Milk+Honey Lactation Services

08/16/2023

Reminders for you today ❤️

🐫

08/15/2023

Jade is now Certified through for supporting Perinatal Mental Health!

The Perinatal Mental Health Certification (PMH-C) Program creates a structure for professional education and evaluation, and a standardization of training and experience to inform families and payers of perinatal mental health specialists. The certification curriculum requirements build on existing evidence-based perinatal mental health certificate trainings, adding an advanced-training component.

At Milk+Honey, we are passionate about mental health during the childbearing years. We individualize every visit and feeding plan to ensure that parents' goals and needs are addressed (and realistic) through shared-decisionmaking with families!

08/11/2023

We've heard about the FDA approval of Zuranolone to treat PPD... But what *exactly* does it do? Is it really a wonder drug?

Let's find out ...

08/06/2023

World Breastfeeding Week is August 1-7 but our aim to enable breastfeeding for working parents doesn't stop this week!!!

Swipe to check out WABA's campaign initiatives for ensuring working parents reach their feeding goals 😍

08/06/2023

Blast from the past!!! Back when I was a hospital LC during the pandemic 🥹❤️

08/04/2023

08/04/2023

Oiii! The last few days have been INTERESTING to say the least.

It's a strange thing that people who claim to want to protect and promote breastfeeding seem to really not appreciate how powerful and beautiful our milk really is.... I mean, unless it's exclusive breastfeeding, that is.

For those of you who have felt hurt by sanctimonious comments this week, all of us at M+H want you to know that we value EVERY DROP of your milk. Whether it was for a day or for many years. Your milk is/was no less beneficial for your baby if you only nursed or pumped short term, or you combofed, or you had to supplement in the hospital, or your baby has a J/G-tube, or if the intergenerational trauma of Black breastfeeding impacted your journey, or if you have a disability that made breastfeeding impossible, or if you didn't have lactation support who spoke your language, or if you weaned when you went back to work because you didn't have paid leave, or you had an unsupportive boss who refused to give you pump breaks, or you had IGT, or you just couldn't triple feed anymore, or if you didn't have a lactation consultant, or if your mom died and your grief took over and you lost your supply, or if you need medication that's not compatible with breastfeeding, or if you almost died in delivery and were never able to establish breastfeeding, or if your baby died and you never got to feed them, or if your mental health couldn't sustain a difficult feeding relationship, or if your babies had undiagnosed ties that impacted your supply, or if you have had difficulty with fertility and have longed to feel the heaviness in your breasts as you wait for your baby, or ANY other reason you couldn't exclusively breastfeed.

We see you. We hear you. Your milk was and is valuable, precious, impactful, and powerful. Your journey matters.

World Breastfeeding Week is about protecting and celebrating every drop, no matter how much or how little. It's about YOU too.

08/04/2023

Once again and Knox County WIC program did an amazing job with their celebration of World Breastfeeding Week at the Knoxville Museum of Art. 🥰

So thankful for this community that shows up to supporting breastfeeding! Here’s our obligatory lactation consultant photo! 💜

08/03/2023

We had so much fun at the World Breastfeeding Week Celebration!!!

A massive THANK YOU to Knox County WIC, the , and for hosting this lovely event 😍

WIC families on TennCare Plans were excited to discover community lactation providers that can now bill
✨CoverKids
✨UHC Community Plan
✨BlueCare
✨Amerigroup

08/03/2023

World Breastfeeding Week = all the ways to feed the baby!

Among the mamas on the M+H Team, we have spoon fed, tube-fed, breastfed, bottle-fed, combo-fed, formula-fed, SNS-fed, pumped, nursed, weaned early, weaned toddlers, struggled with food allergies, and everything in between...

We see you out there putting in the work, feeding your babies in every way, pouring your love and heart and soul into your little ones. We see your joy, we see your grief, we see it all. We celebrate you and we hope YOU CELEBRATE YOU, too 😍

Happiest of WBWs to every single one of you ❤️

08/01/2023

While World Breastfeeding Week can be triggering for many- especially those who have felt the overwhelming grief of a feeding plan that did not turn out the way you hoped. We want you to know that world Breastfeeding Week is for you too.

You see, WBW is about more than breastfeeding alone. It's about improving health for parents worldwide, it's about spreading awareness from job accommodations, paid parental leave, access to social and emotional support, and so much more.

