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non-patients

  • What is community milk sharing?

    • There are two very common dilemmas with breastfeeding parents: extra milk and low milk supply.

      One timeless solution for both of these issues has been milk sharing. Shared human milk can optimize infant health and nutrition, while profoundly strengthening social bonds and community resilience. But many parents do not know another breastfeeding parent or do not feel comfortable asking for such intimate help. Moreover, parents want basic assurance that milk from another parent is safe. Their healthcare practitioners want this, too.

      Bloom Community Milk Sharing is an informed choice model of human milk sharing that facilitates donor lab testing, safety education and health screening, and accessibility to local infants, with priority given to those under 3 months of age.

    • Donors are screened with bloodwork to evaluate for illnesses that could pass through human milk. If donor’s have had pregnancy labs drawn (which does not include HTLV I/II) within a year of pumped milk, those will also be accepted.

    • Medications are disclosed and evaluated for safety in human milk utilizing The Infant Risk Center database

    • This is a place to donate your milk that you know will be used by infants who need it

    • This is a place for parents to get breastmilk for their child in a much safer way than meeting someone they meet online.

    How does it work?

    • It starts with filling out the form below. You may have an over-full freezer, over-supply, under-supply, personal illness or be experiencing tragic loss. Maybe you're waiting for your milk to come in and your baby needs supplementation.

    • Dr. Hughes will contact you about your request. Read through all documents that apply to you and sign all consents and waivers.

    • If you are a donor, Dr. Hughes will provide you with an order for the lab testing and the donor health screening form if indicated. Labs are performed at Labcorp or Quest and are processed through insurance. If you are uninsured but would still like to donate, please choose “uninsured” below. We cover lab costs for all donors.

    • If you are a recipient, milk is available on a first-come, first-served basis and infants under 3 months are prioritized. Supply always depends upon availability - please help by spreading the word!

    • In order to cover the costs of labs, time, and materials of maintaining the community milk sharing, there is a charge of $0.75 per ounce to be paid by recipients prior to or at the time of pickup.

    • Community milk is NOT pasteurized. You can pasteurize donor milk on your stove-top by following these easy flash-heat pasteurization instructions.

    Forms/Documents
    All forms are filled out on a HIPAA compliant platform

    Donor Guidelines for Pumping and Handling

    Donor History and Statement of Health

    Recipient Guidelines for Milk Handling

    Recipient Waiver and Release

    Flash Heat Pasteurization Guidelines

Purchase Milk
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    • Ear piercing is available to anyone 2 months or older who have had at least their first set of immunizations.

    • The Blomdahl Medical Ear Piercing System is available only to physicians

    • Only medical grade plastic or medical grade titanium piercing studs are used. No risk of nickel allergy

    • Two piercings can be done simultaneously when age/child appropriate

    • Please note that after 10 months children are more prone to picking at earrings which make them more susceptible to infection.

    • Our doctors will only pierce earlobes in infants and young children. We will pierce earlobes and cartilage for individuals age 15 years and over.

    • No nose piercing

    • The cost is $100 for a pair and $50 for each additional piercing. This includes the piercing and studs.

    • Due to a significant number of no shows (which means we lose spots for our patients) we will be charging a $20 non-refundable fee in order to schedule an appointment. This will be applied to your ear piercing price.

    • Numbing cream is available for an additional $10.

    • All piercings are performed in our office at 2870 W 47th Ave, Kansas City, KS 66103

    • Payment is due in full prior to the procedure. We accept Venmo, cards, or cash.

    • Consent form for minors (17 years and under)

    • Consent form for adults (18 years and older)

    Risks

    • Infection--There is a risk of infection anytime the skin is broken. We reduce this risk significantly by using sterile technique. The Blomdahl Medical Ear Piercing System utilizes sterile, single-use piercing cassettes. This also eliminates any cross-contamination because only the sterile, single-use part of the equipment ever comes in contact with the skin at the piercing site. We also provide specific After-Care Instructions to keep the piercing clean and healthy during the healing process.

    • Pain- Even without numbing cream the pain is brief and similar to a vaccine injection using the Blomdahl system. Some patients may complain of a warm, flushed feeling on their earlobes after the procedure. Numbing cream is available to further reduce the pain if so desired for an additional $10.

    • Bleeding- There is a risk of bleeding anytime the skin is broken. However, the earlobes do not contain significant blood vessels so that this risk is minimal.

