Making the most of your BabyLase Session
Helpful hints and words of advice
The goal of every BabyLase session is to create the best possible environment for the baby to receive the benefits of the warm, soft laser energy to improve their overall well-being. In order to achieve this goal, we find that the best experiences are those that are based on a prepared parent and a baby that is familiar with the sensations that they will be experiencing during their BabyLase session.
1. Safety is critical to consider as the provider is utilizing a very powerful laser that is safe and gentle for all tissues except for the retina of the eyes. Everyone in the room where the laser is being used must wear eye protection, including and especially the baby.
Most babies are unfamiliar with the feeling of goggles on their faces, so we ask the parents to familiarize the babies with the sensation by practicing with swim goggles prior to the appointment. Failure for the baby to wear the goggles will result in the inability for BabyLase to be attempted on the patient. It is the providers responsibility to deliver the care and the parent’s responsibility to ensure that the eye protection remains in place during the session.
2. Gaining access to the baby’s skin and mouth are the next important aspects of care. Even though there are benefits that can be achieved by just treating the areas outside of the mouth, some of the most impactful benefits of BabyLase happen as a consequence of the response of the tissues inside of the mouth.
It is highly recommended that the parent practice the R&B exercises to familiarize both them and their baby to the sensations that will be experienced during the BabyLase session. Be sure to ask your BabyLase provider for the exercise sheets and for a demonstration if you need additional assistance.
3. Ensuring that the baby is content but possibly a little hungry will allow the BabyLase provider to assess the baby’s reflexes and swallowing pattern as well as to allow the baby to feed after the procedure to assess the response to treatment.
4. Arranging the baby’s care schedule (especially the first session) like a “sandwich” with the BabyLase session being “between the buns” of the bodyworker/IBCLC/CLC/infant feeding specialist, etc will maximize the treatment response and hopefully minimize the treatment time necessary to achieve the response that is needed.
5. The treatment schedule for each patient is different and is based on the needs of each child and the perspective of the treatment team. We find that BabyLase therapy sessions that are scheduled 3 days apart for 2 weeks and coordinated with the baby’s support team have resulted in the best responses to treatment.
6. “If mama isn’t happy, then nobody’s happy”.
Making sure that the baby’s mother not only experiences the sensations of laser therapy, but also benefits from them to improve her own sense of wellness is an important aspect of successful BabyLase. Bringing another family member or friend to care for the baby so that the mom can experience the relaxation OraLase (aka MamaLase) will truly benefit the dyad as they reconnect and recover from the challenges of labor, delivery and early childhood.
