Advanced Lactation Program — MAMAS AU LAIT

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60 CERPs · IBLCE-approved

Advanced Lactation Program · Online

Become the best lactation specialist you can be

with Paola as your mentor. An intensive online program with self-paced learning and group mentoring, where you'll gain the clinical skills and knowledge to provide excellent care to your patients and level-up your lactation practice.

with Paola as your mentor.

Advanced Lactation Program: Clinical Skills & Private Practice Tools. An intensive online program with self-paced learning and group mentoring, where you will gain all the clinical skills and knowledge you need to provide excellent care to your patients and to level-up your lactation practice.

Start now — $695 USD →

Check Our Modules

60 CERPs earned

IBLCE-approved

60

52 L-CERPs & 8 R-CERPs

6

Modules (5 clinical + 1 business)

60+

Hours of continuing education

6

Months of access

About the program

The story behind the program

As a doctor with knowledge of breastfeeding, Paola always assumed she'd be well-prepared to breastfeed her baby when the time came. However, she encountered unexpected challenges that made breastfeeding more complex than she had anticipated. Despite seeking help from various health professionals, she ultimately had to independently research and address her breastfeeding difficulties. With unwavering support from her husband and access to different resources, she was able to successfully overcome her obstacles.

As a doctor with knowledge of breastfeeding, Paola always assumed she'd be well-prepared to breastfeed her baby when the time came. However, she encountered unexpected challenges that made breastfeeding more complex than she had anticipated.

With unwavering support from her husband and access to different resources, she was able to successfully overcome her obstacles — and it led her to recognize the vital role of lactation specialists in maternal and child health care.

As much as she loves one-on-one mentoring, Paola's availability became very limited for one-on-one clinical mentoring. Despite this limitation, she still really wanted to help more people who needed her advice.

She saw that teaching other healthcare workers about breastfeeding would have a greater impact, so she became an IBCLC mentor to help others become lactation consultants, and has mentored students for years.

As much as she loves one-on-one mentoring, Paola's availability became very limited. So she created this mentorship program — equipping professionals with advanced clinical skills and the tools for running a successful private practice.

So she decided to create this amazing mentorship program, offering professionals not just advanced clinical skills, but also equipping them with the necessary tools for running a successful private practice. This program empowers lactation consultants to excel not only in their careers but also as savvy business owners.

It's one thing to find educational training but a completely different story when you actually start seeing patients on your own and you face the challenges of a private practice! Charting, insurance, creating treatment plans, time management, balancing work and family life, and spending thousands of dollars in continuing education to keep up with all the changes in the lactation world.

"It's one thing to find educational training but a completely different story when you actually start seeing patients on your own and face the challenges of a private practice."

Her training program emphasizes essential subjects to fully equip specialists in this rewarding profession. This program will help you support patients individually, lead breastfeeding groups, and teach breastfeeding classes. Plus, you can complete the lessons online whenever you want, at your own speed!

This experience led Paola to recognize the vital role of lactation specialists in maternal and child health care. Consequently, she undertook training to become a lactation specialist herself, identifying the need for improved education and updated practices within the field. She saw that teaching other healthcare workers about breastfeeding would have a greater impact. She then became an IBCLC mentor to help others become lactation consultants and she has been a mentor for years now.

If you are looking to…

Provide top-notch care that makes you the lactation consultant everyone recommends

Start your private practice or level up your existing business

Have more clarity and confidence when providing care

Take bigger leaps and achieve your goals in 2025

… then perhaps this is your sign to take that next step.

Content outline

Five clinical modules + one bonus business module

Tap any module to see what's covered.

