What does a Lactation Consultant Do? As a Lactation Consultant, I act as a bit of a Breast=feeding Detective. I use all of my senses, listening and observing very carefully what might be the root cause of issues you are experiencing in Breastfeeding. I am here to help... Breast-feeding is instinctual to normal healthy, unmedicated babies, still some babies require a bit of encouragement to latch-on or continue suckling. Traditionally younger women watched older women breast-feed, and hence women learned the general idea along with the tricks it sometimes takes to succeed. In our modern society, this is far from the norm, and expert assistance is often helpful in learning the art of breastfeeding. In the first minutes after your baby is born, the instinct is strong to seek out the breast and latch on. Many of our modern “state of the art” birth practices have knowingly or unknowingly interrupted that process, causing difficulties for the mother and baby who were planning to breast-feed. Having a Lactation Consultant present at your baby’s birth is one of the best ways to ensure that Breast-feeding gets off to a good start. If you have already birthed your baby and are facing challenges in your breast-feeding relationship, Lactation Consultants are the highly trained professionals who work with you in reaching your breast-feeding goals. It could also mean addressing issues that could lead to more serious problems if not promptly taken care of. Such issues usually do not usually resolve on their own and help from a trained Lactation Consultant often makes the difference between succumbing to or overcoming those obstacles. By empowering you with information and positive encouragement, I will do my best to help you to fulfill your ultimate breast-feeding goals. Situations to seek a Lactation Consultant Without Delay To prevent or to address Breastfeeding difficulties, such as... ✧ a baby who is not gaining weight or losing weight after 4 days postpartum, ✧ difficulty or painful latching in the first 24 hours ✧ Oversupply or Undersupply of Milk ✧ Blocked ducts, Mastitis ✧ Sore or injured Nipples ✧ baby not passing stool regularly ✧ "fussy" baby ✧ "sleepy" baby ✧ premature <38 weeks, twins, breech babies ✧ c-section or other instrumental or difficult birth ✧ baby with defect which affects feeding ✧ mother with defect or previous breast condition/operation ✧ mothers and babies with any illnesses/conditions ✧ Family history of Breastfeeding troubles of any sort ✧ you need peace of mind that you are “doing well” and encouragement to continue Phone Support and Free Help An IBCLC Registered Lactation Consultant is the “gold standard” of breastfeeding help. To gain this credential, I have completed well over a thousand hours of on the job clinical experience, in addition to completing Lactation Specific Education and passing the rigorous IBCLE Board Exam. I provide Insurance Reimbursement Materials to make it easy and pain-free for you to be reimbursed either partially or fully for my services. Clients of mine avail phone support from me when necessary. For non-clients or those looking for free general breastfeeding information, La Leche League of Monterey offers a free helpline and monthly support group. Due to time constraints, I am only able to dedicate my time and energy by phone or email to established clients. Please visit my local resources and links page for more information about La Leche League and other local breastfeeding resources. If you are truly in tough financial circumstances, need professional help from an IBCLC and have no insurance coverage, still give me a call. We can work out an arrangement so that the energy exchange is sustainable for both of us. Babywearing Consultations and Baby Carrier Rentals I am also available for Babywearing consultations and have a Baby Carrier Lending library available to all clients who have not yet ordered/received or decided upon which baby carrier will best suit their family needs. Babywearing is encouraged as apart of a long and satisfying breastfeeding relationship between mother and child. Commitment to Non-Toxic, Organic Supplies I have a commitment to myself and my clients to use the least toxic supplies during appointments, consultations and other interactions with clients. I avoid PVC Vinyl, BPA, Plastic(when possible) and other materials known, evidenced or strongly suspected to be toxic whenever possible. I try to use Silicon (eg. feeding tubes, milk storage containers), PVC-free, BPA-free, Non-toxic, organic/holistic materials and supplies in my interactions with clients whenever possible because I understand that the unborn, the newly born, and childbearing women are especially sensitive to their needs for a pure, toxin-free environment, in all aspects.

Breastfeeding Help

What does a Lactation Consultant Do?

As a Lactation Consultant, I act as a bit of a Breast=feeding Detective. I use all of my senses, listening and observing very carefully what might be the root cause of issues you are experiencing in Breastfeeding. I am here to help...

