484-951-0902

LACTATION SERVICES

Sometimes you’re lucky enough to have a baby who is born knowing how to latch and you have an abundant milk supply, but sometimes you have a baby who struggles to latch on properly or you have trouble keeping an adequate milk supply.

As an IBCLC, I can help you navigate any issues that come up once your baby is here, such as with latching and positioning, assessing your baby’s suck reflex, learning how to use your pump/hand express, helping with engorgement, dealing with an oversupply, feeding mutiples, relactation, and knowing what to do if your milk supply is lower than you’d like it to be!

I should also mention that I offer awesome prenatal sessions, because knowing what to do before your baby arrives will greatly help to get you and your baby off to the best possible start. In fact, what you do the first few hours and days post-birth has a tremendous effect on how much milk you will get when your mature milk comes in! Prenatal sessions are typically covered by your health insurance, if it’s one I’m in-network with (see list below).

INSURANCE AND COSTS:

No one likes to talk about payment, but I also know that no one likes to be surprised about it later on, so let’s talk insurance/payments! I accept Health Savings Account (HSA) cards for payments, regardless of your insurance plan. I also work with the Lactation Consultants of America (LCA) billing group, so I can accept many different types of insurance plans. Here’s a list of carriers:

  • Aetna / Meritain

  • Anthem Blue Cross (temporarily not taking but should be re-instated shortly)

  • Blue Cross / Blue Shield (BCBS) (temporarily not taking but should be re-instated shortly)

  • Federal BCBS (temporarily not taking but should be re-instated shortly)

  • Centivo

  • Cigna

  • Health Net of CA / CalViva

  • Intel Connect Care

  • MODA

  • Oscar

  • PacificSource

  • TriCare (coming soon)

  • United Healthcare (UHC)

  • UMR / GEHA / Empire / Oxford

While I am in-network with these carriers, it’s important that we check your specific plan, as they will vary in their covered lactation services. Some (HMOs) may require referral some may require some cost sharing (typically a smaller fee similar to what an office co-pay might be), and many have zero costs to patients. The point is that we’ll want to verify this ahead of time.

NEXT STEPS:

If you have one of the above plans, contact me here through my website and send me a copy of the front and back of your insurance card, along with your first/last name and DOB. I will have LCA double check your particular plan to let you know for sure if we’re in-network for you. Once insurance is squared away, we can get started ASAP on your lactation needs!

*STATE AID / NO INSURANCE / NO INSURANCE LACTATION COVERAGE / LIVE OUTSIDE OF THE US :

If you are on state medical assistance, you are uninsured, or your insurance doesn’t cover lactation, you may be eligible for financial assistance. Or if you live outside of the US, I will share my private pay costs and packages with you. Please contact me for more information about any of these situations.

Breastfeeding and Pumping Consultations

Once your baby has arrived, I can help you with latching, positioning, pumping, and more! It can be tough to navigate a painful latch, remember how to get your baby to open their mouths wide enough, be able to position your baby in a manner that doesn’t give you pain and allows for your baby to get a deep latch, and feel confident that your baby is taking in enough breast milk.

I’m here to put your mind at ease! Here are some of the things I can help with:

 

  • latching
  • positioning
  • hand expression
  • colostrum harvesting
  • healing sore nipples
  • pumping
  • flange-fitting
  • milk storage collection
  • oral assessment of baby’s suck
  • frenotomy assessments, pre and post follow-up for baby (including stretches)
  • over supply
  • under supply*
  • dealing with/preventing blocked ducts, milk blebs, and mastitis
  • thrush, topical allergens
  • babies with food allergens
  • vasospasms
  • understanding drug/herbal interactions
  • prenatal consults**
  • parents of multiples
  • tandem nursing
  • weaning
  • relactation/induced lactation
  • reading/understanding of lab test results

Increasing Milk Supply*

I wanted to take a minute to discuss the fact that I specialize in helping those who are struggling to maintain or increase their milk supply (something near and dear to my heart, thanks to some of my own personal struggles). If you have been struggling with low milk supply or slow milk ejections (ie letdowns), let me help! Not only can I help you increase your supply, but I also ensure you understand the possible root causes of your supply issues and other ways to help rectify them.

I know how frustrating it can be for moms to not be able to produce all the breast milk they need for their child(ren), and I want to help! I help moms who…

     *have never made enough milk to fully feed their child(ren)

     *used to make more but now aren’t getting as much

     *are “just enoughers”, who usually have just enough milk but no extra

     *make enough milk but would like to make a bit more

I know there’s a ton of information online when you search “how to make more breast milk”, but unfortunately that’s not likely going to solve all of your problems. You’ll be getting generic advice from random people, who often have little professional lactation experience. Yes, some things might help a little, or help for a little while, but oftentimes people are left needing more. And this is where I come in!

I’m a big believer in looking at the root causes of things, because you can’t properly fix a problem for good if you don’t understand what’s causing it. You can put a band-aid on but that’s just a temporary fix. But together, we can figure out your “why”, and hopefully permanently fix your issue!