- Weight gain of the breastfed baby, how to interpret growth charts
- Early supplementation and low milk supply. Investigating low milk supply. Syndrome of decreasing milk supply
- Supplementation. Assisted nursing. Bottle-feeding skills.
- Optimizing Pumping: breast pumps, pump settings, flange fitting, creating pumping plans
- Infant oral anatomy and diagnostic skills for tongue-ties and oral dysfunction
- Oral habilitation and bodywork as part of the lactation care plan: when and how to incorporate it to our treatment plan
- Optimal Timing for Frenectomies: How to create a treatment plan for tongue-tied babies & how to provide adequate lactation support pre and post frenectomy
- Bottle refusal and non-latching babies. Working with fussy babies. Oral aversion.
- Clinical Management of Breast Pain: engorgement, oversupply, ductal narrowing and mastitis spectrum.
- Clinical Management of Nipple Pain: how to investigate the causes and how to treat it. Nipple healing. How to adapt the care plan to the parent's goals and tolerance
- Naturopathic Approaches to Mastitis
- Therapeutic Breast Massage
- Therapeutic Ultrasound for Clogged Ducts
- Weaning: from the theory to the practice: different approaches and how to create plans
- Starting Solids: how to educate and guide parents on balancing breastfeeding, supplementation and solid meals; meal balancing and meal planning
- Sleep & Well-being in the breastfeeding dyad: normal infant sleep, parent expectations and how sleep consultants can support families as a whole with a holistic approach
- Creating Individualized Lactation Care Plans
- Strategies to Provide Virtual Support
- Home Visits: everything you need to know to provide high-quality at-home support
- In-Clinic Consultations: office setup and logistics
- Charting templates for initial and follow-up consultations, consent forms, strategies to collect payments and using the right software
- Insurance
- Words Matter: The Power of Inclusive and Expansive Language in Supporting Lactating Parents
- Business Coaching: goal mapping, accountability and building a team
- Me.E.O. – Be the CEO of Your Life! – By Carla Catherwood
- Finances: service fees, setting financial goals, income planning and money management
- Marketing: ads and strategies to bring more leads
- Selling Online Courses
- Teaching Group Classes
- Managing Support Groups
- Leadership
- Mentoring: how to become a mentor, how to build a mentorship plan, contract template and tips on how to run your programs

Start learning now →

Everything included in your enrollment

What you will get

60+ hours of lactation-specific education

This course covers more than half of the required training for the IBCLC exam, and these hours count for the exam. It awards 60 CERPs (Continuing Education Recognition Points) approved by IBLCE (International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners).

A private community + group mentoring

Get access to a private community of healthcare professionals where you share resources and experiences with each other. Group mentoring through a private group with your mentor and fellow students to share your progress, stay accountable, network and find inspiration — connecting for a lifetime.

Extended learning

Access to the recorded lessons for 6 months so you can re-watch as needed and take your time learning at your own pace! Plus, you will get additional conferences with guest speakers.

Certificate of completion

Earn a certificate of completion with 60 CERPs approved by IBLCE — apply the 60+ hours toward the IBCLC exam's 95-hour requirement, or use the CERPs toward your recertification.

Paola is fluent in English and Spanish; all educational sessions and group support in this program will be provided fully in English. Additional one-on-one mentoring is available separately in both languages according to the mentee's preference.

This program is designed with 6 weekly modules to ensure a structured learning experience. With a generous 6 months of access, you have the flexibility to watch the lessons at a pace that suits you best. Most students find themselves completing the program comfortably within 2-3 months' time.

After completing the program you will:

The transformation

Treat patients with confidence

Create life-changing lactation care plans for your patients

Be a reliable resource for your patients and other lactation consultants

Educate patients with a wealth of knowledge

Be recognized in your field as a tongue-tie savvy practitioner

Be ready to launch or level-up your private practice toward financial independence

Be fully equipped to switch from one-time consultations to offering life-changing extended follow up for long-time patients that you will guide from pregnancy to weaning.

Be ready to launch your private practice or to level-up your existing business so you can reach financial independence

About your mentor

Meet Paola

Physician · IBCLC · Lactation Mentor

Paola is an Internationally Educated Physician, specializing in Breastfeeding & Lactation Medicine, currently enrolled in the LILAC Fellowship (Lessons in Lactation Advanced Curriculum), a highly regarded two-year advanced fellowship in Breastfeeding & Lactation Medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York, USA.

