Evolve Lactation Podcast was created to inspire, inform, and engage current and aspiring lactation care providers. Hosted by Christine Staricka and Olena Dobczansky, the Evolve Lactation Podcast is a resource for learning and connecting over all things lactation-related. Whether you’re seasoned or studying, we hope this show will make you think and inspire you to act. <br/><br/><a href="https://ibclcinca.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast">ibclcinca.substack.com</a>
Evolve Lactation Podcast
Claim This Podcastby Christine Staricka, IBCLC
5.0(9 reviews)
66 episodes
Updated Bi-weekly
Accepts GuestsHas SponsorsLocation 🇺🇸
26
Podcast Authority
BetaPoorBased on show quality, social media presence, reviews, charts, and more
Quality20
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YouTube0
Engagement81
Podcast Overview
Evolve Lactation Podcast was created to inspire, inform, and engage current and aspiring lactation care providers. Hosted by Christine Staricka and Olena Dobczansky, the Evolve Lactation Podcast is a resource for learning and connecting over all things lactation-related. Whether you’re seasoned or studying, we hope this show will make you think and inspire you to act. <br/><br/><a href="https://ibclcinca.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast">ibclcinca.substack.com</a>
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
8/6/2020
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Recent Episodes
April 17, 2026
Preparing to Be an IBCLC©, Not Just Pass the Exam
<p>*I am in no way affiliated with the IBCLC Commission or IBLCE (other than actively holding the IBCLC credential) and do not purport to speak on their behalf. You can find information about the IBCLC credential at <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ibclc-commission.org">www.ibclc-commission.org</a>.</p><p>It may be helpful to consider the process of becoming an IBCLC© in terms of “hard and soft skills.” *</p><p>Preparing to actually be a board-certified lactation consultant takes so much more than just meeting the requirements to sit for and pass the exam. Think of the requirements as the “hard skills”: the lactation-specific education, the health science knowledge, and the clinical hours.</p><p>The soft skills are what make you effective. Your <strong>ability</strong> to counsel someone, your <strong>approach</strong> to teaching people, your communication skills and <strong>methods</strong> - these are the building blocks of skilled lactation care. You may have acquired these in the process of earning your current qualifications or licenses.</p><p><strong>Clinical lactation care adds more to the equation.</strong></p><p>Almost anyone could memorize some lactation facts and pass an exam. But the practice of skilled lactation care as an IBCLC isn’t about memorizing facts.</p><p><strong>We don’t tell our clients what to do</strong>, and in that way, we are pretty different than many other health care professionals. We educate and offer suggestions, we teach clinical skills and techniques, we create plans with our clients for navigating their lactation journeys, and we provide encouragement and human connection.</p><p></p><p>Behind the scenes, we read and interpret research using critical reasoning and thinking skills, we apply and integrate knowledge about the current public health environment, and we endeavor to practice ethically and without conflicts of interest that would bias our care.</p><p></p><p>Skilled, clinical lactation care combines the ability to listen; to teach important skills that people need in order to breastfeed, express their milk, and feed their babies away from the breast; to give the right information at the right time in a manner that a person can receive it; and to communicate effectively, ethically, and responsibly with clients, the health care team, and the general public.</p><p>We have to remain open to new knowledge, new concepts, and new ways to help people. <strong>This humility sets us apart</strong> and allows us to work in relationship with our clients rather than as authoritarian figures.</p><p>Thank you for reading Evolve Lactation with Christine Staricka IBCLC. This post is public so feel free to share it.</p><p><strong>Acquiring and practicing this particular set of skills is designed to be included in the work you are doing during the lactation-specific clinical experience portion of your exam preparation journey.</strong> By working with a mentor, you will have the opportunity to observe their abilities in the consult room, and you will develop your own as you begin to practice under their supervision. Their feedback will allow you to improve those skills over time, and by the end of your clinical experience hours, you should have demonstrated to them that you are a very competent counselor, educator, and consultant and that you can provide skilled, clinical lactation care with a global worldview.</p><p>Here I will outline some useful ways to make the most of your lactation-specific clinical experience hours, regardless of your Pathway or the setting in which you will be in contact with breastfeeding families.