Services
We offer breastfeeding and lactation support for mothers and families who need further guidance, consultation and follow up to ensure a successful breastfeeding experience in hospital or in your own home. We offer absolute continuity of care.
Most babies are born knowing how to suck, but not always knowing how to suck properly at the breast, and most mothers are not quite sure how to go about helping the baby learn.
Both first-time and more experienced mothers often appreciate advice, support and encouragement before the baby’s arrival and after, to establish a successful breastfeeding relationship.
During Pregnancy
This consultation will enable expectant mothers and couples to explore and learn more about breastfeeding. Topics covered include:
- Benefits of breastfeeding
- How to get off to a good start
- How breast milk is made
- Effective positioning and attachment
- Types of birthing and their effect on breastfeeding
- Normal feeding patterns
- Expressing
Once your baby has arrived
A home or hospital consultation will include the following:
- A thorough observation and assessment of your breastfeeding technique
- An explanation of the probable reasons for the difficulties
- A maternal breast assessment
- An infant oral anatomy and sucking assessment
- Latching and positioning help
- Weight check of baby, if required
- Tips and information for practical management of breastfeeding
- A feeding plan tailored to your needs to help you reach YOUR breastfeeding goals (not ours), taking into consideration your lifestyle, circumstances and preferences
- Answers to any breastfeeding questions you may have
- Handouts / emails relevant to your situation (if required)
- Contact information for resources in your area
- Comprehensive report for you and your GP, HV, MW's records, if needed
- A follow-up feeding plan and to keep in touch as required
- Kind, gentle, and compassionate care
An IBCLC can assist you with breastfeeding challenges both simple and complex, including:
- Adjusting to life with a newborn
- Adoptive nursing
- Anesthesia
- Baby wearing
- Biting
- Bottles
- Breastfeeding without birthing
- Breast refusal
- Breast refusal post frenulotomy
- Choosing a pump
- Cleft lip / cleft palate
- Colic
- Cultural issues
- Dealing with criticism
- Dental and oral health
- Disabled or handicapped mothers or babies
- Elimination patterns
- Failure to thrive
- Fertility issues
- Frequency of breastfeeding
- Getting enough sleep
- How to tell baby is getting enough milk
- How the birthing affects breastfeeding
- Introducing solids
- Introducing a bottle
- LGBTQI+ families and chestfeeding
- Losing weight after childbirth
- Low milk supply
- Medications
- Milk banking and milk sharing
- Milk storage
- Nipple confusion
- Normal newborn behavior
- Nursing during pregnancy
- Nursing multiples
- Nursing outside of the home
- Nursing strikes
- Overactive letdown
- Dummies
- Post partum depression
- Premature babies
- Preparing to breastfeed
- Pumping issues
- Reduction and augmentation surgeries
- Reflux
- Relactation
- Returning to work or school
- Scheduling
- Sexual abuse
- Sick mother or baby
- Sore breasts – mastitis, plugged ducts, abcesses
- Suckling difficulties
- Sore nipples
- Surgery
- Tandem nursing
- Tongue tie
- Too much milk
- Weaning, including night weaning
- Yeast/thrush
If it becomes evident that a tongue tie may be impacting on breastfeeding, we do an oral examination and refer you to your local NHS tongue tie clinic or to one of the private tongue tie specialists in your area.
