SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE:

• Feeding Evaluation and lactation education

• Assistance with latch, breastfeeding and bottle feeding

• Tongue-tie and lip-tie evaluation and treatment

• Intraoral therapy and rehabilitation

• Infant massage, newborn massage education and training for parents

• Craniosacral therapy

• Frenotomy procedures

• Therapeutic ultrasound for clogged milk ducts

• Home Lactation Visits (serve Snohomish County and South King County)

Feeding difficulties are among the biggest challenges new parents experience after the birth of their newborn. There are many factors that can contribute to difficulty with breastfeeding and bottle feeding: prematurity, delivery interventions, birth trauma or injury, maternal breast/nipple anatomy, infant’s oral anatomy, muscular imbalance, and many others.

We conduct comprehensive health history and exams on both you and your child to fully understand the contributing factors that challenge feeding so we can provide the best individualized, high-quality and evidence-based care to you and your precious child.

To help with different issues you or your child may have, we offer the following types of therapies:

Intraoral therapy and rehabilitation. This type of therapy includes manual treatments such as stretches and massage which can help to release tension in the muscles of the mouth to allow optimal movement of the tongue, lips, cheeks, and jaw and therefore can improve feeding.

Infant massage has tremendous number of benefits both for baby and parent. It improves blood circulation, digestion, food absorption, muscle tone, boosts immunity, stimulates brain development, relieves discomfort from constipation, gas or colic, reduces stress (for you and for baby), helps your baby to sleep better and cry less.

Craniosacral therapy is the type of therapy which includes gentle touch/massage which helps to release tension in the fascia. It can be effective for:

• babies who experienced difficult deliveries or birth injuries
• babies who have feeding problems or difficulty with latch
• babies with digestive issues: colic, reflux, or spit up
• babies with sleeping difficulty
• babies who have a head tilt or rotation (torticollis) and more

Therapeutic Ultrasound is a non-invasive treatment for blocked or “clogged” milk ducts. When milk is not effectively removed from the breast it may lead to swelling, pain, inflammation and a lump at the breast. Among factors that have been associated with a blocked milk ducts are breast engorgement/inflammation, breast/ nipple trauma, improper latch or feeding position, poor/insufficient milk transfer due to oral restrictions, overproduction of milk, tight fitting bra, an incorrect size of a flange used for pumping, stress and other factors. Usually, a clogged milk duct improves within 24-48 hours. However, if the clogged milk duct is not cleared on its own it can lead to mastitis. Therapeutic ultrasound though the heat of sound waves increases blood flow to the affected area, opens the ducts and improves -movement of the milk. Reduction of the pain and “melting” of the lump is usually felt immediately after the treatment. On average, 1 treatment a day for 2-3 days is recommended.

Additionally, we work in collaboration with other specialists in the community: feeding therapists, occupational therapists, chiropractors, massage therapists, physical therapists, cranio-facial specialists, neonatologists and will provide timely referrals when nessesary.