Breast-feeding is instinctual to normal healthy, unmedicated babies, still some babies require a bit of encouragement to latch-on or continue suckling.

Traditionally younger women watched older women breast-feed, and hence women learned the general idea along with the tricks it sometimes takes to succeed. In our modern society, this is far from the norm, and expert assistance is often helpful in learning the art of breastfeeding.

In the first minutes after your baby is born, the instinct is strong to seek out the breast and latch on. Many of our modern “state of the art” birth practices have knowingly or unknowingly interrupted that process, causing difficulties for the mother and baby who were planning to breast-feed. Having a Lactation Consultant present at your baby’s birth is one of the best ways to ensure that Breast-feeding gets off to a good start.

If you have already birthed your baby and are facing challenges in your breast-feeding relationship, Lactation Consultants are the highly trained professionals who work with you in reaching your breast-feeding goals.

It could also mean addressing issues that could lead to more serious problems if not promptly taken care of. Such issues usually do not usually resolve on their own and help from a trained Lactation Consultant often makes the difference between succumbing to or overcoming those obstacles.

By empowering you with information and positive encouragement, I will do my best to help you to fulfill your ultimate breast-feeding goals.

Situations to seek a Lactation Consultant Without Delay

To prevent or to address Breastfeeding difficulties, such as...

✧ a baby who is not gaining weight or losing weight after 4 days postpartum,

✧ difficulty or painful latching in the first 24 hours

✧ Oversupply or Undersupply of Milk

✧ Blocked ducts, Mastitis

✧ Sore or injured Nipples

✧ baby not passing stool regularly

✧ "fussy" baby

✧ "sleepy" baby

✧ premature <38 weeks, twins, breech babies

✧ c-section or other instrumental or difficult birth

✧ baby with defect which affects feeding

✧ mother with defect or previous breast condition/operation

✧ mothers and babies with any illnesses/conditions

✧ Family history of Breastfeeding troubles of any sort

✧ you need peace of mind that you are “doing well” and encouragement to continue

Phone Support and Free Help

An IBCLC Registered Lactation Consultant is the “gold standard” of breastfeeding help. To gain this credential, I have completed well over a thousand hours of on the job clinical experience, in addition to completing Lactation Specific Education and passing the rigorous IBCLE Board Exam.

I provide Insurance Reimbursement Materials to make it easy and pain-free for you to be reimbursed either partially or fully for my services.

Clients of mine avail phone support from me when necessary. For non-clients or those looking for free general breastfeeding information, La Leche League of Monterey offers a free helpline and monthly support group.

Due to time constraints, I am only able to dedicate my time and energy by phone or email to established clients. Please visit my local resources and links page for more information about La Leche League and other local breastfeeding resources.

If you are truly in tough financial circumstances, need professional help from an IBCLC and have no insurance coverage, still give me a call. We can work out an arrangement so that the energy exchange is sustainable for both of us.

Babywearing Consultations and Baby Carrier Rentals

I am also available for Babywearing consultations and have a Baby Carrier Lending library available to all clients who have not yet ordered/received or decided upon which baby carrier will best suit their family needs. Babywearing is encouraged as apart of a long and satisfying breastfeeding relationship between mother and child.

Commitment to Non-Toxic, Organic Supplies

I have a commitment to myself and my clients to use the least toxic supplies during appointments, consultations and other interactions with clients. I avoid PVC Vinyl, BPA, Plastic(when possible) and other materials known, evidenced or strongly suspected to be toxic whenever possible. I try to use Silicon (eg. feeding tubes, milk storage containers), PVC-free, BPA-free, Non-toxic, organic/holistic materials and supplies in my interactions with clients whenever possible because I understand that the unborn, the newly born, and childbearing women are especially sensitive to their needs for a pure, toxin-free environment, in all aspects.

Contact Me

If you are in Monterey, check out the “Monterey County Birth Group” on Facebook

As a Lactation Consultant, my goal is to be a guide for you. This may mean ensuring that your baby is gaining enough weight, observing and suggesting small techniques to make breast-feeding go more smoothly and comfortably for you, or simply reassuring you that you and your baby/babies are thriving.

As busy new parents, the last thing you want to worry about is breast-feeding not going as well as you’d hoped. And sometimes it can feel like rocket-science just trying to figure out what the true source of the issue really is. That is where a highly trained Lactation Consultant comes in handy.