Lactation Consulting
"We saw you over the course of about 8 weeks and I can’t communicate how grateful I am for how you invested in us"
– Hannah & Harper
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Breastfeeding and Lactation Support
Teaching Babies to Nurse is more than a lactation consultation practice. I work at the intersection of breastfeeding support and infant body dynamics to assess what is happening at the breast as well as with the baby’s body. I use what I see in the baby’s body to inform what might be going wrong, and what we can do to fix it from your baby’s head all the way to their toes!
A typical consultation includes:
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Full lactation history
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Breast assessment
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Assessment of infant body dynamics and sucking skills
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Observation of a feeding
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Wrap up analysis of observations during visit
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Plan for support of sucking skills and infant body dynamics on and off the breast
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Follow-up care
What matters in the baby’s body? I will be looking at:
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Movements
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Muscle use
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Muscle overuse
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Areas of tension
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Physical restrictions
We will explore what you know about your baby, and what I can see during the visit. Together we will find the story that best helps us understand not only what your baby is doing at the breast, but also why they might be doing it. You will leave with a plan of care for working with your baby on and off the breast. I also like to update your baby’s primary care provider, if that works for you, just to make sure everyone is on the same page.
Types of Visits
In-Person Visits
In-person visits are available Tuesdays and Fridays in the Plum Spring Clinic building in Chapel Hill. During your visit, you will receive an evaluation of your breastfeeding as well as your baby’s biomechanics for nursing, both on and off the breast/chest. I use techniques from cranio-sacral therapy during the visit, but they are integrated into the flow of our work, and are gentle and subtle enough that you may not notice them.
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Virtual Lactation Consultation
We can schedule virtual visits at a time that works for both of us. During your visit, I’ll observe the baby nursing, so it’s good to have someone who can help you hold the camera. I will get as close to a full evaluation as I can, and might ask you to do things with your baby that I would normally do myself during the visit, asking for you to tell me what you are feeling, since I won’t be in the room with you. We may also decide to use some video clips to follow through specific teaching techniques.
Lactation Consultation FAQ
How many visits will I need?
Because we are teaching your baby new skills, the learning process can take more than one visit. There are several ways to manage follow-up including signing up for a package, scheduling in-person return visits as we need them, or using virtual visits. We will make a follow-up plan before you leave the clinic.
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What will happen after my visit?
At the end of our visit you’ll have a visit summary, including a plan of care, and, if they’re needed, videos/pictures of the breastfeeding techniques you will be using. I’ll send you an invoice for our time together, communicate with your baby’s primary care provider, and make sure that you have any information you need to file for reimbursement with your insurance company. I am available for text or email support after your visit, or we can set up a brief virtual visit for longer conversations.
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Do I need to do anything to prepare for an in-person visit?
Here are some things you might want to consider in preparing for your in-person visit.
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Timing/Scheduling: Initial visits typically take 1.5 to 2 hours, and follow-up visits are closer to 1 to 1.5 hours. You can schedule a visit using the scheduling app. If you don’t find what you need, please reach out and we can talk about other options.
Breastfeeding supplies: Think about what you use during a feeding and bring anything that might be useful to your visit. This could include:
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Any breastfeeding gear (nipple shields, syringes, bottles with milk, etc.)
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A pacifier if you are using one
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A breastfeeding pillow if you would prefer your own to the one I have here
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Anything else you find helpful