M Street Pediatrics

‍**What is a CLC?**

A Certified Lactation Counselor, or CLC, is an individual who has completed training and undergone competency verification in lactation and breast/chestfeeding support.

Our therapists, who hold a CLC certification, have been trained on a comprehensive overview of lactation and breast/chestfeeding, including assessing the latching and feeding process, providing corrective or supportive interventions, counseling caregivers, understanding and applying knowledge of milk production including in special circumstances, and other commonly encountered situations (Healthy Children Project, n.d., para 2).

Our multidisciplinary lactation team is comprised of individuals who come from professions that support infant and child development across a variety of domains, including Occupational Therapists and Speech-Language Pathologists, who sought to earn their CLC in order to better support children and families experiencing feeding difficulties. Our backgrounds provide a more comprehensive understanding of how we can support infants across areas of development, which in turn helps us identify how we might best support their ability to eat well.

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Our Approach

We utilize a responsive approach to support feeding.

This means that we believe that the relationship between you and your baby is the foundation from which they will learn, and we will support and utilize that relationship to help you and your baby bond and build lifelong skills. We focus our support on both baby and caregiver as we understand that both of you are equally important players in breast/chestfeeding. M Street will work with you to identify your baby’s unique strengths and challenges in order to provide individualized care. We recognize that you are the expert on your baby, and will help us tailor our expertise to best fit the needs of your family.

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**How Can Lactation Support Help?**

We encourage you to seek support if you or your baby may be experiencing:

Pain or discomfort when breast/chestfeeding or pumping
Redness, swelling, chapping of nipples
Lipstick-shaped nipple(s) after feeding
Difficulty latching or remaining latched
Coughing, gagging, arching, or other signs of discomfort from baby during feeding
Concerns regarding baby’s weight/growth
Concerns regarding milk supply
A history of breast injury or surgery
A history of medical conditions that may make breast/chestfeeding challenging (Premature birth, Cleft lip and/or palate, Down syndrome, Suspected tongue/lip tie, etc)

Our team is available for in-home assessments, virtual assessments, prenatal visits, and follow-up consultations. We look forward to working with you and your family.

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