pediatrician’s office, hospital, or clinic will often have a consultant on
staff or can refer you to one. We recommend you choose one who is
licensed and board certified. Be aware that those who practice
independently tend to have higher fees than those who are affiliated with
a medical practice. Check with your insurance company to find out if the
cost is covered under your plan.
If you can, schedule your initial visit near a feeding time. Your
consultant usually will want to observe the baby nursing. She will also
weigh the infant and check to see that his suckle is correct. Next, a
history will be taken, including questions about the length of labor, birth,
birth weight of the baby, your diet, how often you are nursing the baby,
and more. The information logged on your healthy baby growth chart is
useful to the consultant. It provides an overall picture of how your infant
is doing. Certain conditions like inverted or flat nipples, which can make
nursing difficult, may be modified or corrected prenatally. If this is your
situation, you might benefit by making an appointment with a consultant
early in your third trimester.
Unfortunately, as a result of their training, the members of the
lactation industry are heavily biased in favor of the attachment parenting
theories. PDF is a major paradigm shift for the industry and not all
consultants have a working understanding of the associated breast-
feeding benefits. While many consultants are open and sensitive to you as
mother and desire to help facilitate your goals, others are less receptive to
your efforts. As a result, do not be surprised if the concept of putting a
nursing infant on a “flexible routine” is questioned.
Be prudent and cautious in your search for a lactation consultant.
Being “Board Certified” does not guarantee the information you receive
is the best for you or your baby or necessarily medically correct. Too
often a consultant’s personal parenting views are substituted for sound
medical advice. Here are a few red flags to look for when speaking to a
consultant.
Be leery of any consultant who instructs you to go against your
pediatrician’s medical guidance. You should even notify your
pediatrician about this person and what she is advising. Be equally leery
nora
(Nora)
#1