FREQUENTLY ASKED CLINICAL QUESTIONS
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How do I contact Premier Lactation Services to schedule a consultation?
You may call or text Laura McCarthy at 571-722-6450. Or email: i[email protected]. You may also directly contact the IBCLC who covers your locality.
What types of services are beneficial through the entire spectrum of the perinatal period?
Many families are not aware that lactation consultants can provide support during times outside of the immediate newborn stage. We would be honored to support you at any and all points in your journey.
Prenatally, we provide a consultation that includes a class on the basics of breastfeeding (latch, positioning, and pumping). Additionally, this session is tailored specifically to your individual concerns around feeding your baby. We help you to identify risk factors for breastfeeding difficulties and formulate a plan to mitigate those risk factors.
We can provide guidance to parents wanting to relactate or induce lactation for the adoption of a new baby or for a baby that was carried by their partner or gestational carrier.
Are lactation services beneficial during the cessation of lactation (weaning)?
At the opposite end of the spectrum, we can provide guidance as your baby grows and develops. We often provide consultations to families around introducing solid foods, pumping and returning to work, bottle feeding, and even on weaning (parent-led or baby-led) at any age.
How can I give you information about me, my baby, and my concerns about feeding?
Before your visit, we will have you fill out some forms that contain questions regarding your and your baby’s medical, birth, and feeding history. This helps to inform our care plan and to better customize our recommendations for your case. Please provide as much detail as you are able. Any information that you send us will be kept in strict confidence.
Where and how will consultations take place?
The initial visit is almost always in-person, in the comfort of your own living room, family room, nursery, or bedroom. We also offer virtual consultations to cover certain select topics. We do not generally recommend a virtual appointment for an initial consultation because we believe strongly in our hands-on approach to assessment and teaching.
What does a typical initial visit look like?
Upon arrival to your home we will:
- Discuss any changes or updates to the intake forms that you filled out
- Perform a thorough assessment of the lactating breast
- Perform a thorough assessment of the baby (body, head, neck, oral anatomy and function, suck strength, organization, breathing)
- Weigh the baby and assess the growth curve for appropriate weight gain
- Perform a weighted feed to let us know exactly how much milk is transferred during this particular feeding
- Trouble shoot positioning, latch, and milk transfer
- Supplement, if needed
- Measure you for appropriate pump flange size
- Do a pump session to assess the amount of milk remaining in the breast after the baby has fed
- Discuss our assessment and care plan or recommendations moving forward
- Our assessment notes and care-plan will be provided to you via secure portal after the visit
What should I have prepared for my in-home visit?
It is helpful to have a blanket available for our scale, your pump, and any supplies or equipment that you are using to help with feeding. It is also helpful if you try not to feed your baby in the hour preceding your appointment time. Babies don’t always live according to our plan so we can adapt our usual appointment routine, if needed. Please don’t empty your breasts just prior to our appointment time as it will be difficult to assess baby’s feeding ability if there is limited milk available.
How can I contact you with additional questions after my visit?
Our electronic charting platform has a secure portal where you can message your consultant with follow-up questions, and upload lab work results, pictures, videos, etc. The follow-up support via portal is unlimited, however, we may recommend scheduling additional visits if it seems like your situation has changed from our initial visit. Babies and feeding typically evolve over time so we may need to do another assessment to provide the best recommendations.
How long is a typical visit?
Usually an initial visit is around two hours. This gives us plenty of time to address all of your concerns without feeling hurried.
How many visits are typically needed?
This is really specific to each individual case and dependent on you and your family and your feeding goals. We have seen some families up to 10 times and some families only 1 time. We feel that follow-up visits are helpful to evaluate whether the initial care plan was effective or if modifications need to be made. We are here to help! If something is not working for your family, please let us know so that we can assist you with your evolving needs.
If authorized, can you share your notes and findings from our session with another provider?
Yes, absolutely. We believe in cooperative and coordinated team care. We will be happy to facilitate that for you. We can securely e-mail our notes from your session or fax them, depending on your needs. Examples include sharing our notes and findings with your OBGYN, pediatrician, tie release provider, midwife, chiropractor, physical therapist, or speech therapist.
