How can I help you?

When it Comes to Breastfeeding…

I can help you at home with your baby, but I can also help you prepare for breastfeeding with a really useful prenatal session at 36/37 weeks of pregnancy. My sessions are thorough, and I always take the time to listen, get to know you and your baby, observe feeding, and make recommendations. As an IBCLC (International board certified lactation consultant) I can provide specialised breastfeeding support in more complex situations, and I also work closely with a multi-disciplinary team of doctors, osteopaths, speech therapists, and physiotherapists among others. Some of the issues I deal with are listed below:

Maternal Issues

  • Pain

  • Sore/damaged nipples

  • Flat/inverted nipples

  • Low milk supply

  • Over-supply and forceful milk ejection

  • Engorgement

  • Mastitis, Candida Albicans, other infections

  • Hypoplasia (insufficient breast tissue)

  • Feeding with PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome)

  • Breastfeeding after surgery (breast reductions/ implants)

Infant Issues

  • Prematurity

  • Poor weight gain

  • Poor latch

  • Tongue-tie (I am not trained to perform frenulotomies, but can help with pre-and post-frenulotomy care)

  • Jaundice

  • Excessive crying

  • Pain

  • Breast aversion/refusal

  • Supplemental feeding

Breastfeeding Situations

  • Breastfeeding twins and triplets

  • Breastfeeding with Down’s syndrome, cleft palate, neurological impairment

  • Breastfeeding during pregnancy

  • Breastfeeding toddlers and older children

  • Induced lactation (without having been pregnant)

  • Relactation after cessation of breastfeeding

  • Working and breastfeeding

  • Expressing, storing, donating

  • Weaning

The Saddest Circumstances

  • Breastfeeding after emotional/physical birth trauma (mother and/or baby)

  • Lactation after Baby loss

Postnatal Consultations include

  • Full medical and obstetric history (initial consultation)

  • Debriefing

  • Full breastfeeding assessment (each visit) including adjustments and recommendations

  • Assessment of baby’s oral anatomy 

  • Pre and post-frenulotomy assessment and support

  • Baby weighing using accurate electronic scales

  • Test weights pre and post feeding (if required)

  • Notes and feeding plan post consultation

  • Health Referrals to other services if required (GP, paediatrician, osteopathy and more)

Prenatal Breastfeeding Preparation at 36 weeks includes

  • The early days of breastfeeding and the physiology of lactation (how it works)

  • How babies feed in the first few hours, days and weeks

  • Amounts and frequency of colostrum in the first 3 days

  • How often and how long babies feed for

  • Managing early engorgement days 4-14

  • How to latch a baby on optimally

  • Best positions and holds

  • Hand expressing and collecting colostrum before birth. Knowing how to manually express and collect milk is so important at every stage of the breastfeeding journey. Colostrum can be safely collected from 36 weeks and having some frozen colostrum handy can be very useful in unexpected situations

  • Normal weight-loss in babies and regaining their birthweight

  • Establishing a full milk supply by 6 weeks (the magic number). Hormonal influence and local stimulation

  • Alternative feeding methods if needed before introducing a bottle. The optimal time to introduce a bottle

  • Common challenges - engorgement and sore nipples

  • Pumping and milk storage

Why choose an IBCLC? Click here for a little video which explains it nicely…