GOLD Speakers
Constance Banks, RM, IBCLC
- Speaker Type: Breastfeeding Solutions for Preterm and Late Preterm Infants Lecture Pack
- Country: Australia
Biography:
Constance Banks has been an international board-certified lactation consultant since 1996 and a registered midwife since 1993. She lives in Melbourne Australia. Originally from Germany, where she trained as a nurse, Constance has worked in other countries and has a passion and interest for other cultures and their childrearing styles. She worked as a lactation consultant and clinical educator for 10 years in an associate management role at a large teaching hospital, where she also covered work in the milk bank. In the past Constance was an educator and assessor for the Baby Friendly Health Initiative. In June 2022 she resumed running a small private lactation practice under the name “Nurture Heart and Soul” Breastfeeding Support.
She has mentored midwives, osteopaths, and a GP to sit the IBCLC exam.
Her special interest is an understanding of newborn behavior and the early parent-child relationship-building throughout the fourth trimester and beyond as the foundation for later life. Constance has a certificate in plant-based nutrition and likes to advocate a balanced diet and wholesome nutrition to mothers/parents to enhance health and a robust immune system, especially whilst adjusting to the demands of early parenthood.
In 2023 she undertook a certificate course in babywearing to incorporate in her lactation work.
Constance was thrilled about the opportunity to speak in March 2020 at a European Lactation Symposium in Germany, on the care of the late premature infant on the postnatal ward. Recently Constance has become the lactation consultant for an online parenting platform and provides education and livestream sessions for followers and members. In her spare time, Constance volunteers for wildlife rescue and has also started studying wine with the intention to one day become a sommelier. She lives with her husband, son and their rescue dog.