Of course figuring out your “why” is only half the battle. Then you need to figure out how to actually increase your supply. Like I said, some advice will give you small glimmers of hope here and there but won’t often be the “cure-all” you’re wishing for. This is why I like to think “outside of the box” when it comes to solutions!

Kinesio Taping

I worked with a collegue (physical therapist) a couple of years ago to take a look at one such solution, and it was truly groundbreaking! We ran a small, informal study to see if a special taping technique would work to both improve a mom’s overall milk supply, as well as help her with an improved milk ejection reflex (MER). We are excited to report that all the moms in the study saw at least some improvement in one or both of those areas (see some study results below)! It is clear to us that the technique can definitely help many moms improve their supply, though just how much is dependent on many individualized factors. See below for some of the awesome results we saw during the study!

Herbal Supplements and Nutrition

I am also educated in herbal galactagogues and pre/postnatal nutrition, where I’ve been able to successfully advise people on which herbs to take to help increase their supply. I know that many pills and supplements are marketed as a “one-size-fits-all” solution, but that’s just not true. You really have to be careful with taking herbs, just like with any other medications (prescription and over-the-counter). There are some herbs that counteract with certain medications and health conditions. Some herbs can actually further decrease your supply! This is why I spend lots of time reviewing your health history before I offer you any suggestions or advice! 

If you are intrigued and would like to learn more, awesome! Click Contact here or in the tabs to send me an email to learn the next steps to setting up a virtual or in-home consult (if you’re in the Lehigh Valley, PA area), If you would be paying out of pocket and would like to learn more by chatting first, you can set up a FREE 15min phone call (or video if you’re outside of the US) to talk to me about your unique situation!

 Some of the results/feedback we received from the moms in the taping study:

 

*Danielle; mom of 3mo twins – Mom started out by breastfeeding about 40% of the time and supplementing with formula 60%. By the end of the study, mom reports feeling much fuller and being able to completely get rid of the formula bottles! At the end of our time together, she was 100% breastfeeding both of her babies, and went on to fully breastfeeding for more than 2 years!

 *Katie; mom of 6mo – After one week, mom reports a faster flow of milk with her child popping on/off less and gulping milk like never before. She notices many more letdowns now, and she can see many more sprays of milk during pumping sessions. At the end of the study she reported having more milk, using less formula, having extra milk for the freezer, and that her baby seemed much happier!

 *Andreina; mom of 3mo – Mom reports feeling fuller after the taping was over and has increased her pumping volumes by 1-2oz per session!  Before starting, mom felt that she had an “under-producing” breast and that her baby was less satisfied on that side. After the study, mom reports that the “under-producer” has now caught up and is satisfying her child. Mom feels letdowns again, where she hadn’t since shortly after birth, and baby is now back to solely breastfeeding!

 *Daryll; mom of 8mo – Mom started out being a “just enougher” and sometimes needing to take milk from her freezer stash to keep up with her little one. By the end of the study, mom has been able to make plenty of milk for her baby and be able to freeze about 6oz a day extra! She’s also no longer needing to supplement after breastfeeding sessions!

Remember to check your insurance coverage above and then click on Contact here or above to send me an email to learn the next steps to setting up a virtual or in-home prenatal consult. You can set up a time for us to meet virtually or in-person if you live in the Lehigh Valley area (additional travel fees added, if you live outside of 10 miles of zip code 18062). 

“In the last 5 days I’ve noticed that I’m starting to feel fuller around 2 hrs and I’m getting more per pump. Between producing more and adding in that extra pump, I’m getting around 6-8 extra ounces per day which is really adding up! I’ve already put 44oz in the freezer to rebuild my stash!
The hour we talked was a great use of my time and money! I’m feeling much less stressed about my supply. I’m feeling so empowered to continue this journey whereas last week before we talked I was so close to calling it quits!”
Eliza B

Mom of 5mo girl

“Meeting Ronee has been a lifesaver! I always thought my baby would just know what to do when he was born, but it turns out that wasn’t the case. Nursing hurt a lot, and he wasn’t gaining well. We called Ronee desperate for help, because I didn’t want to give up. She was able to help me latch him in a way that didn’t hurt. He actually transferred more in that meeting with her than he had ever done! I feel totally empowered now to keep going!”
Jamie L

Mom of 8 day old boy

“I had heard good things about Ronee’s prenatal sessions from an online mom’s group, so even though I had already taken a class as our local hospital, I signed up to talk to her too. I figured I couldn’t have too much information! I’m so glad I did too!
The meeting with Ronee was “next level”! I feel like she dove in deeper to teach me about things that weren’t covered in the class. I was able to hold a doll in my hand and practice, which was helpful. She talked to me about some things that could affect my initial breastfeeding journey too. While that’s never fun to hear, I was glad she brought it up. I would have been very overwhelmed to hear about these things after delivery, whereas now I have a chance to digest things.
There are also some things I can do now to hopefully avoid issues later, which is wonderful!  And the best part was that I actually learned how to do hand expression and got to see some milk come out! That really made me realize that my baby girl will be here soon! Thank you Ronee for the in depth consultation!”
Rosalee N

Mom-to-be