Prenatal consultation
During this consultation we will discuss your breastfeeding goals and strategize how to put you and your baby on the path to attain those goals. I will teach you some breast-feeding essentials and give you and your partner materials to refer to in your baby’s first weeks of life. We will look at your home environment and imagine ways you can use your environment to make breastfeeding ergonomic and comfortable. Together we will formulate a written plan-of-care tailored to your needs, goals, and environment. This is a great way to relieve some of the anxiety women have about breastfeeding; let’s talk about it! You’ll feel better.
This session can be instrumental to your breastfeeding if any of the following scenarios describe you:
- You know that your baby will need specialized medical attention after birth
- You have had medical challenges during pregnancy such as preclamsia, gestational diabetes, sciatica, carpal tunnel syndrome or depression.
- You’ve had breast surgery of any kind
- You have flat or inverted nipples
- You had challenges breast-feeding a previous baby
- You have anxiety or stress related to breastfeeding and/or motherhood
Post-partum consultation
This session is about addressing you and your new baby’s breastfeeding needs. I will get a detailed medical history for you and your baby including your account of your birth experience. I will assess your baby from head to toe and weigh her before and after a feeding. This will allow us to know exactly how much your baby is taking-in during a feeding. I will examine your breast tissue and watch how your baby feeds. We will address your concerns and together we will create a written plan of care for you and your baby to achieve your breastfeeding goals. Like the prenatal consultation, I recommend this for all moms and babies, but it is vital under the following circumstances:
If your baby
- Is jaundice
- Refuses to latch-on
- Is not gaining weight quickly 1/2-1oz/day
- Is gaining weight too quickly
- Cries a lot or is fussy
- Feeds ‘all of the time’
- Was born at 36 weeks gestation or earlier
- Spits up a lot
If you
- Have flat or inverted nipples
- Have sore nipples
- Are engorged
- Are ill or need to have surgery
- Have low milk supply
- Have been diagnosed with or think you may have mastitis, a breast infection
- Experience stress or anxiety about breastfeeding
- Need to take medication
- Need advise about selecting a breast pump
- Are returning to work
- Are receiving conflicting advice or discouragement about breastfeeding
Lactation support classes
I am leading a lactation support group at 942 Summit Avenue, the lovely home of Do You Tea/Bloomsbury Square/Who’s Gluten Free, on alternating Mondays in Jersey City Heights. Space is limited to 15 mom-baby couplets exceptions made for twins of course. We will weigh your baby before and after a feeding to determine how much she is receiving each feeding and we will discuss your breastfeeding challenges as a group. This is a wonderful way to connect to local moms and get out of the house but be in a cozy, family-friendly place! The cost is $15/mom. Bring your baby and an extra baby blanket so she can have some floor time.
* If you would like to do a group lactation class or support group in your neighborhood or for a particular group of moms, please contact me.
Pre-or post-natal massage
Coming soon!
In this session I combine my skills as a licensed massage therapist and my insight as a labor and delivery nurse to help you to work out the physical and emotional kinks of pregnancy, labor or early motherhood. I use a blend of techniques from Eastern and Western modalities depending on what works for a particular person, body part or ailment. Together we will give your soul a moment to catch up to your body. This session can be combined with either the pre or post-natal lactation sessions.
Gift Certificates
This is a wonderful way to give support to a family!