Would You Keep Breastfeeding If It Were Easy?
Breastfeeding Support for Bergen County
Breastfeeding Support Package - $225.00 per visit
CLC's Support Your Breastfeeding Journey
Postpartum doulas are trained to support breastfeeding, which is most helpful in recognizing when something about the process needs further assessment or intervention. As a CLC, it is within my scope to trouble-shoot and make suggestions after assessing baby’s latch, especially when there are signs of injury or soreness to the breast.
Baby’s who are not transferring enough milk, mothers who feel like they have an oversupply, or even established breastfeeding moms who want to make changes, benefit from lactatoin support. Your insurance likely covers 4-6 visits from a covered professional. Some insurances cover and IBCLC that is in network, others cover CLC’s and IBCLC’s outside the home.
An IBCLC is often a nurse who continued her breastfeeding training with many hours of personal support to families. A CLC does not have a medical background, but must pass a national exam after taking a class from a reputable organization. Both professionals can connect you with resources of specialized care, trusted products, proper flange sizing, weighted-feeds, and latch positioning. If you have that coverage, find someone as soon as you decide to breastfeed and keep the relationship going until your baby has weened themselves, or you have decided to start that process yourself.
Find Breastfeeding Support While Pregnant
No Better Time To For A CLC Than The Present
Ideally, you will have someone to call before you have your baby so you can be prepared for typical breastfeeding. Many people do not anticipate needing support, so it’s very common to call someone when you already think it’s too much to continue. Breastfeeding should not hurt, pain of any sort is your body’s way of saying something needs to change. We can make it easier.
Please, reach out to one of if you have thoughts of quitting or are in so much pain that you cannot bear to feed again or pump. These are signs that there may be some changes that can help! If you are local, let’s book an appointment to assess your needs.
One in-home visit, usually about 2-3 hours long includes an detailed in-take survey, explanation or your pump, including assembly if you like, a lesson in hand expression (the cleanest and easiest way to remove milk), paced bottle feeding, handouts on storage of human milk, and follow-up phone support. In the event you need more medical support, those resources will be provided on a hand-out at our meeting.
You will be handed an invoice, an a receipt will be emailed to you within 24-hours reflecting your payment that day.
Insurance Benefits & Rights in New Jersey
The CDC recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months and has put initiatives in place to help families meet that goal, increasing the percentage of exclusively breastfed babies (EBF) in the US. In NJ, there have been some positive changes in laws surrounding breastfeeding, including insurance coverage, the right to pump at work, and the right to feed a baby in a private, clean location that is not a bathroom.
Many insurance companies offer 4-6 visits with a CLC or an IBCLC and the opportunity to receive a free breast pump. If you want to EBF, your hospital must offer support of that within 24 hours of birth, ideally sooner.
As soon as you have found a CLC that you feel comfortable adding to your team, coordinate a first visit prenatally so you are prepared to have a normal breastfeeding relationship, and are prepared with common troubleshooting techniques, should you need them.
Here are a few links for products that I have found helpful. I have no loyalty to brands, so use these recommendations to spark your research, but choose what you find affordable, available, and appealing:
Collection Vessel for Hand Expressed Colostrum
Haaka to Collect Let-down or Expressed Milk