The Breastfeeding Literacy Project

Evidence-based. Physiology-first. Free.

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What Is Breastfeeding Literacy?

Breastfeeding Literacy is a free, self-paced curriculum covering the foundations of lactation support—from physiology to ethics, from the first hours to the weeks beyond.

It's built on three principles:

Physiologically-Grounded Practice Understanding what's actually happening in the body—not just what to do, but why it matters.

Sustainable Ethics Education free from industry influence. No formula company sponsorships. No pump company partnerships. Independent.

Public Health Integration Lactation support doesn't happen in a vacuum. Context matters—structural barriers, hospital systems, feeding decisions in real life.

How It Works

Watch at your own pace: video lessons, 8-15 minutes each
Download the handouts:  reference guides and parent-facing tools
Apply what you learn: this is practical, clinical education
No CE credit. No exams. No fees. Just education.

Who Is This For?

  • IBCLCs looking for a physiology-first refresher or teaching resource

  • L&D, postpartum, and NICU nurses who want deeper lactation knowledge

  • Midwives and doulas supporting families through the early days

  • Peer counselors and community health workers building foundational skills

  • Medical students and residents who received minimal lactation training

  • Anyone who is breastfeeding or wants to breastfeed their baby

  • Anyone who supports breastfeeding families and wants to do it better

    This is professional education, offered free and available to everyone because access matters.

What You’ll Learn

The Curriculum: 9 Modules

FOUNDATION

Module 1: How Lactation Works Anatomy, hormones, secretory activation, and the shift from endocrine to autocrine control. The physiology that drives everything else.

Module 2: The First 100 Hours The critical window for establishing milk production. Three phases, clear goals, and the Day-4 checkpoint. This is the core framework.

Module 3: Observation and Assessment What to watch for. How to assess a feed. When to refer. Building clinical judgment within the first 100 hours.

SPECIAL POPULATIONS

Module 4: Their First 100 Hours Too — Preterm and NICU Adapting the framework for separation. Supporting pump-dependent parents. Proactive, trauma-informed care.

Module 5: The First 100 Hours for Late Preterm and Early Term The hidden population. Babies who look fine but need extra support until they catch up.

BEYOND THE WINDOW

Module 6: When the First 100 Hours Didn't Go as Planned Recovery. Rebuilding supply. Returning to breast. Supporting partial supply and mixed feeding. Meeting families where they are.

CONTEXT

Module 7: Oral Anatomy and Function Normal variation versus functional impairment. Assessment without rushing to intervention.

Module 8: Ethics, Industry, and Professional Practice The WHO Code. How industry reaches professionals. Pump companies as the new formula companies. Building an ethical practice.

Module 9: The Public Health Context Structural barriers. Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative. Harm reduction. Supporting autonomy.

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About the Educator

Christine Staricka, IBCLC has spent 25 years in lactation support—in hospitals, in private practice, and now in education and media.

She is the author of Evolving the Modern Breastfeeding Experience: Holistic Lactation Care in the First 100 Hours and host of the Evolve Lactation Podcast.

She built Breastfeeding Literacy because the education she wanted to recommend to colleagues didn't exist—so she made it.

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“This is exactly the kind of resource I was looking for to share with my colleagues here.  THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS FREE.”

– IBCLC in Nairobi

Why Is This Free?

Because there’s nothing else like it.

Because professionals deserve access to quality training that isn't funded by the companies selling products to their clients.

Because parents deserve simple access to information they need to feed their baby.

Because this knowledge shouldn't be locked behind paywalls or conference registrations.

Breastfeeding Literacy is part of Evolve Lactation Media—an independent media institution committed to evidence-based, ethics-first lactation education.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Yes. No credit card. No trial period. Free.

  • No. This is education, not certification. If you need CEs, check out other professional development options.

  • The full curriculum is approximately 8-10 hours of video content. Watch at your own pace—there's no deadline.

  • Please do! Send them to this page to sign up.

  • This curriculum is designed for parents and professionals . If you're a parent looking for support, some modules include parent-facing handouts. This is not a simplified version of a breastfeeding class. This is real, professional education based on the scientific evidence base.

  • Christine Staricka, an independent IBCLC, through Evolve Lactation Media. No sponsors. No industry funding.