What to expect…
Plan enough time for the appointment. The first time we meet, your appointment will probably be about 90 to 120 minutes long. It is hard to know when a baby might be hungry, but try to aim for a hungry baby about 30 minutes into our appointment. If your baby seems hungry before the appointment, please feel free to tide them over.
Please fill out your intake questionnaires before we meet. Otherwise, we will spend precious appointment time discussing your and your baby’s health history and current medications or supplements.
Your baby will be weighed naked and a “weighted feed” will be offered. This is to get a sense of how much breastmilk your baby swallows during a typical feeding. It is helpful to bring either a written or printed record of your baby’s recent weights, including the units (6.5 pounds is different than 6 lbs 5 ounces- and way different than 6.5 kilograms!).
Most babies will have an oral exam and suck assessment. Some parents will have a breast exam related to lactation.
Bring all possible needs for your baby; if you use formula and bottles, please bring them (even if it is your goal to stop using them). If you have different types of bottles and or nipples that you are using, bring them. Don’t sweat this too much; if you forget the diaper and wipes or need a backup onesie, I’ve got you!
If your main goal for the appointment is related to pumping, please bring all of your pumping equipment. This includes power sources, membranes, flanges, bottles, and tubing. Some of these items are not sharable or interchangeable, so I won’t be able to provide all forgotten items to you during your appointment. If you have tried multiple types or sizes of flanges, please bring them with you.