Lactation | United States | Boston Doula Circe LLC

L A C T A T I O N
S E R V I C E S

Lactation Consultations

We are able to provide lactation services virtually or in person.

Did You Know?

Breastfeeding and postpartum are biological processes designed to:

Be completely pain-free from the start
Result in an abundant milk supply that actually includes reserves of “extra” milk
Be a time in which a nursing parent feels rested and not sleep-deprived

We will provide an initial consultation of 2-2.5 hours, with 14 days of follow-up by email and text. We will observe and guide you through one or more feedings during our initial appointment.

Our team members are Certiified Lactation Counselors who see clients virtually, in their homes, or at our location in Somerville, MA. Our initial consultation fee is $335.

For appointment at our soonest availability, please contact us here.

Topics we address during consultations include:

Latching and Positioning
- nipple pain
- difficulty latching
- weaning from nipple shield
- how to nurse lying down
- how to nurse without pillows and Boppy-type products
Milk Supply
- underproduction of milk
- overproduction of milk
- change in milk supply upon returning to work or traveling
Pumping and Bottle Feeding
- setting up pumping system
- bottle refusal
- producing milk for a premature baby in the NICU
- milk storage guidelines
- alternative feeding methods and supplementation
- returning from exclusive pumping to feeding at the breast
Other
- calming crying and wakeful babies
- waking sleepy babies to nurse
- breastfeeding multiples
- family sleep issues
- tandem nursing

How To Latch

Below is a checklist created by BDC to help families with common breastfeeding/chestfeeding challenges. These guidelines will be helpful for most parents and babies. However, there can be exceptions to some of these rules, and you might need to experiment with solutions that differ from what you see here. If latching continues to be painful or unsuccessful, contact BDC or another lactation specialist for a consultation. This checklist may be reprinted for individual use by families or healthcare providers with credit given to the author, but may not be mass-reproduced without permission.

"How to Latch" Checklist

by Ananda Lowe, Certified Lactation Counselor

Skin-to-skin – important!
Tummy-to-tummy – important!
Baby directly faces nipple – follow the “angle of the dangle.” (Nipples may point forward, up, down, or to the sides. Line up baby with your anatomy, which may be different than the placement you’ve seen someone else use.)
“No pillows or Boppys” is best, allowing for fullest range of motion
Do not remove baby’s hands from mouth or breast. (Baby uses hands to locate nipple and to stimulate mouth, and will remove hands on their own)
Support baby’s neck
Do not touch back of baby’s head
Do not position baby as far out as the crook of your elbow; move baby closer to the center of your body
Position baby so their jaw is well below the nipple. Baby will tilt head back, then mouth will align with nipple
Place your hand far behind nipple and areola
Wait for baby’s mouth to open very wide – important!
Hug baby in close to you, so their mouth can take in breast
In case of nipple discomfort, use micro-adjustments. Move baby a centimeter to the left, right, above, and below nipple, until you find the placement that is not painful.
If baby’s lips are tucked inward around the nipple, you can use your finger to gently flip the lips outward
Do not tolerate pain with latching. Gently insert finger into baby’s mouth to break suction, and start again.
If latching involves struggle, hold baby to breast when they are not frantic, such as upon waking. Stop “trying” and simply hold baby tummy-to-tummy and skin-to-skin. Wait for baby to discover nipple on their own, usually within 5 to 30 minutes.

Program Director

Ananda Lowe