SPEAKERS

Professor Amy Brown is based in the Department of Public Health, Policy and Social Sciences at Swansea University in the UK where she directs the new research centre ‘LIFT’ : Lactation, Infant Feeding and Translation. With a background in psychology, she first became interested in the increasingly global issue of low breastfeeding rates
when breastfeeding her first baby. Three babies and a PhD later she has spent the last sixteen years exploring psychological, cultural and societal barriers to breastfeeding, with an emphasis on understanding how we can shift our perception of breastfeeding from an individual mothering issue, to a wider public health problem.

Professor Brown has published over 100 papers exploring the barriers women face in feeding their baby during the first year. She is author of eight books on infant feeding including ‘the Positive breastfeeding book’, ‘Breastfeeding Uncovered’ and ‘Let’s talk about feeding your baby’.

Her research, articles and books can be found on her website www.professoramybrown.co.uk and she can be found across social media as ‘Professor Amy Brown’

Sonja graduated as a speech language pathologist from the University of Akron, Ohio, USA in 2002. As well as assessing and treating speech and language issues in children, Sonja is also a pediatric feeding therapist with special interest in orofacial myology disorders, including tethered oral tissues and oral habits. She is a recommended provider from the Thumbsucking Clinic™ in Australia and recently signed up to start her IBCLC journey.

Sonja has attended many conferences and continued education courses in feeding and orofacial myology. She is a member International consortium of Ankyloglossia Practitioners (ICAP); International Association of Orofacial Myologist (IAOM); the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA) and the Icelandic Association of Speech Language Pathologists (FTÍ).

Sonja provides a lot of information on feeding and oral development (in Icelandic) on her webpage, www.maturogmunnur.is and is on social media as maturogmunnur.

Marianne Busck-Rasmussen, Bente Dalsgaard, Charlotte Guiliani and Ingrid Nilsson were part of a national, interdisciplinary working group in 2019-20 aiming at developing a National Clinical Guideline for examination and treatment of tongue-tie among breastfed infants.

Marianne Busck-Rasmussen is a health visitor, Master in Public Health and IBCLC, working as a specialist consultant in the National Resource Center for Breastfeeding in Denmark. She educates health professionals in breastfeeding and prepares them for the IBLCE-exam. Moreover, she facilitates regional networks on breastfeeding in Denmark.

Bente Dalsgaard is a clinical nurse specialist in obstetric nursing and IBCLC, working at a university hospital in the Northern Jutland. She has extensive knowledge and practical skills on breastfeeding and on counselling new families following birth. She furthermore offers presentation on many issues relating to breastfeeding to health professional all over Denmark.

Charlotte Guiliani graduated from Anglo European College of Chiropractic (AECC) in 1994 and completed her Master in Pediatric Musculoskeletal Health at Bournemouth University in 2014. She has build-up an interdisciplinary pediatric clinic receiving more than 1000 new paediatric patients a year and is a frequent guest lecturer on the subject Paediatric Oral Motor Dysfunction.

Ingrid Nilsson is a nurse, Master in Health Anthropology, Phd, and IBCLC, working as chief consultant and head of the National Resource Center for Breastfeeding in Denmark, aiming at collecting and disseminating knowledge on breastfeeding to health professionals. Her main research concentrates on breastfeeding in the early period following birth in the context of early discharge.

Frida has a B.Sc. in Nursing, M.Sc. in midwifery and is an IBCLC from Iceland. She works in the birthing unit at The National University Hospital of Iceland as well as doing home visits after birth and breastfeeding consultations. Frida also teaches healthcare professionals at the University of Iceland and does antenatal classes for parents. Frida finished her Master in midwifery in 2020 from the University of Iceland, she focused on breastfeeding rates in Iceland that were not accessible to the public and the loss of support for breastfeeding women. Her thesis was about the effectiveness of the support of midwifes and nurses on the rate and length of breastfeeding. A Systematic review.