She's also a Certified Breastfeeding Specialist and an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, the gold standard certification for health professionals working with breastfeeding families. She holds a Diploma in Pediatric Nutrition and a Diploma in Perinatal & Pediatric Clinical Nutrition. She's consistently expanding her expertise through ongoing continuing education.

She's a Certified Breastfeeding Specialist and an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant — the gold standard certification for professionals working with breastfeeding families — and holds diplomas in Pediatric and Perinatal Clinical Nutrition.

She's also certified as a Sleep & Wellbeing Specialist and a Baby-Led Weaning Educator, with additional training in Pumping & Feeding Gear, Infant Craniosacral Therapy, and Oral Habilitation.

She's also certified as a Sleep & Wellbeing Specialist, and a Baby-Led Weaning Educator. She has additional training in Pumping & Feeding Gear, Infant Craniosacral Therapy and Oral Habilitation. She also possesses extensive clinical experience in assessing Oral Ties and Dysfunction.

She's been an IBCLC mentor for many years, thoughtfully guiding students toward IBCLC certification and supporting their clinical and professional growth, with more than 25 graduated and currently active mentees so far.

In her practice, she collaborates closely with pediatricians, pediatric dentists, speech therapists, physiotherapists, osteopaths and healthcare providers from many different areas to ensure comprehensive care for her patients.

What our students say.

What our students say.

All lessons were honestly all so helpful!!! My favourite thing about the program was putting the educational pieces together to assist with the formation of care plans - the 1:1 mentorship and just knowing I can reach out for further guidance is so comforting! Also so helpful were the various platforms Paola trialed for her practice & what she found most useful! Her personal experience adds so much to valuable learning! I went into private practice without mentorship- my biggest regret is that I didn't have this information & support before I started! Paola's knowledge & practical application to practice makes this one of the most influential courses I have ever taken!

Melissa Treur, RN, IBCLC

B.C., Canada

I mentored under Paola to gain more experience with a wider range age of babies and wow is Paola ever knowledgeable!!! Prior to mentoring with her I had taken the Gold lactation academy and had worked as a postpartum nurse and NICU nurse but it wasn't until working with Paola that I felt like I gained the confidence to be able to help with truly complex situations. She is such an amazing teacher and takes the time to make sure to answer any of your questions in depth. Highly recommend mentoring under Paola if you are working towards your IBCLC or even if you are already an IBCLC but seeking more valuable knowledge.

Maya Ida

Paola is an outstanding mentor with a wealth of information that needs to be shared with as many people as possible! I am honoured to have been able to work along side her over the past few months. It was an honour to complete my clinical hours with her. She was genuinely invested in the growth and development of my practice and learning. She truly put her heart in to making my time at Mamas Au Lait the best possible experience. Thank you for taking me under your wing Paola.

Deena Zacks

Find a great mentor who believes in you; your life will change forever! -Bill Walsh It's been 8 months since I found my lactation mentor, Paola Vallarino, at Mamas Au Lait, and everything started to change! I made the decision that in 2024 I would focus on achieving this journey that sparkles in my heart and soul. Now, I am so happy I have completed one more step with a heart full of gratitude and hope. More to come! I'm so grateful to have found such an amazing mentor!

Luciana Lima

The program was excellent - I learned so much! Paola was right that even though I had taken a previos course, her program was very helpful on top of what I previously learned. It filled in a lot of the gaps and was very practical, while the course I took previously was oriented mainly to content from the textbook (I know this is important too).

Mary Davis, BScN

Mississauga, Canada

Paola is my current Mentor for the IBCLC Mentorship / internship program and she is very knowledgeable, with high level updated science based experience and ensures you fully understand everything and responds to every question you have. She really cares and commits as a Mentor. I feel im great hands with my training journey thanks to her and her amazing team.

Melisa Lopez

What patients say about our graduates

The proof is in the care they give

Mila Mendez, CBS

Breastfeeding Specialist · Lactation Intern

"Our session helped me feel more confident and grounded with restarting breastfeeding, and I was grateful for the resources provided." — Wei F.

"Thanks to their support, we overcame various health and lactation issues and started exclusively breastfeeding by the third month." — Lela R.