</p><p>This is especially important in the case of <a target="_blank" href="https://ibclc-commission.org/step-1-prepare-for-ibclc-certification/lactation-specific-clinical-experience/pathway-1/">Pathway 1 candidates</a>. If as a <a target="_blank" href="https://ibclc-commission.org/ibclc-information/recognised-health-professions-list/">Recognized Health Professional</a> you plan to obtain your clinical hours through your job or work setting or through independent clinical practice, here’s how to transform your clinical hours into an experience that serves you AND your clients better.</p><p>* <strong>Market your services clearly</strong> and ensure your clients understand that you are preparing to be an IBCLC, which means that if their lactation concerns or problems exceed your scope of practice or expertise, you will be referring them to a current IBCLC. <a target="_blank" href="https://ibclc-commission.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/2018_IBCLC_Trademark_Use_Policy_FINAL.pdf">(Keep in mind that the term “IBCLC” is not permitted to be used in any way by an individual who has not earned the credential as stated here.)</a></p><p>* <strong>Define your precise parameters for referral to an IBCLC.</strong> This will likely be a big list of lactation situations and scenarios. After all, you are not an IBCLC, and if your client needs one, you have not yet qualified to provide that level of care. Creating your list of parameters for referral includes determining exactly <strong>how you will be learning from these cases</strong>: will you be able to accompany your client for their IBCLC appointments? Will you be communicating with the IBCLC directly about the care plan they create with the client? Will you be following up with the client after the IBCLC releases them from their care?</p><p>* <strong>Identify at least 1 IBCLC with whom you can discuss clinical cases and questions</strong>. Include in your financial budget the expectation that you will pay them for their time as they are providing you with a professional service that is part of your investment in learning and preparing for your IBCLC career.</p><p>* <strong>Join (or create, if necessary) a small group of IBCLCs and aspiring IBCLCs </strong>- perhaps 8-10 people - with whom you can discuss lactation in general, career questions, etc. A large online group of people you don’t really know (like an existing Facebook group) is not the same as a small group environment where there is personal sharing, accountability to one another, and the free exchange of ideas and insights.</p><p>* <strong>Schedule your support group observation sessions.</strong> There is no substitute for the learning you can do in a breastfeeding support group. Communicate with the facilitator in advance so that they are not surprised by your presence, and respect their leadership of the group. Expect to listen and learn only; you are not there to help or teach, and especially not to market your own services. Plan to spend some time with the facilitator immediately afterward or in the days following the group so that you can discuss what you learned, any questions that came up for you, and any insights the facilitator can offer. Keep in mind that many support group facilitators are volunteering in this role, so respect their time and offer to pay them for the time they spend mentoring you. Even if they refuse, they still might appreciate a donation for their group. Click the button for a helpful guide to Observing Peer Support Groups.</p><p>* <a target="_blank" href="https://ibclc-commission.org/ibclc-information/clinical-competencies-for-ibclcs/"><strong>Use the clinical competencies document as a guide</strong></a> to check off lactation care skills and competencies you are acquiring over time. Alternately, you could use it as a planner in advance by determining which types of encounters and lactation problems you need the most help with and including those in your parameters for referral to an IBCLC. The idea is to gradually gain confidence in each area by collaborating with an IBCLC and learning from their experience.</p><p>* Take the time to invest in your own mindset by <strong>processing your own lactation experiences as well as your professional experience with lactating people and babies</strong>. It is critical that you approach your work as a lactation care provider without bias or trauma leaking out of you in your encounters with new parents. It is common for an individual’s personal experiences or personal knowledge about lactation to lead them to pursue a career in lactation support, and this can also awaken an intense passion or enthusiasm for lactation. You want that enthusiasm to work for you instead of against you. <strong>This doesn’t mean you should dim your light or keep your own story to yourself</strong> - it means you need to process it and package it in a way that serves your clients and audience with education, information, encouragement, and hope.</p><p>The value of you becoming an IBCLC is for you to combine and integrate the information, personal experiences, and professional expertise you already had with a strong foundation of knowledge about human lactation and <strong>how</strong> to provide skilled lactation care.</p><p>The flexibility of the process of becoming an IBCLC as set forth by the IBCLC Commission is that<strong> you</strong> design the specifics of your preparation journey, and in this way you build in the training you know you need to gain competence.</p><p>The responsibility is upon you to take the time to intentionally create a robust plan that will ensure that when you earn the IBCLC credential, you are ready and qualified to provide high-quality, skilled lactation care.</p><p>If you liked this podcast, please subscribe in your favorite podcast player and give it a 5-star rating!</p><p>Check out The Breastfeeding Literacy Project here: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/@EvolveLactationMedia">The Breastfeeding Literacy Project</a></p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://ibclcinca.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1">ibclcinca.substack.com</a>
