In the spirit of election day, which will inevitably bring change (and those of you who know me will know in which direction I hope it goes), I wanted to share a few little changes I’ve recently made in my practice. Not nearly as game changing or important in the big scheme of things as this enormous day of exercising our rights to vote as a nation, but on a more individual and personal level for the families I serve, I think these changes are of value. The little things can mean so much to a new family and anything I can do to make it easier on my clients is part of my mission.
First, I have created an online intake packet for my new clients to complete prior to our visit together. Not only does this further reduce my use of paper, which I’ve always been committed to, but it allows parents to complete my forms on their own time, in several sittings, if needed. This, in turn, gives us the maximum amount of time together in-person to delve into the challenges they are experiencing. I’ve had great feedback so far and I’m looking forward to seeing how it evolves.
Second, for those who have been looking closely, you may notice I’ve made some minor tweaks to my website to more accurately reflect my commitment to individualized attention not only when I am in-person with my clients, but in relation to the aftercare contact I’m committed to providing. While many lactation consultants are sharing similar evidence-based clinical information with their clients, not all of us practice similarly in terms of how we engage with our clients. I feel that it is important for there to be a wide variety of available experiences for new families to choose from, and I encourage anyone considering hiring a lactation consultant to think about what is most important to you when inviting someone into your home and to join your support team. You may find you resonate with one consultant more than another, so asking questions when you contact someone about how they practice may help inform your decision. I realize sometimes you just want to get someone on board as soon as possible without a lot of preamble, so I hope the information on my website does a good job of reflecting my commitment to each family I work with to provide sensitive, personalized, and engaging support.
Have another look and let me know what you think, but before you do that, please go out and vote!
Question about this journal entry’s title? Please meet my dog, Bowie.
