Village Lactation
Notice Dec 9, 2024 - Temporary Closure to New Consult Requests - Please see Home for more details
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Important Notice - Village Lactation temporary closure - December 9, 2024
Please be advised that due to high volume of referrals and excessive wait times, Village Lactation has made the challenging decision to temporarily close to referrals for Breastfeeding & Lactation Medicine care for the remainder of 2024. We hope to reopen to referrals in the first quarter of 2025 and will share an update on our website.
Pending Referrals - Families that have already been accepted by our office prior to Monday December 9th will continue to be triaged based on medical complexity of the dyad and scheduled as we are able accommodate.
Alternative options for breastfeeding & lactation care are outlined below
Free Resources; Professional Lactation Support; Breastfeeding Medicine Clinics (Edmonton Zone)
Free Resources:
Village Lactation Website – VillageLactationAB.ca
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Provider Resources include links to evidence-based medicine sites like Physician Guide to Breastfeeding.
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Patient Resources include updated information on common challenges such as Mastitis/Compressed Ducts, latching difficulties and bottle feeding difficulties.
La Leche League Canada – LLLC.ca
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Free virtual or in-person support for breast/chestfeeding
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Antenatal Lactation Classes available
Professional Lactation Support:
Referring physicians and other referring providers are strongly encouraged to explore private cost lactation professionals in the community.
Families can initially benefit from seeing non-physician level lactation support, with care provided by IBCLCs (International Board-Certified Lactation Consultants). You may consider the following lactation consultants, with whom we are familiar.
In Edmonton & surrounding areas - including St. Albert:
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Marie Elizabeth with https://www.wildsunlactation.com/
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Julia Mio with https://edmontonlactationconsultant.ca/
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Sheena Tabbert with https://milkbudlactation.ca/
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Carol Henderson with https://www.wholeheartlactation.com/
Families can also seek out other options on www.Edmontonbreastfeeding.com
Breastfeeding & Lactation Medicine Clinics (Edmonton Zone):
Appropriate for more complex breastfeeding concerns:
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Supply concerns - refractory low milk production, refractory hyperlactation, breastfeeding after reduction.
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Infant conditions (example ankyloglossia, breast refusal, cleft lip & palate)
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Parent health concerns such as cancer, inflammatory/autoimmune conditions, recurrent mastitis, endocrine conditions (thyroid disease, breast hypoplasia, PCOS), and complex parent medications
Clinic Options (Geographic area and transportation options may need to be taken into account.)
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Allin Clinic in Downtown Edmonton: 2 MDs - Dr. A. Berg & Dr. K. Robertson
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Misericordia Breastfeeding Clinic in West Edmonton: 1 MD, 1 IBCLC - Dr. A. Berg & Ms. E. Melnychuk RN, IBCLC
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Willow Family Medicine in South Edmonton: 2 MDs - Dr. K. MacGregor & Dr. T. Shuman
Referral process to Breastfeeding & Lactation Medicine Office
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Requires a referral for both parent and infant
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Please do NOT refer to multiple Breastfeeding & Lactation Medicine specialists at one time (per CPSA).
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Ensure families understand wait times (2-8 weeks) and this is a medical specialists office.
Professional Development:
Referring physicians, midwives and other providers are encouraged to consider furthering their own skills to support lactating dyads by completing this free CME-credited self-paced course from AHS: https://cumming.ucalgary.ca/cme/courses/online-self-learning/breastfeeding
Who is Village Lactation?
Who is Village Lactation?
Village Lactation is a Breastfeeding and Lactation Medicine Clinic whose team is made up of multiple Breastfeeding & Lactation Medicine trained physicians and an IBCLC.
Village Lactation was created to serve infants and families, and has a fundamental recognition that "it takes a village" to raise a child. Our families are the ultimate leaders in their care and we are here to assist them with skill, dedication, and humility. Our team respects the autonomy of choice, and thoughtfully cultivates a safe environment for varying cultures and identities. We are privileged to support human milk, the first sacred food, on Treaty 6 territory. We offer a family centered approach to support your lactation journey and your infant feeding preferences. We comfortably support families who inclusively feed with parent's own breastmilk, donor human milk, and formula.
Our physicians are teachers to other healthcare learners such as medical students, medical residents, allied health professionals, and occasionally IBCLC candidates. As such, we may ask your permission to have a learner present during your visit.
Our services are covered by Alberta Health, meaning there is no cost to your family for your initial assessment, any relevant procedures, or your follow up visits. However, we do require a referral to access care in our clinic. In the rare occasions that families do not have Alberta Health or equivalent (ex. Medavie blue cross for Military families), such as families who come from outside of Canada & do not have Alberta Health coverage yet), then there will be a private fee that is to be paid prior to your visit.
Parenthood can be overwhelming, we are here to help you see the forest for the trees...
