What a visit from a lactation consultant is really like...

What exactly happens during a lactation consultation?

Well, if your lactation consultation is with moi (or w:someone like moi) this is more or less what you can expect:

Before we meet, you'll schedule your appointment online. You'll receive a text from me confirming our appointment, then an email asking you to fill out forms. We may chat on the phone if you have time, then I'll usually see you same or next-day.

On my way to you, I'll usually send you a "Headed to you...see you soon!" text...or you'll come over to my cozy office and send me something similar. If either one of us is running behind, we check in with each other because, well...babies!

But wait. A few things to know about me before you have me as a guest in your home:

• I don't care what your house looks or smells like
• I will immediately wash my hands when I enter
• I wear shoes I can take off and will always ask your preference about this before entering your home
• I carry changes of clothes in my car in case anyone pees or pukes on me, so don't stress it
• Hablo español, por si tu mamá, suegra o tía quiere ser incluida en nuestra consulta (I speak Spanish, in case your mom, mother-in-law or aunt would like to be included in the consult)

And then it all begins...

• If your sweet baby isn't super hungry when I arrive at your home, or you arrive at my office, we'll chat a while I wash my hands, get my lactation scale ready, etc.
• If we're at your house, you'll show me the areas where you nurse, or want to nurse, and tell me about your support system, if they aren't at the consult (dad, grandma, best friend, etc.).
• The stage will be yours, this is where I kick in to listening mode
• You may or may not show me what's going on with your breasts/nipples right way (I will see this, too, when nursing starts). I may respectfully ask to touch your breasts in order to feel what you are feeling (if lumps, plugs or breast infections are present).
• I'll ask to touch/hold/examine your baby, and then assess the baby's posture, state and, with gloves on I'll assess your baby's mouth/lips/tongue via digital exam.
• We'll weigh your baby before the feed.
• If I observe anything pressing, we'll talk about it, and if its something urgent (rarely happens during consults), this is usually where I will buzz your doctor. If it isn't urgent, but needs to be run by another provider, I will buzz them after the feeding
• If all is well, I'll observe a feed and I'll do my best to verbally walk you through improvements to positioning and latch
• I'll listen to you tell me what is going on with the feed, and I'll talk you through what I see baby doing, pointing out what is normal and what we can improve.
• I may ask to to touch your breasts if needed to help position your nipple for latching, and I may hold your baby simultaneously in order to gain understanding of how your baby moves during positioning and latch (which can give me clues to certain breastfeeding issues)
• With your permission, and on your phone or camera, we may record short parts of the consult for you to have as a reference of my latch-teaching.
• We'll weigh sweetpea again to see exactly how breastmilk was transferred
• If you pump, we will use your pump together so that I may teach you how to determine your flange size, how to use your pump more efficiently, etc.
• If you're a mom who plans on bottle-feeding, we may go over bottle-feeding for your particular situation
• If you're a working mom, time-permitting, we may go over some back-to-work topics, or we can decide to meet specifically for a Back-to-Work Prep Class or 1:1 appointment dedicated to returning to work.
• Based on the general appointment events, your health history, baby's overall big-picture, I will help you create an achievable and specific-to-you plan to help you meet your breastfeeding goals. These will be written out and left with you, or uploaded to my patient-portal immediately after our time together.
• Some appointments require a follow-up consult to gauge results of our care plans. We may schedule this before I leave, or we may play things by ear. If it's a housecall, 'll let you know that you can have me back at your home for the follow-up visit, or you can come see me at my office-- whichever works best for you.
• If I recommend that you or your baby need to see other providers (your obgyn, pediatrician, etc.) I will write up a consult report for you to give your provider, or will email it to them.
• I'll make sure that I have answered all of your questions, and let you know that I am available to call or secure message for future ones related to our consultation.
• You'll pay your balance-owed before I leave, and I will give you a claim form to submit to your insurance company for reimbursement.
• If you're a hugger, we'll hug good-bye and if you aren't a hugger, we'll peace-out...and stay breast-friends!

Now that you know what to expect from your time with me, I look super forward to supporting you and your sweet baby!

Virtual hugs,
Laura

Read this before scheduling please

​Read this before scheduling please!​

breastfeeding
lactation consultation
what to expect
​breast infection
lactation scale
weighted feed
latch 
positioning
pumping 
back-to-work
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All
Breastfeeding

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