Why do you offer Lactation Consulting as a Speech Therapy Practice?

It was following Bettina’s traumatic birth of her first child did she became passionate about breastfeeding and human lactation. Her breastfeeding journey helped her manage her post-partum anxiety and depression and assisted in her connecting to her newborn son—something she never knew could be so difficult. Bettina went on to nurse both her children for over 2 years of age and experienced all the “pumping at work worries” as a working mother.

Through her experiences with swallowing/feeding therapy and opportunities to assist in the NICU with infant feedings, Bettina realized how much lactation was related to speech pathology and feeding therapy. The combination of lactation knowledge from being an IBCLC and the knowledge of the oral motor/mouth muscles and sensory considerations from being a speech and feeding therapist, she is able to give a holistic perspective when identifying sources for breastfeeding problems, assisting with the difficulties, and helping the parent and baby work together to meet breastfeeding and feeding goals, and transitioning to the next step of the introduction of solid foods.