LKN Breastfeeding Solutions

Join us for a prenatal workshop offered April 27!

Our Mission:

We are dedicated to providing holistic support for families from pregnancy through weaning. Our approach is to combine an understanding of anthropology (how humans have cared for their young for millenia), with cutting-edge science (we love pulling from the latest scientific studies), and help parents apply this evidence-based information in a way that is compassionate and respectful of each family's unique circumstances, goals and lifestyle. As a result, we think you'll find our counseling to be incredibly relevant and authoritative on all topics related to lactation, infant feeding, and development.

Carolyn Honea is the owner and lead IBCLC at Lake Norman Breastfeeding Solutions. She has been providing lactation support in the greater Charlotte, NC region since 2011 first as a Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC) and then as an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). Additionally, Carolyn has over eight years of personal experience breastfeeding her four children. This combination enables Carolyn to relate to women on a mom-to-mom level as well as to offer professional, evidence-based advice. Areas of special focus include preterm and small for gestational age newborns, holistic strategies for colic and reflux, support for working/pumping mothers, baby-led weaning, and counsel for common issues such as low milk supply and latch difficulty. Carolyn has completed advanced training in Oral Habilitation of the Breastfeeding Dyad to provide support for complex cases.

Book with Carolyn - servicing Huntersville, Cornelius, Davidson, Mooresville and our office

Athena Catacalos is a Birth Doula and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) who grew up in the greater Charlotte area. As a previously experienced nanny observing and studying family dynamics, Athena realized how important it is to give parents the correct tools and support that they need to be able to grow healthy, loving children from the start. She trained under Carolyn (owner/lead LC) and started as a Certified Lactation Counselor in 2018 and passed her IBCLC exam in 2022. Athena is a highly empathic person making it easy to connect with others and uses her intuitive traits to help families identify and meet goals that fit their family. She especially enjoys helping parents feel validated and heard, while increasing their confidence around feeding and caring for their baby. Athena has completed advanced training in Oral Habilitation of the Breastfeeding Dyad to provide support for complex cases.

Book with Athena - servicing west/central/north Charlotte, Gastonia, Belmont, Denver, and Huntersville

Mallorie Porter is a Registered Nurse (RN) and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). She has over 10 years of experience as a nurse in the maternal/child health field and obtained her IBCLC in 2021. Mallorie is a mother of three and has four years of personal experience balancing breastfeeding, pumping & bottle-feeding while working. Her passion is to help mothers feel supported, heard, validated, and confident in motherhood. She is also working towards a certification in gentle sleep coaching so she is able to provide families with strategies to integrate breastfeeding with positive sleep routines. Mallorie has completed advanced training in Oral Habilitation of the Breastfeeding Dyad to provide support for complex cases.

Book with Mallorie - servicing Mooresville, Troutman & Statesville

Simone Toomer is a birth and postpartum doula, sleep educator and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). Simone met and exceeded her nursing goals with her two children, nursing until ages 3 and 4, along with unmedicated deliveries in the hospital and at home. Simone came into the birth and lactation world as a LLL leader in Brooklyn, NY and in 2014 became a CLC, birth and postpartum doula. Simone has experience working at WIC, in the hospital system as well as private practice. Simone finds that education and empowerment is key to supporting families to reach their birth, feeding and parenting goals. As a black Caribbean woman, Simone also knows first hand potential disparities faced and how to navigate the system and resources. Simone bridges the gap between holistic and western care, honoring biology and interventions, if and when needed. Her background in psychology and child services also equips her with a

listening heart and ears to support families of various backgrounds and obstacles. Simone has completed advanced training in Oral Habilitation of the Breastfeeding Dyad to provide support for complex cases.

Book with Simone - servicing Mint Hill, east/central/north Charlotte, Huntersville, Harrisburg, Concord & Kannapolis

Katie Detwiler is our Clinic Manager and assists with marketing, social media and helping moms get scheduled with us. She breastfed her daughter, Emma, for almost four years, and you can read about their breastfeeding journey here. Katie comes from a background in communications and finance, and uses her artistic talents to design our website and social media branding.

Email Katie

Breastfeeding is the beautiful way our bodies are designed to feed and nurture our babies, but while it is natural it is also a learned art. In centuries past there was no need for formal "lactation consultants" because breastfeeding was learned from the commonplace experience of watching other mothers breastfeed - much like we learn a lot about how to drive a car by watching others drive, long before we ever sit behind the steering wheel. For thousands of years, women successfully breastfed their children and passed down the knowledge of how to nurture thriving babies to the next generation. In today's culture where people are more familiar with bottlefeeding, mothers need extra support to learn the art of breastfeeding and feel confident in their ability to care for their baby in this natural way. Cultural "boobytraps" and complex health conditions derail many a modern woman from reaching her personal breastfeeding goals. The breastfeeding specialist's role is to solve complex feeding difficulties while empowering the family to avoid problems and barriers and have a positive breastfeeding experience. Empowered women can breastfeed successfully, laying the foundation for an attached mother/baby bond, helping the child reach his/her potential in health and intellect, reducing costs associated with illnesses and formula, launch valuable mothering skills, and so much more.

Ideally the interaction between mother and lactation consultant begins during pregnancy and continues through each stage of baby's development (newborn, young baby, starting solid foods, active baby, toddler, weaning, etc). When it comes to breastfeeding, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" couldn't be more true! But if you are already breastfeeding and encountering challenges, please know difficulties are not unusual and our lactation consultants are experienced in helping moms overcome everything from low milk supply to latch problems and more. We are here for you to help you find solutions, reach your personal breastfeeding goals, and most importantly have a positive experience nurturing your baby.

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