visit the following website:  http://tsengcollege.csun.edu/studentinfo/howtoregister.

Other Important Information About the Course

Certificate of course completion

Student successfully completing this course receive a certificate of course completion enabling them to use the designation of certificated lactation educator.

Click here to see the HSCI 534: Lactaton Education For the Healthcare Professional Informational Flyer.