Helena Bragadóttir is an RN nurse from the University of Iceland. She is currently working on her master’s research about women with addictions, and their experience of a mindfulness course in the University of Akureyri. Helena plans to finish her master’s degree in psychiatric nursing next semester.
Helena has worked in various wards in the National Hospital of Iceland from 2009, mainly in the psychiatric field. Both inpatient wards and outpatient departments in the hospital. She started her work in an acute inpatient psychiatric ward for individuals with dual diagnosis and then moved on to work more with patients in an outpatient setting in the same hospital. She has worked in a department for people with addiction and other psychiatric conditions, in a team of healthcare professionals treating parents with new-borns with emphasis on relational theories and in the acute psychiatric emergency ward among others.
Helena is currently working in a psychiatric healthcare team with incarcerated people in Icelandic prisons; a new service that the Minister of Health launched in the beginning of 2020 within the NHS in Iceland.
Helena has attended various courses and retreats in mindfulness meditation, both in Iceland and various European countries. She finished training as a mindfulness instructor from the Mindfulness Association of Scotland in 2011 and trained in England to work with mindfulness for people with addiction.
Helena has been an instructor in numerous courses in mindfulness for various groups in Iceland. For example in the hospital setting, for people with addiction, in prisons, for nurses and other healthcare workers but also as for the public. Helena has also been an active lecturer in Iceland about mindfulness and its possibilities, both for health care professionals and for the public.

Ingibjörg útskrifaðist sem hjúkrunarfræðingur frá Hjúkrunarskóla Íslands árið 1985 og ljósmóðir frá Ljósmæðraskóla Íslands 1987. Lauk BS prófi í hjúkrun frá Háskóla Íslands árið 1993 og meistaraprófi í ljósmóðurfræði MSc frá H.Í. árið 2003. Hún hefur lokið alþjóðlegu brjóstagjafaráðgjafaprófi (IBCLC) árið 2001 og endurnýjað það 2011 og 2021. Hún starfaði á fæðingardeild Landspítalans frá 1987 til 2003. Síðan sem ljósmóðir og hjúkrunarfræðingur við Heilsugæslu Höfuðborgarsvæðis frá árinu 2003 til 2013 í mæðra- og ungbarnavernd og brjóstagjafaráðgjöf IBCLC. Frá 2014 til dagsins í dag er hún sérfræðiljósmóðir í brjóstagjöf á Landspítala og einnig sérfræðiljósmóðir í tvíburameðgöngum. Er stundarkennari í ljósmóðurfræði H.Í. og einnig stundakennari í læknisfræði H.Í. kennir læknanemum um brjóstagjöf. Hún hefur haldið mörg námskeið um fæðingarfræðslu, um brjóstagjöf og tvíburameðgöngur og fæðingar í gegnum árin. Hefur einnig sinnt heimaþjónustu ljósmæðra síðan 1993, sem innifelur sængurlegu umönnun á heimili mæðra á fyrstu viku eftir fæðingu og sinnir brjóstagjafaráðgjöf IBCLC í heimahúsi á fyrstu vikunum eftir fæðingu.

Ingibjörg has a B.Sc. in nursing, MSc in midwifery and is an IBCLC from Iceland. She works in the Women´s Department, specialized midwife in twin pregnancy and breastfeeding in Landspítali University Hospital. She is also doing home visits after birth and breastfeeding consultations, IBCLC. Ingibjörg is also teacher at the University in Iceland, teach midwifery students and doctoral students. She does antenatal classes for parents about breastfeeding and twin pregnancy. Ingibjörg finished her Master in midwifery 2003 from the University of Iceland, she focused on twin pregnancy in Iceland. Since then she has focused on research about breastfeeding in Iceland.

In 2006 Joke graduated as a Midwife at the Erasmus University College Brussels, Belgium. In 2008 she graduated as a Master in Nursing and Midwifery at the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium. Furthermore, in 2011 she obtained the IBCLC lactation consultant degree. Having obtained a diploma in more specialized applied pharmacology in 2015, gives her permission to prescribe medicines.

