An International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) is a person who has taken the necessary steps to become certified by the IBCLE.

This means they have obtained a specific amount of health science education, lactation specific education and lactation specific clinical experience prior to writing their exam. IBCLCs are required to recertify every five years. This means they must seek certified learning opportunities and clinical experiences to remain up to date in their knowledge.

IBCLCs are members of the healthcare team specialized in helping families throughout their entire lactation journey.

You can consult the map to see if you live inside or out of my service area. It is depicted by the red area. I am happy to come to you if you are out of my service zone on a case by case basis. Why? We all know what traffic is like on and around the island of Montreal! By setting a service zone, I am able to schedule 2-3 appointments per day. When I travel out of my zone it means I can only see 1-2 families per day. The 100$ travel fee added to out of zone clients accounts for this. If you like, you also have the option of booking a virtual visit with me using the private telehealth service of my electronic health record.

You can consult HERE to find other IBCLCs who might be available for a home visit near you

Before the appointment

When you book an appointment through my site I will confirm your appointment as soon as possible. Sometimes, I might need to adjust the start time depending on your location or if I have a visit scheduled before or after yours. If this is the case I will email you.

Once your appointment is confirmed you will receive an email directing you to complete an intake form about you and your baby. Before the appointment all consent forms must be signed. By filling out the intake form before your appointment, I will be able to have a better understanding of your particular situation and spend more time at your appointment working towards your goals. Please enter ALL weights that you have available so that I can plot them on their growth curve before we meet.

At the appointment

A typical initial appointment will last from 90-120 minutes

Some things that may happen at your appointment

We will go over your intake form and I will ask for clarifications as needed. I am also going to ask about your baby’s pees and poops in the last days and how feeding and/or pumping is going. I am interested in how often your baby is feeding (breast or bottle), how many times you are pumping (if applicable), and how much milk you are making in 24 hours.

We will discuss your challenges and your goals.

I will weigh your baby (naked) to see how their average daily weight gain has been since the last time they were weighed.

I will observe an entire feeding session at either the breast/chest/bottle.

For breast/chestfeeds, we can do a weighted feed with the gram sensitive scale I bring to see how much milk the baby takes during the feed.

I will examine the lactating parent’s anatomy as well as that of your baby (with your permission) to help me better understand your specific situation. This can include an oral exam to evaluate for any tethered oral tissues.

We will work towards meeting your identified goals and discuss options available.

Here is a quick checklist to help you get ready for our visit:

Our appointment start time is just an estimate. If you would like me to email you if I am running behind or ahead of schedule, please send an email in advance of the visit. I don't text when I am driving but will do my best to keep you updated on my arrival time.

I will be washing my hands as often as necessary during the consultation. Please have liquid soap (dish soap is fine) and paper towels available in your kitchen and/or bathroom.

If we will be working in your bedroom, please have a chair available for me to sit on.

It is helpful if your baby is ready to eat about 30 minutes after I arrive, so we have time to talk. But if your baby does get hungry, feel free to give a small feeding. And don’t stress if the timing doesn’t work out, I can work with whatever is going on.

Please clear a space on a table for my scale. I don’t need much room, but the surface does need to be stable. I will need a clean swaddle blanket to put on my scale.

I am animal lover, but because pets can be unpredictable after a new baby arrives, especially towards strangers, please have your dogs and cats in another room when I arrive.

Have a log ready to show how often your baby has been feeding, pooping and urinating.

Have your breast pump clean and ready for use if you are also requesting assistance with pumping or a flange fitting.

I am coming to your home to help you with breastfeeding. I am not concerned about how tidy your house is. Please do not clean or tidy up for me.

Dress in clothing you can easily breastfeed in (remember, I don’t care what you are wearing, just that you are comfortable).

After our consultation I will send you a “Statement for Insurance Reimbursement” that will have the details of the services you received and the amounts you paid for any services or travel fees.

There is no GST/HST since this is a health care service.

The service is not covered by the Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ).

You may submit a claim to your insurance company however I cannot guarantee you will be reimbursed. Verify your coverage details with your insurance provider.

Medical care can be claimed on your taxes as per current tax laws.