5th Appalachian Breastfeeding Conference

Join us for a unique, entertaining, and educational conference on October 11-12, in Glouster, OH. This year's theme is "From Provider to Provided: Caring for Others By First Caring for Yourself: Lactation Burnout, Self-Care, & Reigniting Passion", where we will focus on our profession and ourselves. This year's conference will be broken up into two days with a traditional conference set up on the first day and several options for relaxation as a retreat feel on day two. We also will have additional speakers/continuing education on day two if this is the self-care you are seeking. We hope you'll bring both your listening and thinking caps as we work on ourselves to enhance our capacities to give to our clients.

Why choose this conference?
This conference is the only Appalachian specific conference for lactation. All of our topics not only relate to breastfeeding, but also to our Appalachian community. Whether you are from Ohio, West Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina - or one of the others of the 13 states that make up Appalachia - we are speaking to you! If you're not from Appalachia, don't worry! All of our topics will be relevant to the lactation community as a whole.

In addition, we are offering many unique experiences along with the conference!

• Join us for #MilkyMountainStories the night of day one of conference for an open mic where we can embrace our Appalachian heritage or vent to a group of empathetic individuals that understand. Entertainment may include storytelling, poetry, song, or more. Be creative!
• Several topics/speakers, giving you a breaks throughout the day.
• Hair Lights will be available during the conference, right in the room, so you don't have to miss any speaking and also enjoy a unique experience at the same time!
• Held at the relaxing Burr Oak Lodge and Conference Center.
• Breakfast and Lunch will be provided.
• CEUs and CERPs will be applied for.

Tentative Agenda:

Day One: October 11, 2024
Learn

8:00 am – 9:00 am – Registration/Breakfast (provided)
9:00 am – 9:15 am – Welcome – ABN President, Stephanie Hutchinson
9:15 am – 10:15 am – Stephanie Hutchinson & Stephanie Martin – “Barriers to Providing Lactation Services and Support to Families in Appalachia: A Mixed-Methods Study with Lactation Professionals and Supporters”
10:15 am – 10:30 am – Short break
10:30 am – 11:30 am – Plenary Elizabeth Brooks – “Alcohol and Cannabis Use While Lactating: The Ethics of Support for Parents Who Party”
11:30 am – 12:00 pm – ABN News – ABN President, Stephanie Hutchinson
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm – Lunch (provided)
1:00 pm – 1:30 pm – Awards & Scholarships
1:30 pm – 2:30 pm – Rebecca Amstutz Whitestone – “When Profession Becomes Personal: Navigating One's Own Breastfeeding Challenges and Those of Loved Ones as a Lactation Professional”
2:30 pm – 3:30 pm – Laurel Wilson - "Is Fem Tech Our Friend? The Fabulous and the Frightening Significance in Lactation"
3:30 pm – 4:00 pm – Break
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm – Plenary Elizabeth Brooks – “How Ethics Underpins Self-Care for Excellent Professional Practitioners”
Dinner On Your Own
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm – #MilkyMountainStories

Day Two: October 12, 2024
Refresh
​
7:30 am – 8:00 am – Sunrise Yoga
8:00 am – 9:00 am – Breakfast (provided)
9:00 am – 9:15 am – Welcome and Day’s Itinerary
9:15 am – 10:30 am – Retreat Activities TBA
10:30 am – 11:30 am – Joni Gray – “Strategies for Self-Care”
11:30 am – 1:00 pm – Lunch (provided)
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm – Kathy Parkes - Compassion Fatigue, Burnout, and Resilience: Surviving and Thriving as a Provider"
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Retreat Activities TBA
3:00 pm – 3:15 pm - Break
3:15 pm – 4:15 pm – Stephanie Hutchinson – “Reigniting Passion: An Interactive Approach to Falling in Love with Lactation Again”
4:15 pm – 4:30 pm – Closing Remarks

Faculty:
Elizabeth Brooks, JD, IBCLC, FILCA
Joni Gray, Ed. D., MA, BA, CLC, CLS
Kathy Parkes, MSN-Ed, BSPsy, RN, IBCLC, FILCA, CHC, CAHPE
Laurel Wilson, IBCLC, BSc, RLC, INHC, CLSP, CLE®, CCCE, CLD, CPPI
Rebecca Amstutz Whitestone, CLC, Doula, IBCLC Candidate
Stephanie Hutchinson, MBA, BS, IBCLC
Stephanie Martin, MEd, PhD, CLC
​
**Faculty, Titles, and Agenda subject to change
***Activities are subject to availability and approval by facility

Join us for a unique, entertaining, and educational conference on October 11-12, in Glouster, OH. This year's theme is "From Provider to Provided: Caring for Others By First Caring for Yourself: Lactation Burnout, Self-Care, & Reigniting Passion", where we will focus on our profession and ourselves. This year's conference will be broken up into two days with a traditional conference set up on the first day and several options for relaxation as a retreat feel on day two. We also will have additional speakers/continuing education on day two if this is the self-care you are seeking. We hope you'll bring both your listening and thinking caps as we work on ourselves to enhance our capacities to give to our clients.

Why choose this conference?
This conference is the only Appalachian specific conference for lactation. All of our topics not only relate to breastfeeding, but also to our Appalachian community. Whether you are from Ohio, West Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina - or one of the others of the 13 states that make up Appalachia - we are speaking to you!

In addition, we are offering many unique experiences along with the conference!
​Registration Cost and Deadlines

Two Days:
Early Bird Member: $300
Early Bird Non-Member: $350
Regular Member: $350
Regular Non-Member: $400

One Day Only:
Early Bird Member: $150
Early Bird Non-Member: $175
Regular Member: $175
Regular Non-Member: $200

Dates for Early Bird Registration: January 1, 2024 - August 30, 2024
Dates for Regular Registration: September 1, 2024 - September 30, 2024

Our membership is a yearly membership from July 1 through June 30 and will cost $20.
​To purchase membership, please click here.

Full refunds will be issued upon notification to our registrar until October 1, 2024. No refunds will be issued after October 1, 2024. If proof of positive COVID-19 test, full refund will be issued regardless of date. To discuss refund e-mail our ABN registrar, Dyan Van Sickle, at dyandtr@yahoo.com