Breastfeeding is a lost art form. After generations of parents who didn’t breastfeed, public health organizations are essentially playing catch up. Although human milk is the biological norm, the “Breast is Best” campaign that is pushed by many health organizations and displayed across social media isn’t true for all families. You don’t need public health bodies telling you to breastfeed; what you actually need are professionals teaching you how to breastfeed, should you choose to do so. My goal is to help you by explaining newborn feeding patterns, listening to your concerns, and building up your confidence. I know the importance of understanding and respecting families’ feeding goals. I provide unbiased information about nursing directly from the breast/chest as well as information about pumped milk, donor milk, formula, and combination feeding.
What is severely lacking in Black and Brown communities like ours is shame-free support for families. How we decide to feed our babies is based on individual circumstances, preferences, and dynamics. The postpartum period, or the “4th trimester,” is a critical time for new lactating parents like you and research shows that a lack of support leads to early weaning. As new parents, we may not know where to turn for help. If we do get a referral to a lactation professional, there could be an inability to pay for a private practice consultant, difficulty scheduling an appointment through our health insurance company, or confusion because of the different lactation professional credentials. Anyone of these can cause delays getting the help you need. It shouldn’t be this way.
Accessing quality care is one of many barriers that force new parents to transition their babies to formula before they are ready to do so. I strive to be a visible provider in our community by engaging with local organizations that serve parents, offering free consultations for first-time clients, being transparent about my business model, utilizing a user-friendly scheduling software, offering convenient evening and weekend appointments, and hosting free breastfeeding support groups. I believe I can help ease your unnecessary distress by providing increased access to timely, evidence-based lactation care.