Lactation practice with evidence and care.
Behind the Latch connects lactation professionals with careful conversations about evidence, training, and real-world care. Its interviews move between human milk science, NICU systems, certification barriers, bereavement support, and the everyday judgment required in clinical work.
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Behind the Latch is a professional lactation show with a steady educational spine and a noticeably human center. It is built for slow, useful conversations. The show’s episodes tend to start from something tangible: a newly published scoping review, a conference poster, a clinical case study, a quality improvement project, or a recurring counseling dilemma. From there, the conversation widens into practice. One episode follows Victoria Fonville through research on lactation during perinatal bereavement, where milk can carry grief, memory, connection, donation, or suppression, depending on what a family needs. Another looks at human milk research with Dr. Lars Bode, placing molecules, maternal health, preterm infants, and global public health inside the same field of concern. The show also spends time on everyday clinical uncertainty. Stored breastmilk becomes a conversation about chemistry, vitamin C, practical storage, glass, plastic, and what parents can actually manage at home. NICU episodes turn access to hospital-grade pumps into a systems question, not just an individual responsibility. Certification and mentorship receive the same treatment. Behind the Latch asks who becomes an IBCLC, who is left out, and what kind of support turns supervised hours into real clinical formation. Its best moments come when research and bedside realities meet. The show is not flashy. It is patient, specific, and comfortable with complexity. It also gives space to guests whose work sits across research, education, clinical care, and advocacy. The copy of the show’s world is clear: lactation support is technical work, emotional work, and systems work at once. Behind the Latch is strongest for professionals who want evidence they can use, but who also want language for grief, equity, confidence, and mentorship. It makes room for uncertainty without treating uncertainty as failure. That makes it especially valuable in a field where families often arrive overwhelmed, clinicians often feel under-resourced, and the best answer is rarely just one answer.
Made for: Behind the Latch is for lactation consultants, IBCLC students, clinical educators, NICU teams, and breastfeeding support professionals. It also suits healthcare workers who want deeper context on human milk, certification, mentorship, and family-centered lactation care.
What sets it apart: The show stands apart by keeping technical lactation science tied to clinical judgment, grief care, equity, and professional development. It treats published research and hands-on practice as parts of the same conversation.
The Behind the Latch with Margaret Salty is your essential companion for lifelong growth in the field of lactation consulting. Whether you're a student, a newly certified IBCLC, or an experienced consultant, this podcast is designed to support your ongoing journey. Each episode brings you expert interviews, real-world case studies, and the latest research updates—giving you practical insights you can apply directly to your work with breastfeeding families. Hosted by Margaret Salty, an experienced IBCLC, educator, and mentor, this podcast is here to guide you as you build your knowledge, sharpen your skills, and continue to evolve in your pr...
Based on 5 episodes we listened to · September 2026
Margaret Salty connects lactation research, professional training, and clinical judgment without sanding away the practical complications.
Behind the Latch keeps lactation research close to the decisions made in clinics, classrooms, and family care. Margaret Salty's guest conversations move between the chemistry of stored breastmilk, human milk research, IBCLC mentorship, case-study publication, and lactation…
Amber glass meets a freezer bag, and your clinical ideals get a reality check.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A careful look at lactation support during perinatal bereavement, with clear attention to research, lived experience, and the options families are given.
Victoria Fonville's scoping review keeps the focus on a hard but important subject: lactation during perinatal bereavement, as seen through bereaved mothers, healthcare providers, milk banks, and families.
A patient lactation interview that keeps research and clinical care in the same frame.
Behind the Latch treats lactation as both biology and care practice. Dr. Lars Boda moves from molecular detail to public health without losing the thread, and the episode stays strongest when it keeps those levels in view together.
A practical look at stored breastmilk, high lipase, and the storage tradeoffs families actually face.
Margaret Saltier and Dr. Jimmy Francis keep the discussion grounded in a real-world question: what changes in stored breastmilk, and what does that mean for families trying to manage high lipase?
A steady reminder that research can start before the credentials do.
Margaret Salty centers the conversation on a doubt many listeners will recognize: the idea that research is only for people with the right degree.
A practical look at what mentorship really takes in lactation training.
Mentorship in lactation is the point here, and the episode treats it as a working relationship rather than a credentialing checkbox. Christina Chamberlain and Margaret Salter focus on the move from logging supervised hours to real teaching: closer guidance, more hands-on…
Functional medicine at the kitchen table.
Rochester care, family, and health in conversation.
Margaret Salty opens with Victoria Fonville and her newly published scoping review.
Margaret Salter speaks with Dr.
Margaret Saltier sits down with nutrition researcher and IBCLC Dr.
This episode features an interview with Mina Ognjanovic, an IBCLC, discussing her quality improvement project to secure hospital-grade breast pumps for NICU mothers, based on her work presented at the ILCA conference.
This episode explores the barriers, mentorship needs, and equity issues in obtaining IBCLC lactation certification through an interview with researcher Dr.
Margaret Salty speaks with Indira Lopez-Bassols about writing and publishing a first case study without a PhD.
Margaret Salter speaks with Christina Chamberlain about what real mentorship in lactation looks like.
This episode features an interview with Sandra Cole, an IBCLC expert, discussing breastfeeding challenges and evidence-based strategies for supporting late preterm infants.
This episode features a conversation with Jacob Engelsman, an IBCLC and author, discussing how to make lactation care more inclusive for queer, trans, and non-binary families, covering topics like chest feeding after top surgery and practical ways for professionals to improve support.
This episode explores the critical intersection of lactation care and maternal mental health, featuring an interview with Cierra Murphy-Higgs on systemic failures, equity, and practical strategies for supporting postpartum people.
This episode features an interview with Marsha Walker discussing IBCLC licensure, its differences from certification, its importance for professional recognition and reimbursement, and current efforts to secure licensure in the United States.
This episode features an interview with Nikki Lee discussing holistic lactation care that goes beyond milk mechanics to address the whole person, including experiences, relationships, trauma, and cultural context.