Breastfeeding a child is more than providing nutrients and immunity boosting properties. It’s about a new relationship, a new purpose in your life, and an undeniably effortless bond. Unfortunately, getting the breastfeeding relationship off the ground isn’t always as effortless. Though breastfeeding is a biologically natural process, our social structure in the United States is such that there is very little inter-generational community around child rearing practices.
In many other cultures, child rearing is out in the open. Women relax and bond with other women while they nurse, guide and teach their children. Children of all ages see nursing as a normal function. They go on to nurse their own children and when they have any issues, they know exactly who to ask, those who have nursed before them.
Services:
While support groups can be valuable, in the early postpartum days getting out of the house can be difficult (especially if you are recovering from surgical birth or a difficult vaginal delivery). Individualized support allows a mother to freely express her issues and concerns without feeling overwhelmed or embarrassed in front of a group. I can take the necessary time to assist you and your baby in positioning, forming and maintaining a good latch, and troubleshooting any issues that you might have.
As a labor doula, student midwife and IBCLC, I have a large support network and work closely with some of the best professionals in the Greater Boston area. I refer to a small, selected group of pediatric dentists, MD’s who specialize in breastfeeding medicine, chiropractors, craniosacral therapists and endocrinologists. I also have a vast network of other IBCLC’s with varying specialties that I can call on for second opinions if needed.
Experience Includes:
– Active IBCLC. If you’d like, you can read about the prerequisites I took under Pathway 1 here
– Certified Lactation Educator (CLE) through CAPPA
– Establishing a mother to mother support group for expat mothers in Hangzhou, China
– Active participant in La Leche League Shanghai
– Shadowing a bilingual La Leche League Leader during a breastfeeding conference for local women.
-Shadowing an IBCLC in her postpartum follow-up rounds.
-Skype consults
-Running local support groups
-Hosting webinars on breastfeeding for birth professionals
-La Leche Leader (3 years)
-Teaching prenatal breastfeeding classes
– I also have personal experience in nursing a toddler, tandem nursing, gentle and mutual weaning and nursing through miscarriage and pregnancy.
I book initial consults in blocks of 1 and a half hours for all infants (under one year) at $250, with each additional hour at $50/hr. For toddlers, meetings are often shorter and can even be done through skype or email. Rates outside of initial consult are $50 an hour.
Skype consults are $75 each.
Please contact me for more information.