Infant Feeding Support: Q&A with Clinician Mercedes Eustergerling

Overview

Infant feeding support is a new and growing area of practice for physiotherapists. Although physiotherapists have been helping dyads (moms and babies) with some aspects of feeding for a long time, the systematic assessment and management of breast and bottle feeding are not currently practiced by many physiotherapists in Canada. Our extensive understanding of infant anatomy, development, and neurophysiology makes us a great asset to those who need help with this functional activity.

In this online course, you will learn about the role of physiotherapists in infant feeding support, review clinical practice guidelines for special pediatric populations, and hear about new research and upcoming courses.

Learning Objectives

• Infant feeding support.
• The difference between chest-feeding, breastfeeding, pumping, and supplementing nursing systems. 
• Breast conditions and inflammation.
• The biopsychosocial approach model and how to apply this in each session with patients.
• Intervention options and how to apply them.
• The role of physiotherapists in infant feeding support.
• Clinical practice guidelines for special pediatric populations.
• New research and upcoming courses.
• Infant conditions, including:
  • Infant reflexes 
  • Orofacial anatomy 
  • Torticollis and MSK

What’s included

• More than 52 minutes of video lessons including:
  • An introduction video to infant feeding support.
  • Breast conditions.
  • The biopsychosocial approach.
  • Infant conditions.
  • The physiotherapist's role in infant feeding and support.
  • Answers to frequently asked questions.
  • Pictures on how to feed the infants. 
• Bite-sized information: All of the content is broken down into bite-sized chunks, so that you can easily watch a video on your break, over lunch, or for a few minutes at night.
• Lifetime access. You can return to this course at any time. If any material is updated or added, you will have access to the new content.
• Certificate of completion. Once you've completed the course, you will receive a certificate for your professional portfolio.
• Downloadable slides/workbook so you can follow along as you take the course.
• Access to this course is through Embodia, and although some of the content may be downloadable (such as a workbook or slides if included), the majority cannot. This is to protect the instructor’s material and to prevent the content from being shared freely on the Internet.
• Embodia is mobile-friendly and can be accessed by phone, tablet, and computer.
• There is no start date or completion date. You can complete the course at your own pace.
• You will be sent a receipt as soon as you purchase this course. This receipt can be used for education grants and for tax purposes.
• A special coupon for 15% off any other online course on Embodia Academy when you’ve completed this course!

Audience

This course is a relatively new and growing area of practice for physiotherapists. This course is for any physiotherapist or healthcare professional who sees patients postnatally and would like to better understand their role in infant feeding and maternal support.

Can I share a course with a friend or colleague? How does the group discount work?

Each course purchase is for a single viewer only, and may not be shared. If you are interested in group/staff viewing, please contact us at support@embodiaapp.com to arrange a group discount code specifically for your group. The larger the group, the larger the discount. Each individual must purchase separately with the discount code, and agree to the terms and conditions (legal). This provides each participant with their own copy to review at their pace, in addition to the opportunity to interact with colleagues as you all work collectively through the material.

Questions?

Contact us at support@embodiaapp.com and we will respond to your request within 2 business days.

This course is brought to you by the Canadian Physiotherapy Association and taught by Mercedes Eustergerling - a women’s health physiotherapist and the founder of Vida Health & Wellness in Calgary, Alberta. Mercedes has unique experience in physiotherapy for breastfeeding support and is an international board-certified lactation consultant (IBCLC). She is passionate about bringing a physiotherapy approach to the lactation world and bringing lactation into the physiotherapy practice. Mercedes conducts research on breastfeeding and lactation-related conditions, and she teaches courses on infant feeding for health professionals across North America.