This week is for every one of you ❤️

07/29/2023

Hello all. Our Vanderbilt appointments today took almost everything out of me. I need a few days to cuddle my kids and focus on getting my mind healthy for all the families I'll see next week.

Because of this, I may not be as responsive as usual over the weekend. Over the last year, I did a lot of compartmentalizing to *try to be* the absolute best with school, my patients, and my family- and it looks a major toll on my mental and physical health. Sometimes I just can't be at my best in every area at the same time.

I have a chronically ill child. It's really, really hard sometimes. Right now it is one of those times and I need a few days to be kind to myself and just be with my family. I hope you all can understand and I really appreciate your patience ❤️

Much love,
Jade

07/25/2023

✨Shared with Permission✨

This story absolutely touches our hearts and Jade is so thankful to have been a part of it!

While her story is frustrating, and at times seemed hopeless, she barrelled through horrible pain, recurrent clogs, engorgement, and mastitis for 7 months. There were times she had to change fl**ge sizes from pump to pump because of the swelling. We battled physicians that wouldn't LISTEN to her- who told her "just stop pumping and bind your breasts" after having 4 rounds of antibiotics for mastitis that raged an entire month 🤦🏼‍♀️ and after wearing cabbage leaves for weeks, several rounds of medications, hormone therapy, and pumping management to decrease her supply (with some improvement), we had to resort to extreme measures to begin a medication with risk of serious side effects... Turns out we were battling an abnormally high level of prolactin- she had a condition that couldn't be controlled with will-power, alone. This process was LONG and so, so hard for her- it took a toll on her mental AND physical well-being... For some reason, we overlook the serious impact that some breastfeeding relationships can have on a parent's health. Breastmilk may be the optimal choice for infant nutrition- but sometimes, the healthiest choice for an entire family is to put the well-being of the person making the milk FIRST.

On the other side of it, she's no longer pumping, her baby is THRIVING on formula, and she feels like herself again!

07/24/2023

It's been a while since the last but I just HAD TO share about secretory IgA!!!!

Ready to have your mind blown?! 🤯

07/19/2023

For the first time EVER, I had a cancellation call list this week. I'm so, so, so thankful that our M+H families have entrusted me with their care and have chosen me to support them through this period in their life 🥹❤️

With that being said, my practice has GROWN and my #1 priority is making sure families get the FASTEST and BEST care- because each and every one of them deserve it... I wish I could keep up with all that's listed in the pic AND keep up with messages, emails, texts, posts, meetings, exams, insurance battles, taxes, bookkeeping, banking, supporting my employees, being a good mentor, see people within a few days, and have enough left over to take care of myself and my kids- but I can't do it on my own anymore. This is a GOOD thing!!!

The way I see it, more and more families are reaching out for support! More families are getting support! And I want to make sure that it's not the kind of support that's infrequent and vague- I want to make sure it's the absolute best.

Our care structure is changing- which means you may not always see me... It also means, you'll get faster appointments, faster communication, and faster answers to your questions! Our team has been hand-picked and they are the best of the best!!!

07/16/2023

✨Shared with Permission✨
Nothing makes my heart absolutely explode like a mama I have not seen in a long time sending me stunning photos of herself nursing her baby, along with a sweet message that only reaffirms my "why."

says "Your purpose is what happens to other people when you do what you do..." And I stared at that phrase on the wall at for a year and a half.

My purpose has become so much more than lactation care- it's become more about freedom in feeding your baby, encouraging and facilitating parents to listen to their intuition, affirming and relying on that intuition when working with families to create a care plan. My purpose is also to make sure that every family has access to this kind of care because it's basic healthcare, and feeding your baby is the very foundation of bonding with them for a lifetime.... I'm excited to begin sharing more stories about parents who have overcome all odds to feed their babies in a way that brings them joy, while having the support they needed along the way (spoiler alert: not all of them include exclusive breastfeeding).

Huge thanks to this sweet mama who reached out to me after so long to share how Milk+Honey touched her life 🥹❤️

Photo cred: and her absolutely breathtaking model

07/16/2023

Are you in your third trimester and feeling the time crunch to find a Breastfeeding Class?

Join us TODAY on Zoom! Registration is on my Website (link in bio)!

07/15/2023

We are rocking and rolling now!

Milk+Honey can now see families who have any of the three TennCare plans!

Even if your baby is 8 months old, it's not too late to get help with anything you need!

07/12/2023

07/11/2023

Give us a call or text at 865-505-0880 to schedule!

Link is in the bio!

