Q+A with April Mueller, Lactation Consultant
‘I want you to enjoy your baby and those postpartum moments as much as possible. They are fleeting, tender and precious.”
- April, Mueller
What is the role of a Lactation Consultant?
As an international board-certified lactation consultant, I help support families during all phases of feeding their babies, no matter what the goal is for breastmilk or breastfeeding. I meet families where they are at, and we build a plan from there.
I offer prenatal education to ensure families are well prepared for those early days of breastfeeding with a solid plan that they can refer to. After baby arrives, I offer consults from day 1 and on. Whether a concern is identified from Mom or it’s obvious that baby is struggling with some aspect of feeding; I help navigate the root cause and work on a plan, together, with the family.
What are the reasons to see a Lactation Consultant?
There is a wide spectrum of reasons to see an IBCLC. It can be as simple as getting more education or peace of mind that things are progressing well, or it could be for more complicated things from Mom or baby or both. Maternal concerns can be things like nipple pain, breast pain, low supply or over supply, or even flange sizing and proper use of pumps. Some infant concerns could be slow weight gain, difficulty latching or unable to latch, “colic” symptoms, suspected oral ties, or even working with premature babies to bring them back to the breast after a NICU stay. Often, there are a few things going on and, as an IBCLC, I can help narrow it down. I can refer to other specialties that may help, all while teaching and explaining the why behind everything that is happening.
What do prenatal Lactation appointments look like?
I offer prenatal patients 1 on 1 education that is individualized to their ideal feeding goal. Whether the goal is exclusively breastfeeding, combination feeding with breast and bottle or with breastmilk and formula, or exclusively pumping, I can help make the best plan, so these families are the most successful.
If there are any health concerns that may impact breastfeeding or milk production, we can discuss how to manage that and set expectations prior to delivering your baby.
Antenatal hand expression kits are also included with all prenatal consults, and we discuss why it is helpful and how to do it properly.
What are common challenges you see?
I don’t think I have had any moms or babies with identical concerns. Every mom and baby are so individual and must be treated as the team that they are. Balancing milk production, whether too low or too much, is often part of a postpartum consult. Oral restrictions, or more commonly known as “ties,” are also quite common when people notice their baby doesn’t seem to be feeding properly. It takes a fair amount of experience and interest around oral function to be able to perform a functional oral assessment. It takes even more education to be able to guide the family into the appropriate next steps, depending on the age of the baby and how the whole picture looks. This is an area I have spent much of my time researching and collaborating with other specialities on.
Are there other health care providers you collaborate with?
I truly feel like it takes a team to help families thrive. Specialties that play a key role in feeding success and that I refer patients to are chiropractors, speech language pathologists that specialize in infant feeding, cranial sacral therapists, and infant massage therapists. I do connect with family physicians, as well, to ensure baby and mom are well supported.
I’m here to help with your feeding journey!
April Mueller, RN, IBCLC
Find me on IG @More.Than.Mom.YXE