If you read my previous blog post on BABE, (Bay Area Breastfeeding & Education), then you probably learned a little about this practice. Well, Leah Jolly is the owner, and I’m here to delve into what makes her amazing and well known for her lactation consultant work in Houston.
Learn about Leah as a Lactation Consultant in Houston
Leah graduated from the University of Houston with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology. (HOLLA if this is your alma mater, too!) She is well versed in motherhood, as she has 4 not so little ones of her own. Moms of 4 are real MVPs if you ask me.
It’s not only about breastfeeding–pumpers get the love with Leah, too!
Something a lot of people don’t know, is that lactation consultants aren’t only trained in helping a mom with nursing. They are trained in all that is feeding a baby! That’s awesome, right?
I know that I personally struggled with nursing my 3rd child and turns out, she had some feeding issues that were the cause of those struggles. Between tongue and lip ties, and oral hypotonia, nursing was a struggle. Leah not only was able to help me figure out how to nurse her more efficiently, but also to figure out how to successfully feed her from a bottle. She helped me figure out what type of bottle/nipple to use in order to be able to easily switch between nursing and bottle feeding. This extra knowledge she had blew my mind, even as a 3rd time mom, to know that you can get help with all types of feeding through a lactation consultant in Houston.
She has a Podcast & a blog about the Lactation Consultant in Houston business
YES! This is so cool–Her podcast is called Lactation Business Coaching with Annie & Leah. If you have ever considered becoming a lactation consultant in Houston, then you would really love her podcast. She shares the highs and lows as being a business owner in this business. She has a lot of guest speakers as well advice on how to manage your time in a healthy manner, how to manage your expectations on how your client’s journey goes, and more.
Leah’s blog is for the mommas! It is so incredibly helpful and full of great information. Whether you’re a first time mom or a 10th time mom, something can be learned. I thought this blog about prepping your house (or actually, NOT prepping your house) was fantastic and so true! Definitely give it a read.
Q&A with Leah-Location Consultant in Houston
Q: What makes BABE different than other location consultation businesses?
A:BABE is committed to meeting families where they are and coming alongside them to help meet their feeding goals/desires. Our focus is on equipping parents with information, techniques and strategies given their specific challenges. Our expert team of IBCLC’s has over 30 years of combined experience. We strive to continue to learn and grow in our profession so that we can best serve families.
Q: Tell us a little about yourself and your motherhood journey.
A: I’m the mother of 4 boys, ages 22,20,17,14. I had a really hard time breastfeeding with my first and didn’t find the help or encouragement I needed to solve the issues we were facing. With my subsequent children, I was able to get more support and it made all the difference in my breastfeeding journey. Motherhood as a whole has been an amazing rollercoaster ride with so many highs and lows and so much joy. I love being a mom and motherhood has pushed me to grow in ways I never thought possible for myself. I’m continually amazed by these awesome humans I have the honor of parenting!
Q: What is the best piece of advice you have for a first time mom who wishes to breastfeed?
A: My best advice is build a support network around you before you have your little one. Support can come from professionals like an IBCLC and from family and friends that know your goals and will help support and encourage you along the way. It helps to learn about lactation through classes and books, but know that there may still be some bumps along the way. Even if you took ALL the classes and read all the books, these bumps on the journey don’t mean you have to throw in the towel. Most can be solved or worked around. Tap into the support network you built and ask for help when you hit these bumps. Remind yourself that changing your goals or shifting your focus as the journey unfolds doesn’t mean failure.
Q: How can someone schedule an appointment with you and what would an appointment look like?
A: We have an online scheduling option or just send a text and we will get you set up. Our initial appointments are 1.5 to 2 hours. We spend time getting to know you, your baby, and your partner, and understanding your feeding goals and any issues you are currently having. We reviewed your health and birth history, so we have a full picture of your situation. Depending on your desired feeding method or challenges, we will assess breast-feeding, pumping, bottle feeding, infants mouth and suck, your milk production, and how well the baby can transfer milk at the breast.
Together, we develop a plan to address the issues we discover and provide recommendations on techniques and strategies as well as referrals or support that may be helpful. We send a care plan via email and are available via text or email over the following two weeks to discuss issues and track progress.
Q: When’s best to reach out to a lactation consultant?
A: Truly, I believe every family could benefit from lactation support of some kind. Lactation consultants are really infant feeding experts, and can help troubleshoot all aspects of infant feeding, as well as dig deeper to find the root cause of feeding issues or milk production issues. I highly recommend reaching out to a lactation consultant as soon as you sense something may not be going well, such as nipple pain or damage, concerns about production, or if the baby is struggling to latch or transfer milk well. Lactation consultants can also help with bottle feeding issues like if the baby is leaking milk or coughing while feeding or is refusing to take a bottle.
We can help troubleshoot pumping issues and low milk supply as well to ensure you were using the pump properly and have the correct flange size.
To recap, Leah Jolly is one of the best lactation consultants in Houston if you ask me! She is knowledgable, kind, and so patient. Make sure to give her a shoutout before the feeding struggle bus arrives to your house.
Also, if you’re expecting or just had a baby, have you had maternity or newborn pictures taken? Now is the time to choose a photographer for your family session. I have written a couple of blogs to make those things easier for you as well. As a mom of 4 and a photographer myself, I can tell you that booking a maternity & newborn session is not something you want to let fall off of your checklist. These are the moments you want to always remember. Make sure to take that step and reach out! Here ya go!