07/11/2023

This is a mega post but still doesn't even scratch the surface!

All 3 of my kids have had ties of varying degrees... Each of them were a unique challenge to nurse. I think the hardest part about it (other than the stretches 😭) is how much TIME it takes to undo the issues that ties cause.

What is your experience with ties? Tell me below 👇

07/09/2023

When my mentorships end, it's always bittersweet 🥹

Kinzie has been an absolute pleasure to work with and provided such amazing support to our M+H families. I was fortunate to have her as a mentee and she taught me some wonderful skills that I can pass on to families that I'm taking care of... With her background in Occupational Therapy, she is able to provide families with the tools they need to release tension in their babies and help them feed better.

We will miss her ❤️❤️❤️ she will be remaining on our referral provider list for virtual assistance with infant bodywork!

Watch out Gainesville!!! You'll have an amazing IBCLC in your town very soon!

07/08/2023

📢BIG NEWS!!!!📢

We are now IN-NETWORK with BlueCare!!!!!!

We are still waiting on UHC Community Plan and Amerigroup but hopefully they will come through soon 😍

If you have BlueCare and you are or need give us a call!!! We can see you IN-PERSON OR VIRTUALLY!

07/07/2023

Our girl is headed to the BEACH!!!

If Natasha is your primary provider and you need help over the weekend, please reach out to us at the main business number (865-505-0880) so someone on our team can give you support while she enjoys some much needed time off ❤️

Much love, the M+H Team

07/07/2023

I hear this all the time.... Nurses at the hospital, other lactation consultants, grandparents, and even pediatricians will tell a parent that their baby is "lazy."

While it may look that way, fatigue with feeding (breast OR bottle) is a signal that things are not the way they should be. If a baby isn't able to move milk well, they end up using more muscles and expending more energy than they're supposed to!

Signs of this look like: feeding that take a long time (30+ minutes), frequent/small meals, falling asleep while eating, taking a lot of breaks between gulps from the bottle or breast, frequently not finishing their feedings, and on and on....

If feeding your baby isn't EASY, something is off.. and likely, you've mentioned it to providers but your concerns were brushed off. If you're handed new bottles, a different formula, or medication without a full functional feeding assessment, you need a second opinion!!!

Your intuition about your baby is strong. Follow your gut ❤️

07/05/2023

✨Meet our new IBCLC! ✨

Kendall was my very first mentee! She will be providing amazing virtual support to our Milk+Honey families all over the country 😍

Check out her story 👇

"I breastfed both of my girls for 2 years each and between the two dealt with oral ties (one released, one went undiagnosed) recurring mastitis, restrictive diet for allergies, and what seemed like a million minor inconveniences in between.

As a military family, my husband's schedule has him away from home a lot and we don't live near any family. I'm solo 6-8 months out of every year. I believe my experience as a seasoned military spouse provides me a unique perspective to effectively support others that are navigating parenthood without a village and/or parenting solo. Together we can strategize sustainable solutions that take into account the support system you have at home.

I am so grateful for the opportunity to return after mentorship to work at Milk+Honey. Their unique perspective that recognizes that a successful journey can look a million different ways aligns with my heart to honor families as the ultimate authority of deciding what is best for their own families. Working with other clinicians that value empowering mothers is a dream come true for me."

07/05/2023

Join us tomorrow morning!

All feeding types welcome ❤️

07/04/2023

✨Relactation✨
After a bad experience with lactation consultants at the hospital, one of my clients decided she wasn't going to see a LC again. She wanted to share her story about relactation... From no milk to a full milk supply over 7 weeks- in her case, we did not use medication to assist, but we did add Lactivist (torbangan tincture) after a few weeks of building prolactin receptors.

*Shared with permission*
"I gave birth to my son on April 23rd and wanted him solely on my breastmilk.
I met a lactation consultant at the hospital and told her my goal and that I’m planning on being an exclusive pumper. I was not pleased with my experience and made up my mind I wasn’t going to see [IBCLCs] anymore. I tried pumping for a few weeks and got either drops or dry bottles. I was so discouraged and didn’t think I was capable of producing any milk, but I contacted Jade at Milk and Honey to see if that was the case. I saw her on May 15th and found out I was suffering from a low milk supply. I followed her instructions and my supply has been steadily increasing since. I am now producing between 26.5 - 27.5 ounces per day and no longer need any formula. My wish came true working with Jade! Every day my confidence has boosted when I looked at my production and I feel like I have more of a purpose. It's helped me with my PPD so much! Pumping makes me so happy and even happier knowing my goal has come true! 😍

I would highly recommend her as it’s been such a pleasure working with her and getting to know her! She really does care and will do everything in her power to help someone with their lactation journey! She’s the only LC I’ll ever use :)"

Inducing lactation and relactation ARE possible. Results can vary widely between people- this mama understood that we may or may not have gotten to a full supply but her goal was to give as much of her milk as possible. I've worked with many families to reach this same goal- both using a pump OR nursing at the breast while slowly decreasing formula supplementation.

