FAQs - Breastfeeding and Infant Feeding Support

So long as you’re informed, we support whatever feels right for you. We have personal and professional experience with a wide range of feeding methods, and we are able to support you in whatever feeding method you're currently using. We are also able to offer a range of tips to help you achieve any goals that you might have i.e. exclusively breastfeeding, fully bottle feeding, weaning, using a bottle, pumping etc.

At the end of the day, how you feel about feeding your baby will depend less on what method you use than on whether you felt informed and supported in your decisions. So that’s what we aim to provide for you, no matter what your preferences.  

The bottom line is that we are not – in any way – here to replace your partner or any family members; rather we are there to guide and support you all.

We are here to answer your partner's and family member's questions too and share tips with them, so that they can fully engage with and support you and your baby, on your feeding journey.

Lactation and Breast/feeding sessions are catered to your needs. We always include a check in chat, as a way to debrief and catch up on how feeding and parenting is going. Every session will also include a full medical history, to make sure we’re fully supporting your unique feeding situation.

We can also offer practical help such as:

• Optimizing your latch for comfort, milk production and milk transfer (getting baby enough milk).

• Tips to resolve pain and damage, from feeding and/or pumping.

• Specific tips for conditions such as nipple blebs, vasospasm and mastitis.

• Providing information on tongue ties and how they may be affecting breastfeeding or feeding.

• Optimizing the usage of feeding tools such as feeding tubes at the breast or finger feeding, bottle feeding and pumping.

• Tips to transition to solid foods.

• How to manage breastfeeding and back to work.

• Referrals to health care professionals, for you and baby.

We do not:

• Offer medical advice.

• Prescribe medications.

• Make decisions for you.

• Judge your feeding methods, your birth or your parenting.

  At your request, we can send along notes from our session and your feeding plan to your care provider. We can also refer you to appropriate medical professionals who are able to perform tongue tie releases, prescribe medication, or assess your baby’s medical needs.

We have worked with 100s and 100s of families, each with their own unique story. Chances are, we’ve supported a family in a similar situation to you, facing similar challenges.

While each story is unique, you can rest assured that we have the experience to support your breast/feeding journey fully.

Here's some experiences that we've supported:

• Twins and multiples.

• Tandem feeding.

• Low milk supply.

• Oversupply.

• Slower weight gain for baby.

• Nipple pain and damage.

• Pain with pumping, incorrect flange sizing and/or ineffective pump usage.

• Breast and nipple pain between feedings - engorgement, vasospasm, blocked ducts and mastitis.

• Using herbs and medications to support milk supply.

• Breastfeeding after a difficult or traumatic birth or prolonged recovery from birth (ie forceps, vacuum, episiotomies, lengthy birth or pushing, tailbone injuries, perineal injuries, non-consensual birth practices) .

• Breastfeeding after cancer.

• Breastfeeding after surgeries - reduction, augmentations, biopsies, mastectomies.

• Breastfeeding with health conditions such as gestational diabetes, thyroid conditions, or PCOS.

• Breastfeeding with a history of physical or sexual assault.

• Breastfeeding after a previous loss.

• Feeding in the NICU.

• Maternal hospitalization, while breastfeeding.

• Re-establishing supply.

• Non-latching babies.

• Fussiness or sleepiness with breastfeeding or bottlefeeding.

• Leaking, clicking, coughing or gagging with breastfeeding or bottle feeding.

• Bottle aversion and refusal.

• Infant feeding alongside infant health or physical concerns - down syndrome, heart conditions, low tone or high tone, tongue ties.

• Medications and foods and understanding if they're appropriate for breastfeeding and pumping.

• Storing and using expressed breast milk and formula.

• Understanding hunger signs and when to know if a baby is full or needs supplementation.

• Weaning - at any age.

• Introducing solids.

• Breastfeeding and returning to work.

I will always ask for consent before touching you or your baby.

My approach is multi faceted. We all learn in different ways and a combination of approaches tends to work best, for most people.

I will verbalize guidance on latching and feeding management techniques and I will provide hands on support, where needed.

Many people will visit clinics or have other visits with practitioners, who did the adjustments for them. I often hear "it worked when they did it but I can't make it work!".

I want you to feel like you can apply the techniques when I leave, which means applying them on your own, during our visit.

As part of our visit, I will examine your baby's mouth, with your permission. I will use cleaned and gloved hands.

Yes! While masking rules are now relaxed, I am happy to wear a mask, upon request.

I will wear a mask during heavy transmission times or cold, flu or Covid-19. I will also wear a mask if someone in my household is sick.

I will reschedule our visit if I am sick myself.

I also wash my hands as soon as entering any home and regularly during my clinic days. I wear gloves whenever I touch any parent or baby.

All of my equipment is cleaned and sanitized after each use.

As an IBCLC I am not able to officially diagnose a tongue tie.

However, I can examine your baby's mouth and give you information on the appearance and the mobility of their tongue.

I can also refer you to Toronto based clinics (like the one I work at) that specialize in tongue ties.