35th Annual Iowa Breastfeeding Conference

35th Annual Iowa Breastfeeding Conference

Wednesday, May 14 & Thursday, May 15, 2025

Location

FFA Enrichment Center

DMACC Ankeny Campus

1055 SW Prairie Trail Pkwy

Ankeny, IA 50023

• Traffic can be very busy in the mornings in this area, so we suggest leaving early/giving yourself plenty of time to reach the conference venue.
• Conference center is large and temperature control can be difficult. We recommend dressing in layers or bringing a sweater/jacket for your comfort.

Intended Audience

Physicians, NPs, nurses, dietitians, lactation consultants, peer counselors, breastfeeding advocates and other healthcare professionals working with breastfeeding families.

Purpose

To enable the healthcare team to provide evidence-based care, education and support to breastfeeding families.

Featured National Speakers

Cathy Carothers is Co-Director of EVERY MOTHER, INC., a nonprofit organization providing counseling and lactation training for health professionals across the United States. Cathy is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant since 1996; past president and Fellow of the International Lactation Consultant Association; and past chair of the United States Breastfeeding Committee. She currently serves as the North American representative to the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) Steering Committee. She has provided more than a thousand training events in the field of lactation in every U.S. state and territory and many countries. She was honored in 2014 with the National Leadership Award in the “Friend of WIC” category from the National WIC Association.

She serves as the national project director for numerous USDA Women, Infants, and Children curriculum development projects, including project director for the new WIC Breastfeeding Curriculum, a comprehensive breastfeeding staff training curriculum for all levels of WIC staff. She also developed the national WIC peer counseling program training curricula and management materials. She worked with the HHS Office on Women’s Health (OWH) and Maternal Child Health Bureau (MCHB) to develop national resources for supporting breastfeeding employees and their employers, including the MCHB Business Case for Breastfeeding, and the OWH Supporting Nursing Moms at Work national initiative. She has provided state-level workshops for employers and community advocates on worksite lactation support in 37 U.S. states.

Dr. Jenny Thomas is a pediatrician and breastfeeding medicine specialist in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with Advocate Children’s Health. She is a graduate of Marquette University and the Medical College of Wisconsin. She did her residency at the Medical College of Wisconsin Affiliated Hospitals, served as Chief Resident in Pediatrics, and did a fellowship in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine. She serves on the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Section on Breastfeeding Leadership Team and serves as the Chapter Breastfeeding Champion for the Wisconsin Chapter of the AAP. She is recognized as a Fellow of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (FABM) for her expertise on breastfeeding. She was in the first group of physicians in the US and Canada to be board certified in Breastfeeding and Lactation Medicine. She is the AAP liaison to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Frenectomy Workgroup and is the lead author of the AAP Clinical Report on “Identification and Management of Ankyloglossia and its Effect on Breastfeeding in Infants.” She has received national advocacy awards, multiple teaching awards, and has been recognized for innovation within her practice and community. She has been published in Pediatrics, Clinical Pediatrics, the Journal of Human Lactation, and Breastfeeding Medicine.

Dr. Lukasz Weiner is a Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the University of Iowa Stead Family Department of Pediatrics. He is also the Clinical Division Director of Pediatric Infectious Diseases Division and the Medical Director of the Pediatric Antimicrobial Stewardship at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital. 

He holds American Board of Pediatrics Certification in General Pediatrics and Pediatric Infectious Diseases. He received his medical training at the Medical University of Lublin, in Lublin, Poland, did his Pediatric Residency at Geisinger Medical Center Janet Weis Children’s Hospital in Danville, Pennsylvania and completed his Pediatric Infectious Diseases Fellowship at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center and Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio. 

His clinical interests focus on improving the care provided around the prescription and use of antimicrobial agents in children.

Agenda

Day #1 - Wednesday, May 14

Iowa Breastfeeding Coalition Meeting

8:00 - 8:30 am | Registration

8:30 - 11:30 am | Iowa Breastfeeding Coalition Meeting

10:30 - 11:30 am | Weaning Wisdom (Included with IBC meeting registration)

Cathy Carothers, BLA, IBCLC, FILCA

11:30 am - 12:30 pm | Lunch (Included with IBC meeting registration)

Afternoon Sessions

11:30 am - 12:30 pm | Registration for afternoon sessions

12:30 - 1:45 pm | The Ingredients in Human Milk 

Jennifer Thomas MD, MPH, FAAP, FABM, NABBLM-C

1:45 - 3:00 pm | Making it Work: Supporting Breastfeeding in the Workplace 

Cathy Carothers, BLA, IBCLC, FILCA

3:00 - 3:30 pm | Break 

3:30 - 4:30 pm | The Sensory Experience of the Newborn and How it Impacts Breastfeeding 

Jennifer Thomas MD, MPH, FAAP, FABM, NABBLM-C

4:30 pm | Evaluations/Adjourn

Day #2 - Thursday, May 15

7:00 - 8:00 am | Registration/Breakfast

8:00 - 8:05 am | Welcome & Announcements

8:05 - 9:20 am | Answers for the Anxious: Tips for Getting Through the First Week  

Cathy Carothers, BLA, IBCLC, FILCA

9:20 - 9:45 am | Break/Exhibits 

9:45 - 11:00 am | Birth Weight, Bilirubin, and Blood Sugar: What Do the Numbers Mean for Newborn Care? 

Jennifer Thomas MD, MPH, FAAP, FABM, NABBLM-C

11:00 am - 12:15 pm | Twists and Turns of Formula Supplementation 

Cathy Carothers, BLA, IBCLC, FILCA

12:15 - 1:15 pm | Lunch 

1:15 - 2:15 pm | Infant Feeding and HIV– Is Breast Still Best? 

Lukasz Weiner, MD

2:15 - 3:15 pm | Breastfeeding Toddlers: The Reasons Behind the Recommendations 

Jennifer Thomas MD, MPH, FAAP, FABM, NABBLM-C

3:15 - 3:45 pm | Break 

3:45 - 4:45 pm | Making Meaning of What We Do 

Cathy Carothers, BLA, IBCLC, FILCA

4:45 pm | Evaluations/Adjourn

Continuing Education to be Provided Pending Approval - Hours TBD

Full attendance is required to receive continuing education.

• CERPs
• Dietitian CPEUs
• Nursing CEUs
• Provider CMEs

Registration

Deadline to register is Monday, May 12

• American Express cards are not accepted
• No refunds

Dietary Requests

We will do our best to accommodate specific dietary requirements that are noted at registration. Please note that we are accommodating food allergies and sensitivities, not preferences. If you have a severe medical need, you are welcome to bring your own food and drink to avoid any issues that may arise.

Infants Attending Conference

Mothers may bring babies less than 6 months of age into sessions. Due to the professional nature of the conference, most mothers find it easiest to bring a support person along to provide baby care outside of the meeting room. Please respect the learning needs of other participants and care for your baby outside the meeting room if needed. A nursing room will be available on site.

Hotel Accommodations

We have reserved a block of rooms under Iowa Breastfeeding Conference at the following locations:

The Residence Inn by Marriott

1515 SW Main St.

Ankeny, IA 50023

P 515-446-7300

Click here to book!

Holiday Inn Express & Suites

2502 SE Husizer Rd.

Ankeny, IA 50021

P 515-965-2400

Click here to book!

Photos

Your registration gives us consent to take photos at the conference. Photos may be used on our website or at future conferences.

Contact

Please contact Talia Greve at talia.greve@unitypoint.org or 515-241-3537 with any questions regarding registration or conference details.