Kathryn Stagg is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant and OCN Level 3 Holistic Sleep Coach. She supports families with feeding, normal baby behaviour and sleep. Support is available face to face in the Harrow area, or online via Zoom.
Kathryn has over 17 years of experience supporting families to breastfeed their babies. She began her training after the birth of her twins when she was lucky enough to receive wonderful breastfeeding support. Given the opportunity to train to be a Breastfeeding Peer Supporter, she jumped at the chance to give something back. She headed up the multiple birth breastfeeding project in Harrow offering antenatal education and post natal support. Kathryn continued her breastfeeding education by training as a Breastfeeding Counsellor with the Association of Breastfeeding Mothers and was proud to be the 2017 winner of the ABM’s Pam’s Prize, celebrating Breastfeeding Counsellors and all the support they give. She continues to volunteer on the National Breastfeeding Helpline whenever she has some free time. Wanting to increase her knowledge further, Kathryn trained as an IBCLC and has recently completed her 5 year recertification.
Kathryn offers post natal breastfeeding support in the comfort of your own home and antenatal education in groups or individually. She also offers breastfeeding support online via Zoom, something in which she gained a lot of experience in during lockdown! It is surprisingly effective. She specialises in multiple birth families. Kathryn is also available to speak at conferences and webinars. Her mission is to empower mums to breastfeed their babies, whether one, two or three at a time, give evidence based information and empathic support and to educate others that breastfeeding more than one baby is definitely possible.
Kathryn is an experienced speaker and has presented for Gold Lactation Conference, USCLA, NZCLA, the Breastfeeding Network, the Association of Breastfeeding Mothers and has submitted modules for Gold Learning and a lactation education organisation in Columbia!
Kathryn has written many articles and contributed chapters in various books. She has recently had her first book published, “Breastfeeding Twins and Triplets; a guide for health care professionals and parents” available from all good book stores and Jessica Kingsley Publications
Infant sleep is so heavily intertwined with breastfeeding and early years support, and after her own child was a challenge in this area, she decided to do some training. Kathryn embarked on the OCN Leve 6 Holistic Sleep Coaching course. Her sleep support is not sleep training, it is not about teaching babies how to sleep or leaving them to cry to “self settle”. It is evidenced based support for the whole family to learn about realistic sleep expectations, ways to maximise parental sleep and tweaks to help baby consolidate their sleep. Continuing to breastfeed and bed share is supported. Absolutely no leaving babies to cry, or controlled crying. Responsive parenting is a passion.
………………………………………………………………………………………….
An International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) is the highest level of breastfeeding support and have very specific training. IBCLCs either come from a healthcare background, or have to sit 14 health science related subjects before applying for the exam. They also need to do 95 hours of lactation specific training and have to have 1000 hours of clinical practice (ie 1000 hours of experience in supporting breastfeeding) before being allowed to apply for the exam.
Once qualified IBCLCs are required to keep up to date with current research by attending conferences and webinars. They resubmit for their IBCLC certificate every 5 years with proof of attending 75 hours of training.
IBCLCs can support you with more complicated issues such as faltering growth, tongue tie assessment, breastfeeding problems, reflux, a non latching baby, as well as more straightforward breastfeeding support.
IBCLCs are also obliged to work according to the IBLCE Code of Professional Conduct and carry full professional insurance. Most UK IBCLCs are members of The Lactation Consultants of Great Britain
Please note that there are many people giving breastfeeding advice as a ‘Lactation Consultant” or “Breastfeeding Specialist”. When looking for quality breastfeeding support always make sure that they are an IBCLC and their license is still valid at the IBLCE registry