When things aren’t going well with nursing, seeking help from a lactation consultant can make a world of difference. In addition to being tired, stressed, and hormonal, feeling like you can’t feed your baby can lead to frustration and self-doubt.
I’ve worked with hundreds of families to improve their current situation. I am always honored to hear clients say they most appreciate my kindness and warmth. I was in your shoes once too — a first time mom with a baby who wouldn’t latch. And I try to ooze empathy at every part of my visit. Almost every consult ends with a big hug — if you’d like one.
Initial visits last about 90-120 minutes. Here’s an overview of what happens at a home visit:
- I show up and say hi! I’m warm and friendly. I’ll probably oooh and aaah over your baby. It’s not an shtick, I super love every newborn I meet.
- We’ll set up in a room of your home that’s most comfortable for you. I want to see you feed in your “natural habitat”. If you’re most often nursing in bed, that works for me. If you’re pumping on your couch, we can park up there.
- Partners are welcome to join. I love a supportive teammate. So partners, grandparents, or other people important to you are welcome to sit in on the visit, too.
- We review your medical history. I gather all my info on your intake form, but we’ll talk through past health, conception, pregnancy, delivery, and any health issues for baby.
- I ask you about your goals. Not everyone wants to exclusively feed at the breast. I’m ok with that! Some people want to nurse for 3 months, others for 3 years. I’m cool with that too. I want to help you find the plan that works for you, not for another family.
- I ask you what questions you have. Sometimes clients prepare a list on paper or their phone. I want to provide you with ALL the answers I have. I encourage questions throughout the visit too if anything pops up.
- We talk about how things are going. I want to hear about your challenges, what’s working well, what you’ve tried, etc. I also want to hear often baby is eating, napping, making diapers, etc.
- I wash my hands. Before touching your baby, I soap up. And yes, I get the flu shot every fall too. It’s ok to ask me about that again when you see me.
- We weigh your baby on my digital scale. I always weigh babies in just a clean, dry diaper so we have an even comparison for future visits.
- I ask for your consent to touch your breast/chest. Even though you’ve signed the consent form, I want every client to feel comfortable and supported, so I always ask for verbal consent first.
- We latch your baby. I often try to talk you through positioning and latching on your own. Sometimes I get my hands involved to help. But I want you to practice latching all by yourself so you feel confident and empowered to do this solo after I leave.
- I share lots of tips and tricks. How to keep baby awake and engaged. How to know baby is feeding well. How to know they’re actually getting milk during the feeding.
- We weigh your baby again. I do the math to determine how much milk baby drank.
- Sometimes, we pump. This can help us tell if baby is leaving a lot of milk in the breast/chest. If the feeding goes well, we can still review the most effective ways to pump, determine the best flange size for you, and talk about ways to make pumping not suck. This is also a great time to talk about bottle feeding.
- I write up a detailed care plan just for you and your baby. We’ll review it together. This gets shared through my client portal so you can download a copy and don’t have to remember any of it.
- I answer all your new questions. Ask anything! I’ll clarify if I needed.
- We can schedule a follow up. If you need one, it can be reassuring to know we’ll see each other again soon.
- I invite you to join my weekly support group. I call this the “no pressure, but always open invitation” for continued love and a way to meet some new friends.
- Hugs! I give those out for free, if you’re into that sort of thing.
- We stay in touch via secure messaging. My help doesn’t end when I drive away. We can keep the conversation going in the client portal to adjust your care plan as needed. New questions pop up all the time, and I’m here for you.
Need help solving an issue with you and your baby?
I’d love to help. Schedule a visit now!
In-Home Breastfeeding Support in New Jersey 