Lactation Counseling in Lutz & Wesley Chapel

A lactation counselor is a trained specialist who helps parents work through breastfeeding and feeding challenges, from latch and positioning to milk supply, painful nursing, and pumping. At Thriving Joy Pediatric Therapy in Lutz and Wesley Chapel, our counselors are also Certified Speech Language Pathologists and feeding therapists, so they can assess the oral motor side of feeding, not just the breastfeeding basics.

Reach out any time feeding feels painful, stressful, or uncertain, including before your baby arrives. Common reasons parents come in are a shallow or painful latch, worries about milk supply, slow weight gain, clicking or noisy feeding, bottle refusal, and returning to work. You do not need to wait for a crisis. Early support often prevents small problems from becoming bigger ones.

Both help families with breastfeeding, but they hold different certifications and levels of training. What sets Thriving Joy apart is that our lactation counselors are also Certified Speech Language Pathologists and oral motor feeding therapists, which means they can evaluate and treat the feeding and swallowing skills behind a breastfeeding problem, all within one practice.

Yes. We evaluate feeding and oral motor patterns to determine whether a tongue or lip tie is affecting the latch, and we provide feeding support both before and after a release. Therapy before a release helps with positioning and comfort, and therapy after helps your baby retrain tongue and lip movement for easier, more effective feeding. A release changes the structure, but skilled therapy is what changes the function.

Common signs include painful or shallow latching, clicking or noisy feeding, trouble staying latched, slow weight gain, an open mouth posture at rest, a baby who tires quickly or falls asleep at the breast, excessive gassiness or reflux, and breasts that do not soften after feeding. If you notice several of these, an infant feeding evaluation can tell you whether a tie is disrupting feeding.

We support the full feeding journey. That includes troubleshooting bottle refusal, flow preferences, and feeding mechanics, as well as guiding you through starting solids, whether you plan to spoon feed or follow a baby led weaning approach. We cover pre feeding skills, feeding milestones, choking prevention, allergen introduction, and more.

Yes. We provide prenatal breastfeeding support and classes so you feel prepared before your baby arrives. Prenatal sessions cover positioning and latch, signs of effective feeding, building a feeding plan, how to advocate for that plan in the hospital, and the resources you will want on hand in those first days.

We have two offices serving Central Pasco and Northern Hillsborough counties: our Lutz office at 18926 North Dale Mabry Highway, Ste 102, Lutz, FL 33548, and our Wesley Chapel office at 29141 Chapel Park Dr, Wesley Chapel, FL 33543. Call (813) 563-8699 to schedule at either location.