Newborn Support

When RACHAEL BIRKENHAUER, owner of Lactation Counseling Services and The Lact-Center, birthed her son in 2010, WIC was the only support she could find for her nursing woes. Two years later when her daughter was born, there was only one private lactation consultant available to her. She later struggled weaning her eighteen-month-old daughter. 

Birkenhauer wanted to be part of the solution for other local moms struggling with nursing. She jumped at the opportunity when she saw an ad for a course in Jacksonville training women to becoming certified lactation counselors. Then in 2017, she attended Cape Fear Community College and became an international board-certified lactation consultant, a five-year effort that required specialized courses and one thousand clinical hours. Birkenhauer was a student by day and a Betty Cameron Hospital volunteer by night while being a mom of two and working on opening her clinic.

“I jumped in with both feet, had great family support and two amazing aunts who helped me with my business plan,” she says. 

This year, Birkenhauer celebrates ten years of helping new moms and also recently opened The Lact-Center, which offers free breastfeeding resources, at her Randall Parkway office. She says she was inspired to do so after experiencing the generosity of the midwife for her daughter’s birth. “My midwife had a room of baby-related items that she offered to us at no cost. It was an amazing resource for us at the time,” says Birkenhauer, who received clothing and a car seat. 

On shopping days at The Lact-Center, anyone can receive breast pumps and supplies and free product samples. “I wanted to recreate my midwife’s resource, especially for families without insurance and those with insurance who may not receive a free pump,” she says. She accepts donations of all kinds, barring medicines and open-system pumps. Moms are waiting in the parking lot at 8 a.m. on shopping days, she says. No qualifications required, no questions asked.

Birkenhauer’s vision is to grow The Lact-Center to offer more discounted and free services and group support like Weigh-day Wednesdays where scales for babies are available at no charge. Her biggest hope is that insurance will expand to include Medicaid for lactation care.

At her main business, Lactation Counseling Services, Birkenhauer says she loves helping overwhelmed families. 

“New parents wish there was a guidebook,” she says. “Inundated and often confused by Google search results and social media posts, Lactation Counseling Services helps new parents gain confidence and bond as a family unit.”

The counseling process begins once insurance is verified, and pregnant mothers receive a one-on-one prenatal consultation and a mini-breastfeeding class. After the baby is born, Birkenhauer sees the new family between the baby’s first pediatrician visit and the baby’s two-week pediatrician visit.

“It’s really cool to see how far new parents come in a few weeks, from inexperienced to blossoming parents holding, nursing and burping their newborn,” she says. During subsequent visits, Birkenhauer watches for signs of health concerns and postpartum mood disorders. “Between 99 percent and 100 percent of new moms self-report a history of anxiety or depression. Educating partners on the signs and providing resources is crucial in those first three months,” says Birkenhauer.

JENNIFER HERRMANN, registered dietician and IBCLC, joined Birkenhauer’s practice two years ago, expanding lactation support and bringing specialized knowledge of milk allergies and food sensitivities. Herrmann loves to consult with families on a baby’s first solid food.

Birkenhauer is also part of the Tongue Tie Team at Renaissance Dental, where she has partnered with dentist SARAH PLESS and infant body worker JESS AHLUM. “Tongue ties restrict breastfeeding, and families are reaching for answers instead of just going to formula,” says Birkenhauer.

With a combined twenty-five years’ experience, Birkenhauer and Herrmann are committed to helping new parents with their feeding goals. “I think It is great to have continuity of care from receiving the best possible care in the hospital to great resources and care after baby comes home,” she says.

To view more of photographer Terah Hoobler’s work, go to terahhoobler.com.

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