ALL THINGS FEEDING BABIES

Milk Bird Health offers…

01 Prenatal feeding education →

02 Breast & bottle feeding support →

03 Tongue & lip tie assessment →

04 Starting solids & toddler feeding →

05 Compassionate weaning guidance →

Prenatal Feeding Education

FOR EXPECTING PARENTS in the THIRD TRIMESTER

Welcome to your 1:1 infant feeding & postpartum prep class! A prenatal session is especially helpful for parents who have struggled with breastfeeding in the past, who have a scheduled c-section or induction, whose baby has a known congenital complication that may impact feeding, or simply is unsure how this whole breastfeeding thing works!

    • Normal newborn behaviors when it comes to feeding and sleep

    • Latch and positioning

    • How to know your baby is getting enough

    • What you should track (and what you don’t need to track)

    • Introducing a bottle & pacifier

    • Planning ahead for back-to-work

    • Strategies for common early challenges

    • Anticipatory support for postpartum mental wellness

    • How your partner/family can best support you postpartum

  • I accept several insurance plans including Anthem PPO, VA OptumEast, UnitedHealthcare PPO and HMO, UMR, Oxford, Meritain Health, First Choice Health, Federal Employee Health Benefit Programs (FEHB), and some plans that include MultiPlan or the PNOA logo on your insurance card. I partner with The Lactation Network to be able to offer insurance-covered visits. To run a benefits check,please use this link. Note that there is a $50 copay for all visits using any insurance.

    For out-of-network families, prenatal visits are billed at $245 for a 90-minute home visit.

You will leave with a plan for breastfeeding success, and an established relationship with a lactation specialist (me!) for any bumps in the road that may arise during your breastfeeding journey.

Book your prenatal visit

Breast & Bottle Feeding Support

FOR PARENTS OF BABIES & TODDLERS

Many new parents find themselves surprised by the unexpected challenges of breastfeeding. How could something so natural be so challenging? And bottle feeding introduces even more complicating factors! I offer holistic support for both you and your baby, whether you are two days or two years postpartum.

    • Milk supply (oversupply or low supply)

    • Slow weight gain

    • Aversion to breast or bottle

    • Baby falling asleep during feeds

    • Suspected tongue tie/lip tie

    • Difficulty feeding after c-section or difficult birth

    • Baby has low tone, tension, or medical issues impacting feeding

    • Lactating parent has hormone or health issues impacting supply

    • Nipple pain, breast pain, mastitis, and engorgement

    • Support with understanding normal newborn feeding

    • Introducing a bottle

    • Pumping and milk storage

    • Planning for back to work

    • Weaning or suppressing lactation

  • I accept several insurance plans including Anthem PPO, VA OptumEast, UnitedHealthcare PPO and HMO, UMR, Oxford, Meritain Health, First Choice Health, Federal Employee Health Benefit Programs (FEHB), and some plans that include MultiPlan or the PNOA logo on your insurance card. I partner with The Lactation Network to be able to offer insurance-covered visits. To run a benefits check, please use this link. Note that there is a $50 copay for all visits using any insurance.

    For out-of-network families, breast & bottle feeding New Client visits (your first appointment) are billed at $245 for a 90-minute home visit. Follow-up visits are $175 for a 60 minute home visit.

Most families see a change after just 1-2 visits. With the right support and guidance, you can be on the road to comfortable, relaxed feeding. Let’s get you there!

Schedule an appointment

Tongue/Lip Tie Assessment

FOR PARENTS OF BABIES AGE 0-6 MONTHS

Tethered oral tissues (TOTs), also called tongue tie and lip tie, can significantly impact a baby’s ability to feed comfortably and feel good in their body. If you suspect your baby has a tongue/lip tie, an assessment can give you strategies and a plan for next steps. The assessment will include a thorough birth and medical history, hands-on assessment of your baby’s oral motor skills and whole-body tension, observation of a feeding, and evaluation of nipple damage and pain.

Oral motor/feeding therapy is recommended both before and after tongue tie release to support your baby to develop the strength, mobility, and stamina to feed well.

  • BABY

    • Biting or chomping at the breast

    • Popping on/off the breast during feeds

    • Shallow latch or can’t sustain the latch

    • Tongue clicking sounds during feeds

    • Slow weight gain

    • Reflux or gas

    • Arching or pushing away from the breast

    • Leaking milk during breast or bottle feeds

    • Colic, unexplained fussiness, & constant discomfort 

    • Mouth breathing

    • Tongue tip is heart-shaped

    • Unable to stay awake during feeds

    • Jaundice

    • Snoring or congested breathing


    MOM

    • Nipple pain or tenderness

    • Nipple damage (cracked, blistered, misshapen, bleeding)

    • Milk supply dropping in spite of frequent feeding

    • Recurrent plugged ducts, mastitis, engorgement

    • Feeds seem to last forever and baby never seems satisfied

  • I accept several insurance plans including Anthem PPO, VA OptumEast, UnitedHealthcare PPO and HMO, UMR, Oxford, Meritain Health, First Choice Health, Federal Employee Health Benefit Programs (FEHB), and some plans that include MultiPlan or the PNOA logo on your insurance card. I partner with The Lactation Network to be able to offer insurance-covered visits. To run a benefits check, please use this link. Note that there is a $50 copay for all visits using any insurance.