Stephanie Aguanno, RN

Registered Nurse · Lactation Intern

"Stephanie looks out for baby AND mom — supportive, professional, and gives a peace of mind no other LC ever has." — Yolo L.

"She was very approachable and proactive in finding solutions, even without my asking. I'd highly recommend her." — Patricia S.

(They/Them) · Breastfeeding Specialist · Postpartum Doula in Training · Lactation Intern

I had an initial prenatal consultation with Mila, who was very warm, friendly and knowledgeable. Our session helped me feel more confident and grounded with restarting breastfeeding again, and I was grateful for the resources provided after our discussion.

— Wei F.

I cannot emphasize enough how important it was for me, my partner and our newborn baby to work with Mila Natasha Mendez at Mamas au Lait. Thanks to their support, we were able to overcome various health and lactation issues and start exclusively breastfeeding by the third month. Mila is caring and supportive. Although we worked online, I didn't feel the distance of remote communication. I felt safe and warmly welcomed in our exchange.

— Lela R.

(She/Her) · Registered Nurse · Lactation Intern

Working with Stephanie on my fourth baby was a true game changer. Previous LCs took on a very medical approach to everything related to breastfeeding and gave me very narrow options and looked out mostly for the baby gaining weight. Stephanie, however, looks out for baby AND mom and this stood out to me right away. She is supportive, professional, and provides a peace of mind that no other LC ever has. Her knowledge also goes beyond breastfeeding. She is well acquainted with pumping, bottle paced feeding and weaning. I don't have words to express my immense gratitude for Steph and I will for sure be referring all of my mom friends to Steph!

— Yolo L.

Stephanie helped me improve things quickly and in a non judgemental manner. She was very approachable and proactive in finding solutions, even without my asking for it. It was really a pleasure to work with Stephanie and I'd highly recommend her.

— Patricia S.

If this is just what you need…

Why wait?

Join us now · Full program access

$695

USD

one-time payment

60+ hours of lactation-specific education — 60 CERPs approved by IBLCE

All 5 clinical modules + the bonus business module (Level-Up Your Private Practice)

Access to a private community to share resources and experiences

Learning Community, networking and accountability with your mentor and peers

6 months of access to re-watch the recorded lessons at your own pace

Your enrollment includes:

Additional conferences with guest speakers

Certificate of completion you can apply toward IBCLC certification or recertification

Start learning now →

Prefer to pay in CAD? Reach out and we'll be happy to assist you.

If you prefer to pay in CAD, please reach out and we'll be happy to assist you.

Good to know

FAQs

Yes. The program is designed to provide the lactation-specific education and clinical knowledge required for IBCLC exam eligibility and currently includes 60 CERPs.
Yes — the 60+ hours count toward the IBCLC exam's 95-hour requirement, and if you're already an IBCLC, you can use the 60 CERPs toward your recertification.
Both! IBCLCs gain advanced clinical skills to level up their practice, and those working toward certification get more than half the education hours needed to apply for the IBCLC exam.
The program currently provides 60 CERPs.
Following the outline, you'll spend over five hours a week for six weeks, but you have 32 weeks total. Most students take 12–24 weeks at 1–2 hours a week.
Both! You get Paola as your mentor plus insights from peers in a private group, along with two individual mentoring sessions.
Yes — a certificate of completion with 60 CERPs approved by IBLCE, applicable toward the IBCLC exam's 95-hour requirement.
This is an advanced program, so you'll need 35 additional lactation education hours to meet the full 95-hour requirement. Use your 1:1 mentoring session with Paola for personalized guidance on your pathway.
Of course! Additional one-on-one sessions are available for an additional fee, based on availability — reach out for more information.
Not an absolute requirement, but graduates and current students receive priority for mentorship placements.
No — you can apply to the Clinical Mentorship at any time due to the waitlist. The Advanced Lactation Program is the recommended first step, and students/graduates get priority for selection.
You can access the course for up to 32 weeks to review lessons, download PDFs, and take the final test. Most students complete it in 12–24 weeks.
No. A healthcare background can be an asset, but we've had successful students from many professional backgrounds as well as students with no prior healthcare degree.