Lactation Support

Painful latch

There can be several reasons for a painful latch, ranging from relatively simple to more complex. Evaluation includes careful assessment of the baby’s oral anatomy and observation of positioning during feeding. Most of our time will be spent working on strategies to achieve a sustained and comfortable latch.

Sore or damaged nipples

Sore and/or damaged nipples often go hand-in-hand with a painful latch. In addition to working on a sustainable latch, we will look at the damaged tissue and prescribe any medications and recommend therapies that may be necessary to aid in healing.

Low milk supply

Having a low milk supply can feel disheartening and like your body isn’t doing what it’s supposed to be doing. However, often low milk supply is caused by factors that can be corrected or improved. Sometimes normal infant behavior can trick us into thinking we have a low supply! The focus of this visit will be on ensuring that we have the optimal circumstances for a good supply. While correcting a low supply concern can sometimes take a variety of approaches and a bit of time, we will work together to create a solid plan for you to follow.

Oversupply

While some will joke that an oversupply isn’t really a problem, those of us who have experienced oversupply know its challenges. We will work together on ways to regulate supply and improve your baby’s comfort and digestion.

Tongue and lip ties

These concerns can sometimes take a careful eye and some time to diagnosis, other times they are quite obvious. Either way, optimizing latch is an important part of the process. Not all ties are managed in the same way and we can review strategies to help with your little one.

Infant weight loss

Excessive weight loss can be a very challenging emotional experience for new parents. We will do a careful assessment of your baby and come up with a plan to help your little one get back on track. Loaner scales are available for a free two-week period for all our lactation consultation clients with infant weight loss concerns and you are always welcome to come to the clinic to weigh your baby yourself.

Dysphoric milk ejection reflex (D-MER)

While not a very common lactation concern, it is one that goes undiagnosed for many people, who often suffer in silence. D-MER occurs when the nursing parent experiences negative sensations or feelings around the times they nurse or let-down. These can include feelings of sadness, hollowness, panic, anxiety, and others. Often knowing that this is happening is enough to feel better about it. However, if you have more severe symptoms there are ways to help. Please reach out for more information.

Plugged ducts & mastitis

Whether this is the first time you’re experiencing these symptoms or if you’ve struggled with repeat episodes, we’ll take a careful look at the nursing dynamics to better understand any corrections we can make to prevent future occurrences. We can also write prescriptions for antibiotics if you need them.

Pumping, introducing a bottle, transitioning back to work

If you need help figuring out how to work expressed milk feeds into your routine, we can help. We’ll go over your equipment and how best to use it and help you understands the ins-and-outs of expressed milk feeds.