Nurturing the Good Stuff . . . Love At First Latch

Say 'Hello' to . . . 

Kelsey Smith, wife, mother, RN, Lactation Educator and an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, is the owner and practitioner of Love At First Latch.

Love At First Latch offers a wide variety of consultations to meet the specific needs of each patient. From prenatal to return to work to virtual to in-home to in-office, consultations literally meet people where they need and are always individualized so that women can look back on motherhood and enjoy it.

“I love working with families to help them meet their breastfeeding goals, whatever those may be.”

“ . . . breastfeeding didn't come easily with either of my babies . . .  I saw this world that could be so beautiful and so incredibly frustrating all at the same time . . . I've seen first hand the lack of support offered to mothers during the postpartum period and knew I wanted to be part of a movement to change that.” 

To meet this goal, she knew her business model had to put people (customers, clients, patients) first. 

Bringing the mission to Life . . . 

Her mission statement reads, “I am committed to serving all families. My goal as your lactation consultant is to support you and empower your decisions. I value your opinion and know that you know your baby better than anyone else. We will work together to come up with a plan that is realistic for you and your family and adjust that plan as needed. Feeding plans look different for each family and that is okay. I am here to help you meet your feeding goals.”

“Somewhere along the way our society lost this idea ‘village’, and parenthood became isolating and lonely. Throw a pandemic on top of that, and a lot of us are working alone just trying to make it through another day."

"Each of us can work to rebuild these villages . . . Working together to raise our babies is such a beautiful thing and is so much better than trying to raise our babies alone.”

Working as an advocate, Kelsey created connections with professionals to provide spaces and places where mothers foster meaningful relationships - both professional and personal. 

In-office consultations happen at Barrett Family Chiropractic & Massage. 

Dr Barrett’s team specializes in perinatal, pediatric and family chiropractic care and massage so inviting lactation consultations on-site was a win win WIN. 

Mothers, babies, and families are welcomed into a calm space where children are able to be themselves (to play, to nurse, to be rocked to sleep) - WIN! 

Patients get several of their health needs met in one stop - WIN WIN! 

AND multiple businesses reap the marketing and economic rewards of living their missions through connection! WIN WIN WIN!!!    

Love At First Latch also hosts a monthly breastfeeding support group at Lilac City Midwifery. Kelsey and Rebecca Alice, CPM, LM are purposeful in their partnership to create a safe and thoughtful opportunity where all are welcome to share perspectives, make personal connections, get professional advice, have a snack, or just sit while someone else holds their baby.  Pregnant women, babies birthed in hospitals and patients of midwives, first-time parents, seasoned parents, newborns to preschoolers, and aunts and grandmas have all attended. 

Kelsey is living her mission because she believes in it, but the connections she builds with and for people results in a full calendar and five star rating. Proving putting people first is good for business.  

The difference it makes . . . 

Kelsey and Love At First Latch are working to combat the US’s poor maternal mental and physical health outcomes. 

The Roots of Loneliness Project details the gravity of motherhood loneliness can have on women's health and suggests more providers and businesses need to be doing exactly what Kelsey has done. "Research shows that engaging in face-to-face interactions improves our mood and reduces depression at the same time, making social connections vital."

Kelsey is not only an expert medical professional, she is also a community builder who strategically aligned her business with others to connect real people in real life.  

“My heart’s desire is to use midwifery as a tool to serve the community around me and to be a blessing to others . . . I have two goals for client care. One is that each client would finish care feeling empowered in their birth experience and that would in turn empower them in other areas of their life,” Rebecca Alice, CPM, LM says on her website.

Barrett Family Chiropractic & Massage’s mission is “to make a positive impact on the world, one person at a time by sharing our gifts of healing, education, and genuine compassionate care.“

“People always ask me if I went into lactation because I love babies, and yes I do, but that wasn't the main reason. The postpartum period these days takes so much autonomy and decision-making away from the birthing parent, and the thing I love about my job is I get to give that power back and empower parents to know and trust their bodies and to act on their instincts. It really seems so simple, but that knowledge and those skills are difficult to learn in our current healthcare system. Instead we are taught to listen to our providers and not push back; taught to bandaid problems instead of looking for root causes. In my world and in my practice I do the opposite. I sit, listen and make sure each and every person is heard. And that is how you start to change the world--one lactation visit at a time,” Kelsey writes.

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