Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine

What Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine does

The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM) is a US-based, non-profit medical professional organization founded in 1995 and headquartered in Schaumburg, Illinois. It operates as a worldwide membership community of physicians dedicated to breastfeeding, lactation, and human milk feeding medicine, serving medical doctors who seek evidence-based clinical guidance, continuing education, and professional credentials in the specialty. ABM maintains a small staff of approximately 5 employees and is supported by an extensive volunteer physician infrastructure that produces its core content.

ABM's core product portfolio centers on (1) a library of clinical protocols and position statements that function as global reference standards, (2) the peer-reviewed Breastfeeding Medicine journal, (3) structured education delivered via the ABM Education Center (a third-party LMS) and Grand Rounds webinar series, (4) the Fellowship designation (FABM), (5) the 10-month Leadership Academy, (6) Special Interest Groups (SIGs), and (7) the Annual International Meeting, which in 2026 will be held for the 31st time in Toronto. Supporting assets include multi-language Parent & Practitioner Handouts, a Core Competencies framework, a Speaker's Bureau, the Find a Physician public directory, a podcast, and a blog/newsletter. The technology stack is a conventional web platform plus an LMS, with no AI, app, or proprietary model components.

ABM generates revenue through five main streams: annual physician, affiliate, and emeritus membership dues; registration fees for the Annual International Meeting (both in-person and on-demand); FABM application and renewal fees; Leadership Academy program fees; and ancillary merchandise and silent auction income at the annual meeting. It also sells exhibit and sponsorship packages to mission-aligned organizations. Distribution and member acquisition are driven by an event-led GTM motion anchored on the annual meeting, supplemented by organic social (Facebook, X, LinkedIn, YouTube), the podcast, email/newsletter, webinars, and the Find a Physician directory as a patient-referral channel.

Name

Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine

Legal name

Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine

Website

https://bfmed.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine is a global, US-based non-profit professional society founded in 1995 that serves physicians specializing in breastfeeding and lactation medicine through clinical protocols, a peer-reviewed journal, fellowship designation, and continuing education programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medical Professional Association Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Healthcare & Clinical Professional Development (CME/CE) (EDAGANAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Lactation, Postpartum & Perinatal Support Services (HLAFAJAN), Healthcare Clinical Professions (CME/CE for Nurses, Allied Health, Pharmacy) (EDAAALAC)

Keywords

• Breastfeeding medicine education
• Clinical lactation protocols
• Physician professional membership
• Continuing medical education
• Medical specialty association

Headquarters

HQ city

Schaumburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Physician Membership Dues: ABM generates revenue through annual membership fees for physicians seeking to join the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine. The organization offers different membership tiers including Physician Membership, Affiliate Membership, and Emeritus Membership.
2. Annual Meeting Registration: Revenue is generated from registration fees for the Annual International Meeting, including both in-person and on-demand virtual attendance options.
3. Fellowship Designation (FABM): The Fellow of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine designation generates revenue through application and renewal fees for physicians who have achieved distinction through expertise and leadership.
4. Leadership Academy Program: Revenue from the 10-month mentored Leadership Academy program designed for emerging leaders in breastfeeding medicine.
5. Merchandise and Silent Auction: ABM sells merchandise (ABM Swag) and receives donations through silent auctions at annual meetings to support the organization's mission.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine is a worldwide non-profit medical professional organization that provides clinical protocols, position statements, peer-reviewed publishing, and continuing education to physicians specializing in breastfeeding and lactation medicine. Its core offerings include the Breastfeeding Medicine Journal, evidence-based clinical protocols, the Grand Rounds Webinar Series, the Leadership Academy mentored program, and the Fellow of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (FABM) designation, all supported by an annual membership program for physicians, affiliates, and emeritus members.

Product overview

The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine offers a comprehensive professional membership ecosystem for medical doctors specializing in breastfeeding and lactation medicine. The core portfolio centers on clinical protocols and guidelines, peer-reviewed publishing through the Breastfeeding Medicine Journal, and structured education via the Grand Rounds Webinar Series and ABM Education Center. Professional development is delivered through the Leadership Academy (10-month mentored program), Fellowship designation (FABM), and Special Interest Groups. The organization supports members with resources including Position Statements, Parent & Practitioner Handouts (available in multiple languages), Core Competencies, a Speaker's Bureau, and a Find a Physician directory. Annual programming includes the International Meeting, World Breastfeeding Week, and regional conference endorsements. Additional member offerings encompass the Blog & Newsletter, Podcast, and fundraising events including a Silent Auction and Swag Store.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Breastfeeding Medicine: Official peer-reviewed journal of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine

