IPSP launches 95-hour lactation certification

The Institute of Pediatric Sleep and Parenting has introduced a new 95-hour lactation certification aimed at sleep consultants, doulas, nurses and other perinatal professionals. The program is designed to add deeper lactation training, support IBCLC candidates and expand the services graduates can offer families.

Why it matters: - The new certification gives family-support professionals a more substantial lactation education than many brief or fragmented courses on the market. - Feeding questions affect sleep, development, parental confidence and newborn care, so stronger lactation training can change how professionals support families. - The program also provides 95 hours of lactation-specific education for people pursuing the International Board Certified Lactation Consultant® credential.

What happened: - The Institute of Pediatric Sleep and Parenting launched a 95-hour Lactation Certification. - Enrollment is open to students in the United States and internationally. - The program is built for sleep consultants, doulas, nurses, newborn care specialists, birth and postpartum professionals and others working with infants and new parents.

The details: - The certification covers milk production and supply, latch and positioning, milk transfer, painful feeding, pumping, bottle-feeding, milk storage, returning to work, maternal and infant health, documentation, professional communication, telehealth, feeding plans, research appraisal, perinatal mood and anxiety disorders and referral guidance. - The curriculum uses interactive scenarios, case-based learning, quizzes and live discussions. - Kelly Wysocki-Emery, MSN, RN, IBCLC, teaches the certification and brings about 30 years of lactation experience. - Students get recorded instruction plus weekly live case-study and mentorship sessions. - The online program is self-paced and includes lifetime access. - Graduates receive the IPSP Lactation Certification. - Depending on local laws and regulations, graduates may describe their services as lactation education. - The certification does not confer the IBCLC credential, authorize the practice of medicine or replace care from a licensed healthcare professional. - IPSP says the program was developed over two years. - The institute says the course was designed to provide a cohesive, evidence-based learning progression rather than disconnected content.

Between the lines: - IPSP is extending the same brand promise it built in sleep consultant education into lactation training: depth, credibility and professional standards. - The launch also reflects demand from current students and graduates who want to answer feeding questions without sending families elsewhere. - For professionals, the certification could support earlier intervention, combined feeding-and-sleep packages and broader service offerings during pregnancy, the newborn stage and return-to-work transitions.

What happens next: - Graduates who want the IBCLC credential will still need to complete all other requirements set by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners. - IPSP says the new certification is meant to help professionals support families more confidently across a wider range of situations. - The institute, founded by Violet Giannone, RN, says it has educated about 2,000 students in more than 50 countries.