Integrative Clinical Approaches in Perinatal Herbal Care, Lactation, and Infant Oral Function
Presented by Melissa Cole, MS, IBCLC & Monadnock Perinatal

- Date: Thursday, October 15, 2026
- Time: 8:00 am – 4:30 pm
- Location: Hannah Grimes Center, 25 Roxbury St, Keene, NH 03431
- Max attendees: 75
- Registration Fees (includes CERPs):
- Early bird by 7/31/26: $300
- After 7/31/26: $350
- 6.25 IBLCE L-CERPs applied for
Additional Notes:
- Includes 2 months free access to the Luna Lactation Herbal Database!
- We will send handouts digitally prior to event
- Feel free to bring any note-taking materials you need
- Please be mindful that this is an event for health professionals and community members. Please refrain from attending if you are ill.
- Digital evaluation form will be emailed out after the class, certificates + CERPs will be provided after evaluation is completed
Providing comprehensive care requires an integrative approach that considers physiological, functional, and clinical perspectives. This workshop explores the intersection of herbal therapeutics, lactation support, and infant oral function within clinical practice. Our AM session will focus on current evidence and safety considerations for perinatal herbal use, including applications for lactation concerns and mood concerns. Our afternoon session will focus on infant feeding and oral function topics, emphasizing assessment and management strategies for oral restrictions and functional feeding support. The workshop will also highlight interdisciplinary collaboration and communication among providers to optimize outcomes for the parent–infant dyad. Clinicians will leave with enhanced skills to apply evidence-informed, holistic care that supports optimizing perinatal health and infant feeding outcomes.
After this workshop, participants will be able to:
1. Describe the evidence base, indications, and safety considerations for herbal therapeutics commonly used in perinatal and lactation care.
2. Assess infant oral function in the context of feeding challenges.
3. Identify key clinical indicators of oral restrictions and compensatory feeding behaviors in infants.
4. Integrate herbal, functional, and interdisciplinary approaches to optimize outcomes for the perinatal dyad.
Agenda:
Morning Session: Infant Oral Function From Assessment to Care
8:00 to 8:30 AM Registration and Welcome
8:30 to 10:00 AM Assessing Infant Oral Function Beyond the Frenulum
- Practical oral anatomy assessment, functional and anatomical findings
- Feeding/compensation pattern observations as part of oral assessment
- Connections between parent symptoms and infant findings
- Signs that suggest contributors beyond oral restriction
10:00 to 10:30 AM Break
10:30 to 11:45 AM Oral Function Clinical Reasoning, Referrals, Support
- Findings that increase concern for functionally significant frenulum restriction
- Differential diagnosis, possible contributors
- Determining what contributes most to the feeding difficulty
- Timing of referral and intervention; When frenectomy may or may not be the appropriate next step
- Preparing families for realistic outcomes
- The lactation professional’s role before and after frenectomy
- Interdisciplinary communication and referral
11:45 AM to 12:00 PM Oral Function Questions and Answers
12:00 to 1:00 PM Lunch on your own
Afternoon Session: Herbal Therapeutics in Lactation & Perinatal Care: Evidence, Safety, and Clinical Applications
1:00 to 2:30 PM Herbal Safety, Evidence, and Clinical Decision Making
- Evaluating herbal evidence, herbal pharmacology basics
- Contraindications, herb-drug interactions
- Individual herbal considerations, reliable professional resources
- Scope, documentation, and shared decision-making
- Moving beyond the assumption that natural automatically means safe
2:30 to 2:45 PM Break
2:45 to 4:15 PM Herbal Applications in Real World Lactation Care
- Herbal galactagogues, perinatal wellness, mood considerations
- Choosing among botanical options rather than using a one-size-fits-all recommendation
- Communication with parents and documentation strategies
- Monitoring response and knowing when to reconsider the plan
4:15 to 4:30 PM Questions and Wrap Up
A final opportunity to integrate the day’s material, address questions, and identify practical changes participants can bring into clinical practice.
Cancellation and Refund Policy – A full refund (minus paypal fees) will be provided if your cancellation is requested before 30 days of the event. If you need to cancel your registration within 14-30 days of the event, we will refund you 50% of your registration. Refunds will not be provided if cancellation occurs 0-14 prior to the event. If there are extenuating circumstances, please contact us ASAP to discuss options.
We reserve the right to cancel any event prior to departure for any reason whatsoever, including an insufficient number of participants, or unforeseeable logistical problems (e.g. acts of God, war, strikes, pandemic, etc.). An event cancellation due to insufficient numbers would normally occur at least a month prior to departure, unless unforeseeable events impede the event overall.
In the event of cancellation, we will make every effort to refund registrants, minus any nonrefundable supplier fees we have already paid. However in the case of an unforeseeable event, we will not be held liable for providing a refund or have any further liability.
Health Policy – Please respect the health and wellness of others. If you have any symptoms of illness on the day of the workshop, please do not attend and contact us to discuss options. We will abide by any necessary local health protocols and COVID protocols that may be in place at the time of the event.