If you want to know more, let's talk!!!

07/03/2023

Our news story!

With lactation consultation mothers will be able to better feed their children without relying on formula, which can be both scarce and expensive.

07/02/2023

A gentle reminder from all the fellow mamas at Milk+Honey.

We have had several breakdowns in communication with clients this week and we sincerely apologize for those. We are on the younger side of most IBCLCs in the area and all of us have kiddos from 18mo-10 years old... Which means when we aren't in the office we have our hands FULL and our hearts are full too.

If you haven't received prompt communication this week, I'm very, very sorry. is on vacation seeing family in Ohio and still working from there (even though I told her not to 🤦🏼‍♀️), my family has had a busy week welcoming a new nephew AND my brother getting married, and I wanted to take my kids to the water park today. We don't really ever go do stuff because I work so much, so I wanted to do something fun for them. Summer is usually wild because our school-aged kids are home too.

I have hired another IBCLC to help us as we have grown so much! She's starting this week so that things will start running more smoothly very soon! More about that to come ❤️

I promise that we care so much about you guys and all the challenges that come with welcoming a new little one, especially when feeding isn't going well. I sincerely apologize to any of you who have felt unheard or abandoned when you needed help. That's never our intention. We are having a team meeting tomorrow and addressing urgent client needs is on the top of the list.

07/02/2023

Hey hey friends ❤️

I wanted to give you all a gentle reminder that as much as I *wish* I could give everyone 24/7 support and immediate answers, I can't. I'm just a person and I have three babies of my own who deserve my attention, too. My sister had a baby last week, my brother got married this weekend, I took my kids to stay in a mini house Saturday, and went to a water park today because we haven't gone on vacation since 2019.

Most days, I work straight through my lunch break or fit people in during my lunch because they need urgent help. During the school year, I see people back to back so I can pick up my big kid by 3pm, then the littles from daycare, do taekwondo practice, go home, cook dinner, put everyone to bed, finish charting and careplans, study, then go to bed and do it all over the next day. I absolutely LOVEEEEE my job and I adore all the families who let me be a part of their story, truly. Unfortunately, there are times that I can't be available to respond.

I say this with so much love in my heart and a deep, deep understanding that things are SO HARD when a baby isn't feeding well. I wish I could be there for you guys constantly, I really do. But I'm only human, and I'm a mom too.

I do care, I promise I do... Please remember I'm only human ❤️

07/02/2023

My brother and got married today ❤️

My niece reminded us at the reception that even on your wedding day, baby's gotta eat!

I'm so glad I got to capture this beautiful moment 🥹❤️

06/29/2023

Let me make myself VERY clear...

✨I am here to support families.
✨I am here to lift up people who are struggling with feeding.
✨I am here for underserved populations.
✨I am here to change the face of lactation, and build trust with people who are afraid to get help for fear of judgement.
✨I am here to share real information in a country experiencing a Black Maternal Health Crisis and NO paid maternity leave.
✨I am here to build community and collaborate with people who value autonomy in feeding and birth.
✨I'm here to encourage people to listen to their intuition about themselves and their babies.
✨I'm here for the people who are in the trenches of postpartum.

I am NOT here to stroke the egos of other lactation consultants. My posts are not for them. I'm not afraid to call anybody out.

I am NOT here to push an agenda.

If that's what you want in your feed, I'm not the right fit for you 😘

Fed isn't best. Breast isn't best.

What's "Best" looks a million different ways and it is determined by meeting each individual family where they are, assessing their goals and values, and supporting them with information to make their own decisions- decisions they are proud of and feel good about.

06/28/2023

✨Let's talk about Primary Low Supply✨

While not everyone with fertility issues, PCOS, insulin resistance, hypoplastic breast issue/IGT, thyroid dysfunction, etc. will experience low supply, MANY of them do. In a lot of cases, people with low supply have several overlapping conditions that contribute to their difficulty making a full supply.

