Nurturing the Infant Brain and the Parent Brain Through Connection
Nurtured connection is essential to develop lifelong mental health in babies and it can boost mental health for parents. True connection between babies and parents is a unique brain state that only emerges in states of quiet alert— an alert, aware, safe, and low-stress brain state. When we go back to work we can be mindful to have these experiences in the morning, in the evening and on our time off.

We will learn:

• How the emotional system grows in both babies and parents in infancy, from 0-3 years
• How connection grows the baby and adult brain
• How to identify quiet alert states in babies for connection
• How to nurture connection through the senses: touch, smell, sight, sound, taste.

LLLC Leader Panel
Join LLLC Leaders as they share their unique breastfeeding experiences and their journey of becoming a Leader.

Alex’s Journey
Join us as Alex discusses her story that includes infertility, pregnancy loss, surrogacy, pregnancy and tandem breastfeeding her ‘twiblings’!

Price
$25

Register Today

Greer Kirshenbaum PhD is an Author, Neuroscientist, Doula, Infant and Family Sleep Specialist and Mother. She trained at the University of Toronto, Columbia University, New York University and Yale University.  Greer has combined her academic training with her experience as a doula and mother to lead The Nurture Revolution.  A movement to nurture our babies’ brains to revolutionize mental health and impact larger systems in our world. Greer wants families and perinatal practitioners to understand how early caregiving experience can boost mental wellness and diminish depression, anxiety, and addiction in adulthood by shaping babies’ brains through simple intuitive enriching experiences in pregnancy, birth and infancy. Her book is called The Nurture Revolution: Grow Your Baby’s Brain and Transform Their Mental Health Through the Art of Nurtured Parenting.  She offers resources, workshops, and sessions on her website.

Alex Slate was born and raised a Torontonian. She is a part-time real estate agent and a full-time mom of twiblings. What’s a twibling? Great question! Her babies were born seven weeks apart. One via surrogacy and one she birthed herself. It’s been a wild ride of many years of infertility and pregnancy loss, tandem pregnancies, infancy and now toddlerhood. Throughout her entire journey towards parenthood she always knew she wanted to nurse her babies. Though everything has been an uphill battle to finally get to hold her children, she is finally able to look back on the struggles instead of looking forward into the unknown and she is so grateful. You can follow along with her journey (or scroll back through it) on Instagram @rockabyemaybe.

LLLC Leaders

 
Alyssa Warmland is an interdisciplinary artist and activist. Her work utilizes elements of radical vulnerability, restorative justice, mindfulness, compassion, performance, and direct action. She is a mother, La Leche League Canada Leader, writer, podcaster, producer, director, performer, content creator, not-for-profit administrator, and abstract visual artist. Lyss is a strong advocate for fumbling towards an ethic of care, especially when it comes to the topics of birth, matresence, and grief. Most of all, she’s interested in the way people choose to tell their stories and how that keeps them well. Lyss is a 32 year old white, queer, disabled woman who lives with her partner and their son on Robinson-Huron (Treaty 61, 1850) land stolen from Omàmìwininìwag (Algonquin), Anishinabewaki ᐊᓂᔑᓈᐯᐗᑭ Cree peoples.

Andrea Levy joined LLLC in 1996 when she was expecting her first child, who is now 27. She was accredited as a Leader in early 2000. She immediately moved to Boston where she led with the Group in Belmont, Massachusetts. When she moved back to Canada in 2002 she led with the Hamilton Morning Group. She eventually retired from LLLC when her children's schools needed volunteers and her plate overflowed! She never stopped supporting people in her community as a knowledgeable friend. Last summer, she decided to reconnect with La Leche League Canada and reactivate as a Leader. Andrea participated in the new online Leader Applicant program.

Humairah Abowath is a mama of 5 and living the 'home' everything era.. homesteading, homeschooling, homemaking, homebirthing etc!

She serves the community as a birth worker and support families through conception, pregnancy, postpartum and beyond infant stage. When it comes to breastfeeding and nursing, her service is open to all because of LLLC! Humairah has been a Leader for 7 years and counting!  Her experience as a Leader has helped her gain connections with people all over the continent.

Taylor holds many roles in her life; a lactation counsellor as well as a LLLC leader, and above all else a mom of 3! She started her Leader journey in Nunavut but relocated to Southern MB! Taylor had so many setbacks in nursing her little ones and has personally seen how rural regions in Canada lack breastfeeding support. Because of this, offering support has become one of her biggest passions.

Julia is a La Leche League Canada Leader, a Registered Dietitian, a PhD student, and a proud mama to her daughter, Anna who just turned 5. Julia is greatly empowered by the connections and resources from the La Leche League community to overcome misinformation and non-supportive cultural norms in her breastfeeding journey. This motivated her to become the Leader for both Langley and West Coast Mandarin Group.

Luana is a 35-year-old Brazilian, expatriated, mom of 2. She is also a doula, lactation counselor, and midwifery student. Luana lovea working as a birth supporter and enjoys her free time with family and reading. She lives with her partner, Thiago, and the kids in Kitchener/ON. Luana was accredited as a La Leche League Leader in May of 2023. Since being accredited she has been a part of the "Ask a Leader" team and translated LLLC documents to be accessed for more members of the Portuguese community. She plans to support many families through a virtual Group for Portuguese speaking families.

Aimee Chaulk has been a La Leche League Canada Leader with the Labrador Group since 2017, is a member of the Leader Support Team for Atlantic Canada, and the Area Editor for the Atlantic Beacon. She has three daughters aged 12, 6, and 3, and works outside the home as an editor and archivist with a local history magazine. Aimee is also serves on the Parent Advisory Committee for her local Indigenous family resource centre, the Midwifery Implementation Committee with Labrador-Grenfell Health, and is the President of the Association of Newfoundland and Labrador Archives.

Cyndel is 1 of 2 moms to 3 littles. She has been a Leader for 4 years; offering support virtually, in-person and prenatally to families. She focuses her support in the LGBTQ2IA+ community, hosting virtual meetings and a prenatal class as a safe place for those in need.