    For out-of-network families, tongue/lip tie evaluations are billed at $245 for a 90-minute home visit.

Book your assessment

Starting Solids & Toddler Feeding

FOR PARENTS OF BABIES AGE 6+ MO. & TODDLERS

Feeding therapy guides your family towards joyful, comfortable, and safe feeding experiences for you and your baby. I draw on evidence-based principles of baby led weaning, responsive feeding, and motor learning, while helping you and your little one enjoy mealtime together!

    • Your baby is ready to start solids but you’re not sure how to get started

    • Your baby screams, cries, and pushes food away when you offer

    • Your baby/child is transitioning from tube feeding to oral feeding

    • Your baby spent time in the NICU, and you’re not sure if they’re actually ready to start solids yet

    • Your child has medical issues or anatomical differences impacting their ability to safely eat

    • Your baby/child has sensory needs impacting the variety of flavors and textures they’re able to eat

  • I am out-of-network with all insurance plans for starting solids/toddler feeding visits. Upon request, I can provide a superbill for you to request reimbursement from your insurance plan.

    New Client visits (your first appointment) are billed at $245 for a 90-minute home visit. Follow-up visits are $175 for a 60 minute home visit.

Your child is so much more than just a list of milestones or points on a growth curve. My approach to feeding therapy focuses on emotional regulation, attachment and relationships, family culture and values, sensory needs, motor development, and medical history.

*Note: In-person toddler feeding visits are only available in WA state at this time.

Schedule an appointment

Compassionate weaning guidance

FOR PARENTS OF BABIES & TODDLERS

Deciding you’re ready to wean from breastfeeding and/or pumping can bring a swirl of emotions: relief, sadness, excitement, worry, guilt. Whether you’re just a few weeks or several years into your lactation journey, weaning means physical, hormonal, emotional, and behavioral changes for you and your little one.

Figuring out how to manage these changes isn’t something you have to do alone. I’ll support you with a repertoire of tried-and-true strategies—rooted in physiology and psychology—that will allow you to move through this weaning process with ease.

    • What to expect hormonally, physically, and emotionally

    • How to support your mental wellness during this higher-risk time

    • Supporting your baby’s attachment needs without nursing

    • Honoring the end of this chapter in a meaningful way

    • Cold turkey vs. gradual weaning

    • Night weaning vs. complete weaning

    • How your partner/family can support

    • Addressing all your worries & questions

  • I accept several insurance plans including Anthem PPO, VA OptumEast, UnitedHealthcare PPO and HMO, UMR, Oxford, Meritain Health, First Choice Health, Federal Employee Health Benefit Programs (FEHB), and some plans that include MultiPlan or the PNOA logo on your insurance card. I partner with The Lactation Network to be able to offer insurance-covered visits. To run a benefits check, please use this link. Note that there is a $50 copay for all visits using any insurance.

    For out-of-network families, weaning consults are billed at $175 for a 60-minute home visit.

book your session today

Our sessions will be…

  • Individualized

    Your ideas, values, and goals for feeding your baby will guide every session. There is no “right way” to raise your little one, and all my recommendations will be tailored to meet your family where you are.

  • Integrative

    Your baby’s wellness is about so much more than where they plot on a growth chart or a checklist of milestones. We will consider their attachment, regulation, sensory needs, and more.

  • Collaborative

    Our work together is a collaboration between you, me, and your baby, and I will never push, pressure, or guilt you into doing something. I trust you and know that you are the expert on your baby & body.

Schedule an appointment

FAQs

  • I accept several insurance plans including Anthem PPO, VA OptumEast, UnitedHealthcare PPO and HMO, UMR, Oxford, Meritain Health, First Choice Health, Federal Employee Health Benefit Programs (FEHB), and some plans that include MultiPlan or the PNOA logo on your insurance card. I partner with The Lactation Network to be able to offer insurance-covered visits. To run a benefits check, please use this link.

    Note that there is a $50 copay for all visits using any insurance.

  • Yes! I support families who are feeding their babies in every way imaginable. My priority is to offer medically accurate, individualized, holistic care that honors your family’s values and supports optimal health for both you and your baby.

    I work with families who are breastfeeding/chestfeeding, inducing lactation, exclusively pumping, bottle feeding formula, combo feeding (offering both formula and breast milk), and NG/G-tube feeding. I also support parents who are ready to wean or suppress lactation, including suppressing lactation after stillbirth and infant death.

  • Yes! The Portland/Vancouver area has a rich community of birthworkers and postpartum providers. I often refer families to specific providers for things like infant physical therapy, pregnancy massage, postpartum support groups, midwives and doulas, and providers who can address suspected tongue ties.

    If you are a pregnancy, birth, or postpartum provider in the Portland/Vancouver area, I’d love to connect! Please feel free to reach out via email at hello@milkbirdhealth.com.

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