These numbers don't mean that 40-50% of people WILL have low supply- because, like I mentioned, many people have several of these conditions at one time. Each of these conditions are contributors that can impact the hormonal, structural, and physiological ability to make a full volume of milk.

What I AM saying is that low supply is much more common than Lactivists want you to believe.

In a lot of cases, these conditions can be treated... and should be! Even if the "reference ranges" are not met. If you have symptoms, you're struggling with supply, and your labs have changed dramatically- you should be treated. It will improve YOUR overall health and as a benefit, your supply may even increase.

Let's stop saying low supply is rare. It's not. Let's start getting people the help they need and improve their overall health in the perinatal period ❤️

06/27/2023

06/27/2023

We kicked off our this week, and had a special guest - Hanna R., owner of .co.

She attended our first Intensive last year, and spent some time this morning giving advice to the attendees about how to get the most out of the experience.

She dropped these amazing words, reminding them that taking time away from their families and customers and businesses to focus for a few days was NOT selfish - and we wanted to share the thoughts with you all.

06/27/2023

✨Owning a Business✨

I don't share a whole lot about the business side of what I do- honestly I think it's because I, so often, mesh my business and myself together... entrepreneurship doesn't tend to lend itself to days off, even moreso when you're supporting families who need help 24/7... And I also tend to focus more on the work we DO.

The truth is, to keep doing the work we do and serve the community in the way we want to, I have to make sure my business is healthy. It requires a lot of organization and legal stuff that I never even knew existed before entrepreneurship became a part of my life. Balancing city/county, state, and federal taxes, identification numbers, yearly registrations with the secretary of state, IRS baloney, legal protections, HIPAA compliance, health/building/firecodes, liability insurance, accounting and bookkeeping, overhead, state and federal employment taxes, payroll, benefits for my employees, insurance reimbursement, business funding, electronic medical records systems, credentialing and contracting with insurance companies, website maintenance, continuing education, sales tax, and more and more and more. None of that includes my *actual* job, as a lactation consultant.

Fortunately, I have to turn to. Although I outgrew my space in the Co-working office, Aught continues to pour herself into my business and my dreams. For a few months, I've been a member of the cohort and it's seriously the only reason I have survived these last few months through my office expansion and credentialing/contracting with Medicaid. What was previously a retreat turned into an "intensive" and that's where I was all day today. It was draining and emotional- but I'm actually excited for the next two days of it!

I can't help anyone if I go out of business- which is why I'm giving this all I've got. It's the not-so-fun part of the job, but it's necessary to serve our Knoxville community.

Pray for me 🤣🤣🤣🤣

06/26/2023

I've had TONS of virtual prenatal consults lately from all over the country! One thing was pretty consistent across the board- people have to either choose from the boring breastfeeding class at their local hospital OR an expensive pre-recorded class from the influencer that popped up on their algorithm... It's not interactive, many of them are "idealists," and you can't ask questions!

Lucky for you, I'm now offering LIVE Zoom classes every month! Check out my website for more info!

06/18/2023

We decided as a TEAM ( ) that we aren't going to wait on the MCOs for in-network status anymore.... Families NEED help! And we aren't going to wait on insurance to start providing this to the community. We've had a wait-list of families to start getting support on June 1... And that day came and went. On our side, we have had EVERYTHING ready to go.

❤️Special thanks to my small business cohort (Redefine Mastermind) for letting me ask all the questions and run all the numbers the last few weeks and for supporting me through these growing pains!

**Some transparency:
As a group practice, we are now approved Medicaid providers- which means we can't charge additional fees for services... That's a fancy way of saying that for now, we are not going to be paid for appointments. It sucks- but hopefully our official in-network status with BlueCare, UHC Community Plan, CoverKids, and Amerigroup will come through soon. Credentialing is complete, the contracts are signed, EFT is set up, EVERYTHING is ready to go- except our notice that we can go ahead and start billing. We are just waiting on the insurance companies 🫠

With that being said, Natasha ( ) is PUMPED and so ready to start practicing her calling. I will see patients as well- when my schedule allows! I've had a very heavy patient load, which is why Natasha has come on to help me with our growing patient population. I'll be introducing her more in the coming weeks!

Also- regardless of in-network status, group care will also begin in July. More to come about that!

Let's get these babies fed and parents empowered through feeding their babies!!!

Check out the link in my bio for more details!