One of our goals at Carolina Birth and Wellness is to offer complete support every step of the way during pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period. So when we brought two International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs) onto our team and launched our lactation program, we knew we also had to make this support expand to pregnancy.
So, as a complimentary service for all birth doula clients (and postpartum doula clients who sign a contract prenatally), we are offering a 15 minute phone conversation with one of our two IBCLCs a few days after the birth of your baby included in your support!
Timing of the Complimentary Consultation
We have found that about 3-5 days after the birth of your baby is a great time to check in about your lactation goals. We have found this is about the time that your milk is coming in and/or you may be experiencing transitional engorgement, as well as a time when you may be having your first full day or two without the support of your medical team.
For clients that give birth at a birth center, the midwives usually see you on day 2 for a home visit and can assist with breastfeeding questions. For clients that give birth in a hospital, you are usually being discharged day 2-3. By days 3-5, you are usually home and see what level of support you need.
Topics Covered With IBCLC
This phone call is not going to take the place of a consultation where the IBCLCs do a full exam of you, your baby, and the latch. It will however, be a great time for you to really assess where you are in your breastfeeding journey, and what else is needed to help you succeed. Sometimes it is as simple as us affirming that newborns do wake up every 2-3 hours! Other times it can be for us to tell you that pain (including cracked or bloody nipples) while breastfeeding is not normal and you should have a consultation to figure out why there is nipple damage.
What the IBCLCs Will Not Cover
Since this is a phone call and not a full consultation, the IBCLCs will not be able to diagnose or give you an individualized recommendation to help support your breastfeeding. Their guidance will be very general while also affirming that the first few days of having a new baby are challenging! Our goal during this conversation is help figure out what the next steps would be for support you and your family and how an IBCLC, postpartum doula, or postpartum massage therapist can help!
