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Do you think you might need to see an IBCLC?
If you are not certain that breastfeeding is going well, it might be an idea to consider having a consultation with me. I am an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, or IBCLC. I offer home visits in the Greater Vancouver, BC area. These consultations are open-ended, that is, not time-limited, and my services include a free follow-up visit or phone call. Email me for current prices.
"One consultation is much cheaper than the cost of six months of formula!"
See sections below for other details.
Why should I have a home visit?
There are many advantages to a home visit:
- I offer my service for a flat rate fee, so this means I can see you when it is convenient for you, with no time restrictions. I can see you any time of day -- even during the evening or at night if you prefer. My fee is the same no matter what time of day I see you.
- You do not have to travel with a crying, unhappy baby, or perhaps with other children in tow. You can have the luxury of a consultation in the comfort of your own home.
- When I am there, I have the opportunity to meet your family and talk with others in your immediate support network. This gives me the chance to help them learn how they can best assist you with breastfeeding. Sometimes very well-meaning but misinformed family or friends might make suggestions or do things which are not helpful to your efforts to establish good breastfeeding habits or to increase your body's ability to make more milk. But if I don't meet them and see how they relate to you, I might not be able to see if they understand what breastfeeding entails, and how best to help you -- and to also listen to what their concerns are. Of course, meeting the family members is entirely optional and your choice, but if you want this, it is easier if I go to your home than for them to go to a clinic.
- A house call allows me to see what actual furniture you have and how this might impact your breastfeeding. For example, maybe you have a very soft couch that makes it hard for your baby to reach your breast, and things need to be adjusted so that you are more comfortable. I can show you how to work with the actual pillows, footstools, blankets and things you have in your home so that breastfeeding will work for you.
- I can show you how to comfortably breastfeed lying down. Hospital beds are narrow and mothers are discharged fast in a lot of cases. Sometimes women do not get the hang of getting the baby latched effectively while lying down, before they are discharged. This position can come in very handy for breastfeeding at night. Once you know how, breastfeeding while lying down is the most natural and comfortable way to breastfeed at night.
- If you are using a breast pump or other device, I can help with those, too. But these things take time to learn or to perfect, and with the non-time-restricted service I offer, we can take all the time you need!
- Sometimes it does take time to get a thorough history of your birth and previous breastfeeding experiences, if any. But this is important to do, because often there is something that happened which caused or contributed to the problems you are now having. Knowing these details helps us to understand what the nature of the issue is, and helps point the way to a breastfeeding solution that will work for you.
- If we encounter some special situation where you will need additional support other than what I can offer, I can work with the other professionals involved to provide feedback and develop a game plan that will best assist you, and I will be able to follow up with you. This allows me to offer continuity of care that might not occur in other situations.
Contact me anytime. Leave a message, 24 hours, at 604-682-3269, mailbox 7840 or email me! I can provide you with current rates and we can set up a time for me to come to your place.
"One consultation is much cheaper than the cost of six months of formula!"
What happens during a consultation?
First, it's best if you try to relax first before I come over, and to help your baby relax too. This might be hard, but take a deep breath, have a glass or water or a snack or shower -- or maybe all of the above! Whatever happens, feel good that you are on your way to finding out what you can about your situation, getting facts, exploring what will improve the breastfeeding experience for both you and your baby, and making the best decisions you can about how to reach your breastfeeding goals.
Once I come over, if your baby is sleeping, we can start to talk. You can tell me what you think the problem is or might be. I can start asking you questions about your birth experience, previous breastfeeding experiences, if any, and other important details that will help me to understand what might have gone wrong -- and to help guide you about what to do to solve it for yourself.
If the baby wants to breastfeed at any time, we can switch gears, and return to the history later. Or I can email you the questions and you can have them at least partly answered by the time I get there.
In any case, I like to observe an entire breastfeeding before making suggestions. This gives me a chance to see what IS ALREADY working, so that I can show you how to build on that, and increase your confidence and understanding about what works best for you and your baby.
If you are already giving supplements, and it looks like they won't be needed eventually and that you can start cutting down, we can discuss how to give those supplements so they won't interfere with your milk production, while at the same time ensuring your baby gets the nutrition she needs until your milk production can meet your baby's requirements. Depending on how long you have supplemented and what your individual situation is, you might need to continue with the supplements while you also continue to breastfeed. But partial breastfeeding is still breastfeeding -- after six months, most babies are starting to eat solids, so they are not fully breastfeeding either.
If you have what looks like a medical problem in addition to classic breastfeeding problems such as positioning and latching, discomfort with breastfeeding, and so on, then I will make a referral for you to see the appropriate professional who can help you with that, usually your own doctor.
If you have contacted me on a doctor's referral, I report to the doctor to give her/him an opportunity to see what I have observed and the recommendations I have made, in order that your physician can use this information to also give you the best support possible.
If you have come to see me on your own, you might want me to write a report for your doctor anyway, for the reasons mentioned above.
I will remain in touch with you and follow up with another house call if you like, to see if you are feeling good about the breastfeeding, and that things are going the way you like. Sometimes it takes more than one visit to make sure that everything is going smoothly, and to review the new things you have learned.
If you have had any breastfeeding problems, it is also strongly recommended that you return to your health care provider to get your baby weighed and examined during regular check-ups, and to follow up with any of the strategies that you have decided to do, to make sure the breastfeeding continues to go well and that your baby stays healthy and happy.
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