plan ahead, feel confident.
As a soon-to-be parent, you’re likely focused on everything from choosing the perfect stroller to picking out the cutest onesies. But have you considered who will be there to help you navigate the often overwhelming world of infant feeding? While your pediatrician is an excellent source for many things, they may not be able to provide the level of support you need when it comes to breastfeeding, pumping, or figuring out why your baby just isn’t gaining weight well. That’s why it’s essential to find a trusted expert to guide you through this critical stage of your baby’s first days, weeks, and months. With the right support, you’ll feel confident and empowered as you nourish your little one and lay the foundation for a lifetime of healthy eating habits. Nothing is harder than trying to find someone to help when you need it right away- plan ahead, and feel confident.
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prenatal education
The best time to start learning about how to breastfeed or use your pump is before your baby is born- you will save yourself a lot of stress and googling at 2 am! Once your baby arrives, feeding your baby will probably be a really important aspect that you want to feel as confident as you can ahead of time. We offer individual prenatal breastfeeding and pumping classes for expectant parents- we will come to you! Bonus ** you’ll already have a familiar face once your baby arrives!
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won't they just help me in the hospital?
Often the first person that helps you will be the hospital’s IBCLC. Any time you receive with a lactation consultant in the hospital is usually short. You may not get more than 15-20 minutes with them or you may see them right before you leave. They are there to help you get baby latched, teach basics of positioning, latching and educating you on the first 1-3 days of breastfeeding (i.e., colostrum and hand expression, how often to feed your baby, mature milk “coming in”, and diaper output). This may be enough guidance for you! If you don’t remember or have questions, they will have a number you can call after you discharge for questions- don’t be afraid to call, they WANT to help you succeed!
Your pediatrician will make sure your baby’s growth will stay on track, they may or may not be able to answer breastfeeding questions or help with breastfeeding management in the event your baby loses too much weight or is not gaining as expected. It’s possible that they may have a nurse who is also an IBCLC or CLC that can help you- an important question to ask when you are interviewing pediatricians.
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find your support
Connecting with and establishing a relationship with an IBCLC (lactation consultant) and/or a peer-to-peer breastfeeding community before your baby is born will allow you to more easily find support postpartum when you need it most.
We are social beings, and our journey into parenthood and breastfeeding is no different. I cannot tell you how reassuring it is to go to a support group and meet other parents in your stage of life, to realize you’re not the only one with a kid who needs you intensely, and to feel seen in your new role.
how we can help
So many of our clients are thrilled to have in home support to weigh your baby, get help with latching or pumping, ask questions, navigate challenges, and get reassurance and encouragement that things are going well during such a big transition! It helps tremendously to get help sooner rather than later so don’t put off asking for help.
No matter if this is your first baby or fourth, we aim to help you meet your goals and feel good about how you can make breastfeeding work for you. All families are different and so we strive to give you the best care possible.
Ellen Docherty, IBCLC
What clients say about us
“I am incredibly grateful to Ellen. She is THE reason I am breastfeeding my son. Prior to meeting Ellen I had stopped trying to nurse and was struggling to pump enough milk. Ellen is a wonderful teacher, knowledgeable, encouraging, patient, and developed a care plan with tons helpful information. Within a week of working with Ellen my son was nursing successfully and I finally felt hopeful on our breastfeeding journey. I recommend Ellen to anyone looking for a lactation consultant. Don't give up on breastfeeding without giving her a chance!”
— Erika Joseph
“I reached out to Deeply Latched Lactation because I had some concerns about my baby's latch and I didn't know if she was getting enough milk from our nursing sessions. Ellen came to my house (which was so helpful with a new baby!) and assessed my daughter's latch, did a weighted feed, and provided me with LOTS of great info and resources. She is very knowledgable and helped me come up with a plan to ensure my baby was getting enough milk. I highly recommend her to any mom looking for lactation support.”
— Lindsay S.
“As a first-time mother, I had little knowledge of how to start my breastfeeding journey. I am very thankful for Ellen and her kindness, professionalism, and knowledge in getting me started. She gave me plenty of options and allowed me to decide what works best for my family and me ultimately. She then helped me with the next steps. I will definitely use her again on the next stage of my journey and with my next child. Thank you, Ellen!”
— Anne
Lots of families know about getting electric breast pumps, but did you know that your insurance policy may cover help with lactation at no cost sharing to you?
At Deeply Latched, we want to make it easy for you to get affordable or covered care. CLick the link below to see if you can use your insurance for $0 cost sharing and no co-pay.
FAQs
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Prenatal patients are welcome to contact us anytime during your pregnancy and can schedule a prenatal visit between 32-36 weeks. I’ll be happy to follow up with you if you let me know your due date.
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Everyone’s situation is different, but expect 1-2 visits if it is just positioning and latching help. If your infant is having issues with weight gain or transferring milk, you may need 2-4 visits to assure proper weight gain and feel comfortable. You can also follow up months after if you are worried that your infant isn’t gaining weight well, having issues with bottle refusal, or weaning.
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After you book your visit online, you’ll receive consent and intake forms to your inbox to fill out before your visit to give me an idea of what challenges you are facing and what your goals are with feeding your baby. You’ll also get email/text reminders!
When I arrive, I’ll wipe down my scale and wash my hands and then we can chat if your baby is sleeping or weigh your baby to get a baseline weight. If you want to work on positioning or latching, we can do a weighted feed at the same time so you can see exactly how much your baby transfers. I’ll reinforce techniques that are working well for you and offer suggestions if you need help. Even if your baby is not latching at all, I have all kinds of tricks in my bag to help get your baby latched.
After your baby eats, I can do a functional oral assessment to test your baby’s oral reflexes, range of motion for their tongue, and help identify abnormalities with their palate, suction, and frenum.
If you are pumping or planning to pump, I carry sizes 12-21mm flanges and can do a personalized flange fitting to find the size that feels best for you.
Of course, I will answer any questions that you have and we will set up a follow up if needed.
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We will send you a detailed care plan via the portal that is full of articles, videos, links to help you, plus your baby’s weights and personal recommendations. Your pediatrician will receive a report of our visit because the best kind of care is collaborative. You are welcome to message us in the secure portal for up to two weeks post visit for follow up questions and concerns.
Always feel free to reach out with questions or concerns- we would love to hear from you!