Since October 2007 Joke has been working as a midwife in primary care, with a focus on prenatal and postnatal care and breastfeeding counseling. Through various work experiences she came into contact with research projects on vulnerable families and breastfeeding. She also regularly give lessons to students and other healthcare providers about breastfeeding, prenatal health promotion and preconception health education in secondary schools.

Since December 2010 Joke has been employed by the Flemish Organization of Midwives (VBOV vzw) where she is editor-in-chief of the Flemish Journal of Midwifery. Through this position she come into daily contact with new insights and the latest new evidence in midwifery and lactation. From 2014 to 2017, she was president of the Flemish Organization of Midwives. Since 2018 she is the treasurer.

Since 2011 Joke have been working as a lecturer at the Erasmus University College Brussels within the midwifery educational program.

In 2016 Joke and three other colleagues Midwives/lactation consultants started the company Care4Education, where they made ready made educational breastfeeding material, so that mothers and families can have the same information and visuals in the hospital, at home… by different health care providers. A part of this material is now being digitalised and the development of a Playful interactive Virtual reality tool is one side project of this.

In 2020 Joke was for the first time elected as a board member for ELACTA, she is the secretary from the organisation.

The opportunity of starting research and a PhD came up in February 2021. The COVALAC-study started, a study where the effect of covid-19 vaccination on breastfeeding and mother milk is researched.

A fun fact. In Flanders (Belgium) the starting figures for breastfeeding are around 73%. In the region where I live and work, we have the highest figures in Flanders, namely 91%. A starting figure that is obtained through years of dedication from different care providers and giving support to young mothers.

Julie Høst Moustgaard
Denmark
2019-2021: currently working as a Health visitor, Nurse, Health Coordinator, and IBCLC at The Outpatient Clinic for vulnerable pregnant women, Famileambulatoriet, at the University Hospital, Hvidovre Hospital.
2004-2019: worked as a Health visitor at the municipality of Gentofte.
2002 – 2004: worked as a Health visitor at the Clinic for Sexually Abused Children at Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet.

Ina L. Aasen is a registered nurse, registered midwife, IBCLC and has a Master in Nursing Science. She is Head of department of The Norwegian National Advisory Unit on Breastfeeding. She has extensive knowledge and practical skills on breastfeeding and breastfeeding guidance. Her work includes implementation of BFHI, in hospitals and community health services in Norway, teaching students and health personal, collaborating with the National health directorate on the project Digital guidance for parents and health personal on infant nutrition. Helsenorge.no/spedbarnsmat.

Dr Leena Hannula is a registered nurse and midwife with a PhD in Health Sciences. She is a principal lecturer at Metropolia University of Applied Sciences.
She has worked as a researcher and project group member or leader in several research projects in Finland and internationally. She has published more than 30 articles in peer-reviewed journals and 40 other publications. Her PhD study in 2003 was about breastfeeding perceptions and the outcomes of breastfeeding in Finland. She is the responsible director and lecturer for the Finnish Trainers of breastfeeding counselling course offered for Finnish health care professionals as well as in the international Breastfeeding and Early Interaction course in collaboration with Tallinn Health Care College in Estonia. Her recent research is about touch-based treatments for infants suffering from colic symptoms.

Dr Vivien Swanson is a health psychologist based at the University of Stirling, Scotland, where she is Co-Director of the Professional Doctorate in health psychology. Her research has focused on health behaviour in two broad areas, infant nutrition and breastfeeding, and maternal well-being, and diabetes care. Recent projects have developed, tested and delivered interventions to improve health professionals’ skills in behaviour change, including diabetes teams, nurses and midwives. She has worked in the national training body, NHS Education for Scotland, as Programme Lead for Health Psychology since 2013, where she has led the development of the MAP training programme – delivering behaviour change skills to health and social care professionals across Scotland.

University of Iceland, Faculty of Nursing
The association of breastfeeding consultans in Iceland was established January 10th 2003. Today 10 midwives and one nurse are certified and working as IBCLC. Payment for the the home visits is through the Icelandic Health Insurance and according to their framework agreement it is limited to 2 visits during the first 2 weeks postpartum. After the 2 weeks the mothers need to pay themselves for the visits.