Join the conversation!
Each month we host a live Deeper Dive so you can connect with us, our special guests, and each other + get lifetime access to the recording!
24 | Creating Safe Spaces for You and Your Clients During Lactation Home Visits – Lactation Business Coaching with Annie and Leah
When a family reaches out to you for a home visit to help them with breastfeeding/chestfeeding or other lactation-related concerns, it’s natural to want to take some precautions to protect your own safety in an unfamiliar situation with someone you’ve never met before. Our clients also need to feel safe with us because if they don’t trust us, we can’t help them. You are coming to them at a raw and vulnerable time and you want to come across as someone who is understanding and accepting of them without judgment. At the same time, you should communicate your expectations ahead of time about the visit and have a plan in place to alert someone if you ever feel unsafe.
Show Notes
- Your intake process is a great way to set expectations from the start
- Consider sharing your location with your spouse, partner, or other trusted friend so someone always knows where you are
- Have procedures in place for physical safety and digital privacy
- Know when and how to refer out if anyone in the family is unsafe
- Do work ahead of time on your own biases
- Be cautious in your use of social media
Sponsor
IntakeQ is offering Lactation Business Coaching podcast listeners a discount on their first 3 months using this link.
Quotes:
- “Every“I felt from the very beginning that it was important for me to set some expectations for both sides.”
- “We, as IBCLCs, are super-savvy detectives.”
- “I don’t want my clients to feel like I am a guest or expect anything from them.”
- “If a client feels like they have to hide something, they aren’t going to feel safe.”
- “A self is something to be taken care of.”
About Us
Leah Jolly is a private practice IBCLC with Bay Area Breastfeeding in Houston, Texas. Annie Frisbie is a private practice IBCLC serving Queens and Brooklyn in New York City, and the creator of Paperless Lactation.
The Lactation Business Coaching podcast is produced by us and edited by Jillian Grover, who also writes our show notes. Our theme song is by Silas Wade.
