At the 2018 La Leche League New Zealand Conference, “Ūkaipō, nau mai ki te Ao Mārama – Making breastfeeding visible,” Center for Breastfeeding faculty members Karin Cadwell, Anna Blair and Kajsa Brimdyr joined the line-up of speakers in the following program sessions:

• Shifting Perspectives on Birth and Breastfeeding: This keynote session, led by Kajsa and Anna, analyzed the current portrayal of birth and breastfeeding in the media and popular culture and how the dramatic examples are having a negative impact. Kajsa and Anna also shared a new show that strives to overcome the effects by presenting a natural childbirth in a normalized fashion.
• Overlooking the Significance of Loneliness in Motherhood: In this session, Anna discussed the difficulty many women experience as they traverse the motherhood journey and how re-thinking strategies for social support, specifically addressing loneliness through lactation support, could decrease the rate of suicide among mothers in the first year after the birth.
• Helping Hands: Karin and Anna led a keynote session on the final day of the event titled “Helping Hands,” which explored the impact of hands-on versus hands-off help during the first hour after birth and into the months beyond.

Karin also led two FED talks during the event. To view the entire program, click here.