Individual Consultations

An individual consultation allows for the in-depth evaluation of your breastfeeding problem and provides an accurate assessment of your milk supply and your baby’s nursing effectiveness. Common reasons for consultations include infant latch and sucking problems; inadequate infant weight gain; breastfeeding multiples or infants with special needs; colic symptoms in the breastfed infant; severe breast engorgement; acute or chronic sore nipples; acute or recurrent mastitis; breastfeeding after breast surgery; and returning to work while breastfeeding. Many breastfeeding difficulties are a combination of both mother and infant problems. Some women schedule a prenatal consultation to deal with anticipated concerns, especially if they encountered breastfeeding problems with a previous infant.

The Lactation Program offers consultations in our clinic setting, centrally located in Denver on the Rose Medical Center Campus, near 9th Avenue and Colorado Boulevard. All consultations are provided by Registered Nurses (RNs) who are Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLC) These highly skilled nurses have extensive experience working with mothers and babies, including sick and premature newborns.

Your appointment will be scheduled at a mutually convenient time, and we will plan to have you arrive when your baby is starting to get hungry, but is still calm. The Lactation Consultant will obtain a detailed history pertaining to both you and your infant. She also will weigh your infant unclothed, assess your baby’s sucking technique, and perform a limited exam of your breasts. Next, she will observe a breastfeeding session, including evaluating your infant’s latch and sucking effectiveness. The Lactation Consultant will be able to tell you how much breast milk your baby drinks by weighing the infant (clothed) before and after the feeding, using a special electronic scale that is accurate to one-tenth of a gram (1/300th of an ounce). After nursing your baby, the Lactation Consultant may have you use a hospital grade electric breastpump to remove any remaining milk. The amount of milk your baby takes, plus the quantity you express afterwards, will provide valuable information about your overall milk supply and your baby’s breastfeeding effectiveness.

Your Lactation Consultant will offer suggestions to improve your baby’s latch and increase the infant’s milk intake, if necessary. Using the techniques she demonstrates, most mothers are able to achieve a pain-free latch with just a little practice. Your lactation consultant will work with you to develop an individualized feeding plan for you and your baby.

We recognize that the postpartum period is a very stressful and exhausting time for new mothers and their families, and we strive to tailor a feeding plan that is realistic for you. Our goal is to help you meet your breastfeeding goals, while allowing you to savor your new relationship with your baby during this change-filled time. Following your consultation, we will contact you by telephone to evaluate the feeding plan and modify it, as necessary. Of course, you can call us anytime for additional advice and support as new questions arise. Some mothers choose to return to the clinic for a follow-up consultation to obtain additional help in resolving their problem. Most often, a single consultation with telephone follow-up is sufficient.

After the consultation, the Lactation Consultant will contact your own and/or your baby’s physician to provide a summary of the visit, including the problem identified and the recommended feeding plan. Our clinical staff always welcomes calls from your health care providers to coordinate your care.

Charges

The charge for an individual consultation is $75 per hour, charged in 15-minute increments. The average length of a consultation is 1_ to 2 hours, although the time required varies with the complexity of the problem. Follow-up visits are charged at the same rate, and typically run an hour or less in length.

Payment is required at the time of service. We accept cash, check, Visa or MasterCard. The Lactation Program does not bill your insurance. While some insurance plans cover lactation services, many do not. Patients are responsible for submitting their own insurance claims, although The Lactation Program will provide a receipt with current procedure and diagnosis codes to facilitate insurance reimbursement.

The Lactation Program - Assisting Breastfeeding Mothers

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