Common lactation and infant feeding concerns and how we can offer expert help as Board-Certified Lactation Consultants.
Painful Latch and Nipple Damage
Ultimately breastfeeding should not be painful. Some tenderness or mild discomfort in the beginning can be normal, but there should not be pinching, sharp pain or nipple damage. This is a sign that the latch is shallow. During a consultation for latch pain, we will assess underlying causes of shallow latch. Sometimes correcting positioning or technique is the solution. However, oftentimes we need to look deeper at oral function, body tension and assess for signs of tethered oral tissues (TOTs or “tongue ties”). We can help make a feeding plan that supports protecting your milk supply, healing your nipple damage and addressing the underlying concern.
Pumping and Flange Fitting
Pumping should be comfortable, effective and efficient. No matter how little or often you pump, we would love to help your pumping experience meet this criteria. During a pumping consult, we will fit you for the correct size and shape of flange by measuring, observing and trialing different flanges. Additionally, we can help you with settings on your pump and make suggestions to help with volume you are pumping, if that is a concern.
Low Milk Supply
If you are struggling with low milk supply, we would love to assist you. During this visit we will need to take a deep dive into your health history, pregnancy, labor and birth, feeding routines, stress levels etc. in order to best give recommendations. There can be so many reasons for low milk supply and sometimes there are multiple factors that are leading to the low supply.
Breast Refusal, “Nursing Strike” or Fussiness at the Breast
Breast refusal and crying/fussiness at the breast can have different underlying causes. Observing a feed, doing an oral function exam, assessing milk supply are a few things we will look at when addressing these concerns. We often see these types of issues come up when the baby is around 6-12 weeks old. As milk supply regulates, oral function becomes even more important for milk removal. D
Bottle Refusal or Difficulties
If your baby is having a hard time taking a bottle, we are here to help! Signs of difficulties include coughing, gagging, leaking, or crying. During this visit, ideally we observe a bottle feed and will trial different bottles. We will bring several different bottles to see if they do better with a certain shape or flow. We can offer recommendations on positioning and techniques to try during the feeding. If oral function is playing a role, we can make suggestions on how to improve oral function based on what your baby needs to work on for their bottle skills.
Clogged Ducts and Mastitis
If you are getting frequent clogged ducts and/or mastitis, we would love to help. There is a lot of misinformation on how to best prevent and treat these concerns, so that is why you may be getting conflicting advice. We use evidence-based protocols to guide us in our recommendations. In addition to helping you manage the symptoms, we can assess if the underlying cause is related to how your baby is feeding or to your pump, and make recommendations to see if it helps symptoms improve.
Weaning
If you have made the decision to wean, but would like some guidance on how to do it safely, we would love to support you. We can help you make a plan and troubleshoot if you are having difficulties decreasing your supply.
Back to Work and Pumping
If you are feeling overwhelmed with the prospect of going back to work while breastfeeding, you are not alone. We would love to help you make a plan and answer any questions you may have on pumping, milk storage, transitioning back and forth between breastfeeding and pumping.