These days it’s pretty rare for a health care professional to come to your house, and you may be a bit nervous at the thought of breastfeeding home visits- but I know that the majority of your hours nursing your baby in the early days will be spent at your home.  You probably already have your favourite spot to sit or lay in to breastfeed, along with your favorite pillows and blankets that you use each day.

Here are some tips on what to do (and not to do) before I arrive on our appointment day, and what to expect while I’m with you.

BEFORE OUR VISIT…

• Do NOT CLEAN FOR ME. This is mandatory! The last thing you need is to worry about cleaning up before our meeting.
• Try not to feed baby within an hour of my visit so they’ll eat while I’m there (but of course if baby is hungry and becomes unsettled by all means feed them and we will figure it out!)
• Put your dogs up in another room or outside.  I love pets, but they can become very territorial over “their” baby when strangers arrive.
• Make a list of all of your questions for me
• Expect me to be with you in the room where you spend the most time nursing, whether that be your living room, bedroom, nursery… bathroom… whatever!
• If you have questions about the breast pump you’re using or any other gear you’re using, try to have them available in case we need to look at them together.

DURING YOUR CONSULT…

• I will wash my hands more or less as soon as I walk in the door, and before I touch you or your baby.
• We will sit and talk first, unless baby is hungry and ready to nurse as soon as I walk in the door! I’ll go over your health history, you baby’s history, and your challenges and concerns. Then I will ask to observe you breastfeeding, in whatever position and manner you use most.
• I try to be as physically hands-off as possible. I will ALWAYS ask before I touch you, your breasts, or your baby.
• Usually before your baby has eaten, I will put on latex-free gloves and do a manual exam of your baby’s mouth. I will not do this unless I see a need to assess baby’s oral anatomy and function closely.
• If there are any concerns about how much milk your baby is getting when nursing, I will weigh your baby before and after the feeding to assess intake.
• I may look at your nipples before and after your baby nurses. This helps me not only to assess whether you are experiencing nipple damage, but it also gives me a lot of insight into exactly how your nipples is placed in baby’s mouth while she or he is breastfeeding.

I’ll SEE YOU SOON!