Products and services

• Clinical Protocols Evidence-based clinical protocols that facilitate best practices in breastfeeding medicine, serving as guidelines for the care of breastfeeding mothers and infants by physicians and healthcare professionals.
• Breastfeeding Medicine Journal ABM's official peer-reviewed journal advancing breastfeeding and lactation medicine scholarship, published for physicians, researchers, and healthcare professionals in the field.
• Grand Rounds Webinar Series On-demand, web-based continuing education program diving into the latest clinical practice guidelines and emerging trends in the care of breastfeeding parents and infants, for physicians and healthcare professionals.
• Leadership Academy 10-month mentored program designed to help emerging leaders in breastfeeding medicine grow their impact through collaborative learning and a hands-on leadership project, for physicians seeking leadership development.
• Fellowship in the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (FABM) Distinguished designation honoring physicians who have achieved expertise, leadership, and enduring commitment to advancing breastfeeding medicine, recognizing both professional accomplishment and dedication to the ABM community.
• Annual International Meeting Annual global conference bringing clinicians, educators, and researchers together for learning, collaboration, and dialogue in breastfeeding medicine, with both in-person and on-demand virtual attendance options.
• Physician Membership Annual membership program for medical doctors and qualifying healthcare professionals that provides access to ABM's clinical protocols, journal, continuing education, Special Interest Groups, member resources, and the global professional network.
• ABM Education Center Online learning management system providing structured educational content and continuing education opportunities for members seeking to advance their breastfeeding medicine knowledge.
• Position Statements Official statements on core topics related to breastfeeding medicine serving to promote, protect, and support breastfeeding worldwide for physicians, policymakers, and the public.
• Core Competencies Framework Competency framework and educational resources for training healthcare professionals in breastfeeding medicine, used by educators and institutions.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP): AAFP provides CME and clinical resources to family physicians — the largest specialty touching breastfeeding medicine in primary care. Comparable as a physician membership society with a recurring revenue model and CME delivery, though not specialty-focused on lactation.
• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG): ACOG is the leading U.S. professional society for ob-gyn physicians, publishing committee opinions and practice bulletins that frequently address breastfeeding and lactation. ACOG operates as a much larger incumbent with overlapping physician education and clinical guideline authority.
• American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP): AAP is the dominant U.S. professional society for pediatricians with significant content authority on breastfeeding (e.g., policy statements on breastfeeding and human milk). AAP's broader pediatric focus and substantially larger membership base make it a broad incumbent that overlaps with ABM's clinical protocol authority.

Regional players

• National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP): NAPNAP is a U.S.-based advanced-practice nursing society with special interest in lactation and breastfeeding support for pediatric nurse practitioners — serving a partially overlapping clinical audience to ABM in maternal-child health professional development.

Direct peers

• La Leche League International: LLLI is one of the oldest and most recognized international breastfeeding support organizations, providing education, leader accreditation, and conferences for breastfeeding supporters. Comparable to ABM in mission (breastfeeding education and global community) and audience overlap, though focused on non-physician supporters.
• United States Lactation Consultant Association (USLCA): USLCA is the U.S. national affiliate for IBCLC lactation consultants, providing membership, advocacy, and continuing education in clinical lactation — directly parallel to ABM in structure, recurring revenue model, and CME/CE delivery for lactation professionals.
• International Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA): ILCA is the global professional association for lactation consultants (IBCLCs), serving the same breastfeeding/lactation medicine professional community as ABM with similar membership, conference, and certification offerings. The two organizations are the most direct peers in physician/clinical lactation professional development.
• International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBLCE): IBLCE administers the global IBCLC certification credential for lactation consultants — analogous to ABM's FABM designation. While focused on examination rather than education, both organizations sit at the apex of lactation clinical credentialing.

Emerging players

• Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is the largest U.S. nutrition professional society, with substantial CME offerings and overlapping interest in maternal/infant nutrition and lactation support — emerging in the same physician-adjacent clinical education space as ABM.

Others

• World Health Organization (Breastfeeding/Infant Feeding): WHO publishes global guidelines and frameworks on breastfeeding and infant feeding that frequently intersect with ABM's clinical protocols. WHO operates as an adjacent standards-setter rather than a direct competitor, but its frameworks shape ABM's protocol authority.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BFMedicine
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@academyofbreastfeedingmedicine
• Facebookfacebook.com/BFMedicine
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/academy-of-breastfeeding-medicine

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine