Lactation Services
Dr. Heidi Henrickson is not only an expert in pediatric chiropractic care but also an IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant). If you are having difficulties related to breastfeeding, then Dr. Henrickson will observe a feeding to determine structural and functional challenges. She is able to help most infant feeding problems. She provides the necessary bodywork for pre and post tongue tie revisions as well as myofascial support to teach the muscles how to properly work so your baby can feed efficiently with both breast and bottle.
If you are having difficulties, she will observe a feeding to determine the structural and functional challenges. Most of the infants we see at this office are struggling to either breastfeed effectively or take a bottle, or both. This could be due to oral or body tension, oral ties, or discoordinated suck patterns, weak oral muscles or factors with the mother like clogged cuts, milk blebs and low milk supply. Common problems we can help with are struggling to get your baby to latch or stay latched, achieving a deep latch, supporting pain with latching, and helping the baby transfer a sufficient feed.
We will perform an oral evaluation to determine if your child has a tongue, lip or cheeks ties. The function and movement of the tongue muscles will be evaluated, and we will examine if there is a high palate or hypersensitive gag response at might interfere with effective feeding. We will discuss what the problems are and what to do about them.
We might suggest visiting other medical professionals if further evaluations are needed. We will contact your pediatrician as well as communicate with any other provider your infant is currently seeing for care. In addition, you might be given specific exercises or suggestions to do at home to help. We will work on positioning and technique to make breastfeeding easier and guide you on creating a feeding schedule that works for you.
If feeding is challenging, then we need to see WHAT about the feeding process is not working well. That requires evaluating both the infant and the lactating mother. Both the lactating mother and infant are considered separate patients with separate insurance submissions. You will be responsible for the individual copays/deductibles involved with the visits.
A poor latch or improper fitting pump parts can lead to cracked or wounded nipple tissue, clogged milk ducts, milk blebs and mastitis. Therapeutic ultrasound can help treat blocked milk ducts by using high frequency sound waves to create movement within the tissue which can help reduce inflammation, promote tissue relaxation, and improve blood flow. This increased circulation can help to relieve congestion in the breast and facilitate the movement of milk through the affected area ultimately alleviating the inflammation that leads to blockage plus reduced discomfort for the breastfeeding individual.
Dr. Henrickson uses advanced medical laser therapy to promote wound healing, tissue regeneration, and help reduce pain and inflammation. She will determine the severity of the tissue damage and what may continue to affect or slow healing. The laser emits a focused beam of light that penetrates the skin to reach the underlying tissues in a safe and comfortable manner. Depending on the severity and nature of the problem, multiple laser therapy or ultrasound therapy sessions may be recommended to achieve the desired healing outcomes.
The lactating parent’s insurance may cover all or some of that portion of the visit depending upon what needs to be done. We can determine if we need preauthorization or what costs are expected. Please fill out this form in advance to determine what coverage allows for.