It’s rainy in Seattle today. It’s rainy in Seattle a lot. All this rain and hanging around indoors can give a person a lot of time to think. Lately I’ve been thinking about the word “breastfeed.” I can’t get it off my mind. Oh yes, it is one word. You see, you can’t separate the word “breast” from the word “baby.” They just go together. Which is my point. But I’ll get to that in a minute. Continue reading
Type I tongue tie–tip of tongue “tied” to floor of mouth.
My lactation consultant told me my baby is tongue tied and she needs to get her frenulum clipped so she can breastfeed. What is a frenulum? Why does my baby need this procedure?
The frenulum is a (usually) thin, fibrous band of connective tissue that connects the underside of the tongue to the floor of the mouth. The mere existence of a lingual (tongue) frenulum is not an indicator of a problem. The important thing is whether the frenulum restricts the movement of the tongue in a way that interferes with its normal functions. If it does, your baby has a condition known as tongue tie or ankyloglossia. Continue reading
I hear this phrase several times a week. It troubles me because it implies that the baby is unwilling breastfeed. Nothing could be further from the truth.
You baby was born to breastfeed! She is hard-wired to seek comfort and nutrition from you breasts. This is, after all, how babies survive! When a baby is unable to latch and breastfeed it simply means that she is unable to latch and breastfeed—not that she is unwilling! Continue reading
This letter is my formal appeal of the rejection of Claim Number ____ for Lactation Consultation Services provided for my son, (name) on (date) for the amount of ______.
Summary of Events: Child was born on (Date). He was discharged from the hospital on (Date) (Detail here whatever complications you had with feeding/jaundice/dehydration/re-admittance to hospital, etc) On (Date) we met with our pediatrician, (Name) and expressed concerns about breastfeeding. Dr. _______ noted that baby was struggling to thrive and referred us to Lactation Consultant, Renee Beebe, M.Ed., IBCLC. Renee provided her services on (Date). Following the consultation, I submitted all required paperwork to (name of insurance company) for reimbursement. On (Date), I received an Explanation of Benefits (referenced above), noting the claim was denied. Continue reading