What a visit is like:

My home office is in the peaceful Fairwood neighborhood of Renton WA. It is a comfortable room in our home private from the rest of the house.

After you book with me I will send you digital in-take forms to complete. Having this done ahead of time will leave plenty of time for working together on the issues concerning you.

Please bring with you EVERYTHING you are using for your baby as it relates to nursing. Nipple shields, pacifiers, bottles, pump and flanges (we me need to check the fit), and any gadgets, special gear, boppy or nursing pillows, and products you are putting on your nipples or ingesting for lactation purposes.

We will get you and baby comfy on the couch and get right into what issue/issues are concerning you.

It is important that I’m able to observe a feed. Just a normal breast-feeding session in the way you normally nurse your baby. To this end it’s ideal that your baby be ready to nurse during our consult. But, please don’t “hold off” on nursing your baby for very long or if it’s clear they are very hungry. Usually the drive time is time enough to be ready for another feed during our time together.

While observing you nursing your baby I want you to feel comfortable and try to nurse just as you have been at home. There are often latch and positioning fixes that I may recommend. Sometimes this alone can solve the problem!

Every consult looks different because every mother-baby dyad needs something different! We will follow you and your baby’s needs and concerns. No question is wrong and if something I suggest doesn’t sit right; we will try something else!

If you are comfortable with having other family members (dad, grandma, translator, etc) come along and join the consult than I am completely at ease with that and it often helps to have a few more ears listening. If you have a toddler or older child that you find you must bring along we will figure it out! I have a bin of toys in the room just for this situation.

As part of every consult I do an infant weight check and, if indicated, a before and after weight (to see how much milk your baby takes in). I will also perform an oral exam on the baby in most cases.

It’s very important to me that you feel comfortable. A lactation consult usually involves me needing to touch your breasts and to touch your baby. I will always ask for consent.

Before I leave we will agree on a “Way Forward Plan” that includes what we discussed and my recommendations.

I will prepare a report from our consult and send it to you and baby’s care providers.

You will hear from me with the next few days, and you are very welcome to text or email me to update me on how it’s going. Whenever you think you might need it we will schedule a 20 min. followup phone conversation.