    • Nickel Allergy- Allergic Contact Dermatitis is an itchy rash that occurs when your skin comes in contact with a typically harmless substance. Nickel is one of the most common causes, and once you develop a nickel allergy, you will always be sensitive to it. Nickel is commonly used as a metal hardener and most metals used for ear piercing contain or "leak" enough nickel to trigger a potential allergic reaction. Fresh piercings allow direct and constant contact between a minor open wound and the metal which contains the nickel. However, the Blomdahl Ear Piercing studs utilize only medical grade plastic or medical grade titanium, the most superior non-allergenic metal, thereby eliminating this risk.

    • Keloids- Keloids are shiny, smooth and rounded skin elevations, which are a type of scar tissue, which can form at the piercing site in some patients after the earlobe piercing because of altered wound healing. Keloids tend to run in some families, are more likely to occur in patients with darker skin pigmentation, and generally occur in people 10 to 30 years of age. Please inform us if your child has any health conditions that could cause excessive bleeding, difficulty fighting infections or keloid scar formation.

    • It is recommended to keep the piercing studs in earlobes for 2 months before changing and 3 months in cartilage. The ear piercings studs we use are thicker (1.3 mm) than the standard earring post (1.0 mm). The larger piercing hole makes it easier to switch to normal earrings after the healing period and reduces the risk of repeatedly re-injuring the ear-piercing site when replacing earrings, which should therefore reduce the risk of piercing site infection.

    • We recommend avoidance of swimming for at least 72 hours, but preferably 2-3 weeks as this can delay healing and increase risk for infection.

    CLICK HERE TO SCHEDULE AN EAR PIERCING APPOINTMENT

  • Evaluations are completed by our team over at Comprehensive Home Autism Testing (CHAT) KC.

    Our exceptional multidisciplinary team comprised of a speech language pathologist, occupational therapist, board-certified behavioral analyst, and a board-certified pediatrician will ensure your child is being accurately diagnosed and then formulate a plan that is specific to your child and their needs. Autism evaluations are completed in your home if you are within our driving range and in our office at Bloom if not.

    You can learn more going visiting this link.

  • G-tube, NG-tube, and bottle weaning are offered as services over at Wean To Thrive.

    Our team of experts help guide your family and child toward your ultimate feeding goals while prioritizing making oral intake enjoyable.

    CLICK HERE to learn more about these services.

  • Circumcising your child is a decision that must be made by your family. There is some evidence that the benefit (decreased risk of UTIs early on in life and decreased risk of penile cancer and STIs later on in life) outweighs the risk of the procedure. This benefit is not enough to recommend routine circumcision, however. This is a very personal decision and not one we believe in influencing one way or the other. We offer this procedure to those who choose it.

    The procedure:

    • Dr. VanGundy completely numbs the area with lidocaine and performs the procedure using the Plastibell method.

    • Children must be 4 weeks or younger for Dr. VanGundy to perform the procedures.

    • Vitamin K injection is required prior to procedure. Oral Vitamin K is not an accepted alternative.

    • Price is $600 for non-members

    • Procedure can be completed in your home for an additional $100

    CLICK HERE TO REQUEST A CIRCUMCISION APPOINTMENT

If the purchase website has nothing available, we have no donor milk. We'll update it as donations arrive.

FAQs

  • In short, no. We see everyone, regardless of insurance status. Our doctors don't work for insurance companies - we work for you! Bloom Pediatrics is easier than most doctors’ offices. Instead of presenting your insurance card, paying a copay, then getting an ADDITIONAL bill in a few weeks/months of an unexpected (and often excessive) amount, you pay once a month and that has you covered for everything. This way, there is no concern that we are out of network or not part of your groups plan. And if you’re uninsured, you can still be seen!

  • Bloom accepts all forms of payment, including HSA cards. Check your individual policy to verify eligibility, though!

  • Prices are listed here!

  • This is why we recommend you still have insurance. We will not make unnecessary referals, but sometimes it is needed. If you see a specialist or get admitted, it will go through your insurance as usual. Your membership fee will not cover these costs. The benefit is our physicians will help expedite your admission and work closely with the team treating you and this will likely shorten your stay and save you money!

  • We know that illness doesn't respect traditional office hours. If your child is ill, you can call or text! You will get your doctors cell phone number when you become a member. We do have families, however, and we ask that you try to keep all non-urgent communication to business hours.

  • Because we know your child so well, we likely will be able to take care of your child with a virtual visit and calling in prescriptions if it is appropriate. 

  • Vaccines can be scary. We get that. No one likes shots. They hurt! Our pediatricians use topical numbing medicine, a Buzzy Bee, and other distraction methods to help kids be more comfortable. All of our physicians recommend, and vaccinate their children, following the AAP approved schedule. We fully believe that vaccines are the greatest invention of modern medicine.

  • Of course! Our doctors are most in support of feeding an infant how their family decides is best. Bloom Pediatrics isn't just personalized in how children are fed, but in all aspects of their care.