2026 Conference

This presentation explores one of the least discussed stages of the breastfeeding journey: weaning.

Written by acclaimed author, speaker, and La Leche League Canada Leader Teresa Pitman, this compassionate resource helps parents navigate the practical, emotional, and relational aspects of ending breastfeeding. Whether weaning happens gradually, suddenly, by child-led choice, parent-led decision, or due to unexpected circumstances, the book offers evidence-based information, reassurance, and gentle guidance. Drawing on decades of experience supporting families, Teresa explores common questions, challenges, and emotions that arise during weaning while recognizing that every family's journey is unique. Readers will find practical strategies, real-life stories, and encouragement to approach weaning in a way that honours both the child's needs and the parent's wellbeing. At its heart, When Breastfeeding Ends: Weaning with Love reminds families that while breastfeeding may come to an end, the connection, comfort, and relationship built through nursing continue long after the final feed.

An accredited La Leche League Canada Leader, journalist, author, speaker, and longtime advocate for breastfeeding families, Teresa has helped countless parents through the beautiful, exhausting, emotional reality of feeding and raising children. She has written or co-written 20 books – including The Art of Breastfeeding, Sweet Sleep, and Preparing to Breastfeed -- and hundreds of articles about breastfeeding, parenting, maternal health, and family life. She blends evidence-based information with compassion and understanding. She seeks to make complex information feel approachable. When it comes to weaning, Teresa understands that endings and transitions can hold grief, relief, joy, uncertainty, pride, and love all at once. The mother of four adult children, grandmother of 10 and great-grandmother of one (with another on the way), Teresa spends much of her time enjoying her family. Working with La Leche League is another priority. Her voice has helped shape La Leche League Canada for many years, and this book continues that legacy of gentle, relationship-centred support.

Latching and positioning in breast/chestfeeding are often new skills that infants and lactating people need to learn. As with all new skills, individualized support can promote self-efficacy, persistence, and self-compassion, even when there are challenges along the way. In this workshop, we’ll cover the basics of latching and positioning and then spend time appreciating the nuances of providing feeding support in the real world where no two bodies and no two families are the same. This is an opportunity to expand your lactation and infant feeding support toolkit, so that you can meet more families where they’re at by providing affirming and personalized care.

Mila Natasha Mendez (they/she) is an educator whose experiences as a new parent inspired them to focus on lactation and infant feeding in order to support other families in building their confidence with feeding their babies! As a La Leche League Canada Leader and a lactation consultant in private practice, Mila brings a non-judgmental, compassionate, and grounded approach to infant feeding, rooted in practical evidence-informed care and an anti-oppressive ethic.

This presentation explores the connection between nutrition and breastfeeding, offering evidence-based information to help healthcare practitioners help breastfeeding parents make informed dietary choices. Participants will learn how maternal nutrition impacts milk supply and composition, as well as the nutritional needs of breastfeeding parents. Topics include how foods and nutrients are transferred through breast milk, managing food allergies and intolerances in breastfed infants, and common concerns such as food security, caffeine, alcohol and energy drink consumption, fasting or caloric restriction, and the effects of disordered eating on both parent and baby. This session provides practical guidance and current research to support healthy nutrition during lactation and promote maternal and infant well-being. 

Melinda Lamarche is a new LLLC leader who is planning to run in person meetings in the Vaughan area. Melinda is the proud mother of 4 childrenand has worked as a Registered Dietitian for 20 years. Melinda’s nutrition practice is focused on pediatrics. Melinda is also a postpartum doula. When Melinda is not folding laundry or focused on nutrition, she enjoys making crochet blankets for the babiesshe cares for as a doula and baking with and for her kiddos.

This presentation gets back to the basics of babywearing by exploring the practice of carrying, not as a trendy way to transport our babies but as an expectation of human biology and physiology, as well as an ancient art. We will dive into how we know human babies expect to be carried, from their reflexes to feeding and digestion to development, and go over essential position considerations for safe babywearing. This session invites participants to reflect on babywearing as a therapeutic tool for supporting breastfeeding and avoiding difficulties. Can we safely “breastfeed in a baby carrier”?--we’ll address that too! 

Sarah Burke Dimitrov (she/her) is a La Leche League Canada Leader and mother to two littles. After over 10 years of work and volunteer experience in reproductive and perinatal health communication, healthcare policy, and peer support, Sarah recently started Heartkey Doula & Babywearing, certified as a babywearing educator, and is working toward certification as a fertility and full-spectrum doula. With her own experiences in hand, she continues to learn through training and mentorship to support others through deeply personal, tender transitions with care and clarity. Sarah has a Master’s of Science in Public Health focused on reproductive and perinatal health and BA in Communications. She lives on unceded W̱SÁNEĆ People’s territory and also benefits from the unceded land of the lək̓ʷəŋən People, known today as the Esquimalt and Songhees Nations.

Through practical examples and real-life scenarios, participants will learn how to support families with compassionate, family-centred sleep education that balances safety, development, and the needs of both babies and caregivers. Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of infant sleep and practical strategies to support families with confidence and without judgment. 

Gillian Gardner is a Childbirth Educator, La Leche League Leader and LLLC Board Member. Through her work, she has the privilege of walking alongside families during pregnancy, birth and, in the transition to parenthood. As a mother of three young children, she brings both professional and lived experience, understanding the gap between expectations and realities in early parenting.