Your breastfeeding adventure is likely to have some bumps and twists and turns along the way. Some challenges, if not addressed promptly, can lead to complete cessation of breastfeeding. That’s where the IBCLC comes in. The lactation consultant in private practice bridges the gap between the place of birth and ongoing success with breastfeeding. Continue reading
A phone consultation is a great way to get some expert help at about half the cost of a home visit. Bonus: You don’t have to leave your comfy chair! It’s appropriate for a wide variety of situations. I commonly provide phone consultations for return-to-work planning, milk supply problems, breastfeeding management concerns, weaning and sleep issues. Phone consultations work best when breastfeeding is going well (or has in the past) but there are other issues that need to be addressed.
You caught my daughter’s posterior tongue tie over the phone & with emailed pictures when other health care professionals completely overlooked it! It’s now being corrected next week! I’m really excited to see how this improves her breastfeeding! *THANK YOU*
What can you expect from a phone consultation?
About 6 weeks to 2 months postpartum, your health care provider will bring up the subject of birth control. Even though sex may be the farthest thing from your mind! Your doctor has your mental and physical health in mind when he talks to you about a birth control method. It can be devastating emotionally and physically to get pregnant again before you are ready.
There are many birth control methods that are compatible with breastfeeding and have absolutely zero risk of harming milk production. Condoms and other barrier methods are safe and effective when used appropriately. But these methods are considered “risky” to many doctors because they rely on patient compliance and errors can occur. More and more doctors, therefore, are encouraging new mothers to use an IUD for birth control.
There are some relatively new IUDs on the market, that can create problems for breastfeeding individuals. The Mirena., Skiyla, Liletta and Kyleena all contain small amounts of synthetic progesterone. Progesterone is the hormone that keeps you from lactating during pregnancy. It follows that progesterone, even a small amount, could cause a reduction in milk supply for a breastfeeding mother. Continue reading
When a woman thinks of birth and breastfeeding she expects it to be the happiest time of her life. Occasionally, to a mother’s dismay, she finds that breastfeeding brings on new challenges, feelings and experiences. She may experience feelings of pain with breastfeeding, or an unexplainable twist in her gut when her milk lets down. Unable to justify or validate what she is feeling leaves her at a loss and feeling confused. These feelings may be the result of a condition known as D-MER. D-MER stands for Dysmorphic Milk Ejection Reflex and it is treatable.
D-MER is caused by a drop in dopamine activity when oxytocin rises which creates a feeling of dysphoria in the mother (D-Mer.org). It is a physiological disorder, not a mental disorder. To understand D-MER better I have interviewed Renee Beebe, IBCLC. Renee Beebe is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant who works with mothers who may be exhibiting symptoms of D-MER.
Tongue-tied newborn
Let’s assume for a moment that breastfeeding is not important. That the oral development that breastfeeding provides is inconsequential. We will ignore, for just a moment, the fact that the act of breastfeeding helps develop the baby’s jaw, his facial muscles and properly shapes the palate to make room for his future teeth. We’ll ignore all of that so that I can give you a few other reasons to agree to have your baby’s frenulum clipped. Just in case the possibility of pain free, effective breastfeeding is not a good enough reason for you.
The reason I’m being just a bit sarcastic is because there are plenty of health care professionals out there who do not “believe in” freeing a tongue tied baby’s tongue “just” so he can breastfeed. “After all,” they say, “..you can just feed your baby pumped milk or formula from a bottle.” Continue reading