April 6, 2026
Podcast | The Hidden Power of Hand Expression in Breastfeeding Success
<p><strong>The Hidden Power of Hand Expression in Breastfeeding Success</strong></p><p>Olena Dobczansky and Christine Staricka are back sharing practical insights from how to normalize hand expression for both professionals and parents to the urgent need for clear language and community-based support that honor the embodied experience of breastfeeding. We break down how current marketing, technology, and policy choices often undermine natural breastfeeding processes. Maternal and infant health suffer when we neglect simple, free, effective tools like hand expression and skin-to-skin that can profoundly impact long-term breastfeeding outcomes. This episode reinforces the importance of manual techniques rooted in intuition and embodiment—crucial not only for immediate relief but for nurturing confidence and resilience in new moms. This episode is essential listening for professionals aiming to elevate care, parents seeking empowerment, and advocates committed to preserving the ancestral wisdom of breastfeeding. If you're ready to challenge the status quo and embrace a more embodied, practical approach—this is your blueprint. Christine Staricka, IBCLC, is a holistic lactation expert known for her advocacy of embodied breastfeeding practices and systems-level change. Olena Dobczansky is an experienced RN and IBCLC dedicated to integrating science, communication, and community to improve lactation support worldwide.</p><p>Note: This episode emphasizes the importance of embodied support tools like hand expression, systemic communication, and community-based practices to foster a healthier, more inclusive breastfeeding culture. Be sure to share your thoughts and contribute to ongoing dialogue!</p><p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.thefirst100hours.com">http://www.thefirst100hours.com</a> - Book & Free Guide</p><p></p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-evolve-lactation-podcast/id1534497003">Follow, Rate, and Review the Evolve Lactation Podcast right here!</a></p><p></p><p>Thanks for listening and sharing!</p><p></p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://a.co/d/iVk2tBM">You can get the book Evolving the Modern Breastfeeding Experience: Holistic Lactation Care in the First 100 Hours now at this link!</a></p><p></p><p></p><p></p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://ibclcinca.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1">ibclcinca.substack.com</a>
March 4, 2026
Podcast | What the IBCLC Actually Is and Why It Matters
<p><strong>What the IBCLC Actually Is and Why It Matters</strong></p><p>In this episode, Christine Staricka IBCLC discusses the significance of IBCLC Day and the unique role of IBCLCs in supporting breastfeeding. She emphasizes the professional achievement represented by the IBCLC credential, the extensive training required, and the challenges faced in the lactation field, including the influence of commercialism and the emotional labor involved. Christine calls for systemic change and encourages IBCLCs to engage actively with the community to foster a supportive environment for breastfeeding families.</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://ibclcinca.substack.com/about">https://ibclcinca.substack.com/about</a> - Join Evolve Lactation Pros</p><p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.thefirst100hours.com">http://www.thefirst100hours.com</a> - Book & Free Guide</p><p>Evolve Lactation Pros is building a space where practitioners can admit uncertainty, examine their assumptions, make mistakes, and grow - together.</p><p>You’re invited. You belong here.</p><p>What we build together is going to change the field.</p><p>What you will gain and how you will grow is going to change your practice and your career trajectory.</p><p>You are so welcome to join us at <a target="_blank" href="https://ibclcinca.substack.com/">https://ibclcinca.substack.com/</a>.</p><p></p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-evolve-lactation-podcast/id1534497003">Follow, Rate, and Review the Evolve Lactation Podcast right here!</a></p><p></p><p>Thanks for listening and sharing!</p><p></p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://a.co/d/iVk2tBM">You can get the book Evolving the Modern Breastfeeding Experience: Holistic Lactation Care in the First 100 Hours now at this link!</a></p><p></p><p></p><p></p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://ibclcinca.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2">ibclcinca.substack.com/subscribe</a>
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- How often does this podcast release new episodes?
This podcast updates bi-weekly.
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This podcast is available on 8 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
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