Rising Stars: Meet Liz Levy

Today we’d like to introduce you to Liz Levy.

Hi Liz, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I graduated from the University of Kansas with degrees in Human Biology and Nursing and was a Neonatal Intensive Care (NICU) nurse for over 6 years at a level 3 NICU in Kansas City. I have always been passionate about breastfeeding and I loved to see the difference that human milk and breastfeeding made for the babies I cared for in the NICU. I became an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) in 2014 and shortly after that, I opened my own private practice. When my son was born in 2016, I struggled to breastfeed him due to tongue, lip, and buccal ties. After going through his tie journey and being able to breastfeed him successfully, I became passionate about helping other families going through similar struggles.

I sought out conferences and other training in advanced oral function and habilitation and now specialize in oral dysfunction and ties. There aren’t many lactation consultants in our area with this specialty, so I feel privileged to be able to provide this service locally. I also feel lucky that there are so many other great professionals in our city to collaborate with because these families really need a whole team approach to tackle the issues that come with oral ties.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has definitely not been a smooth journey but I have felt really well supported by the providers around me.

Before I had a good referral base, one of the biggest struggles I had was getting my name out there and finding clients. I knew there were plenty of people out there needing help with breastfeeding, but I couldn’t figure out how to get them to find me! I have done a lot of networking with chiropractors, physical therapists, occupational therapists, pediatricians, dentists, and others to build a referral network. A few years ago I started the KC Tongue Tie Professionals group so we could all continue to collaborate and work together and so new professionals in this field would feel supported as well.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). I do prenatal consults to discuss the benefits of breastfeeding, how breastmilk is made, position and latching techniques, and normal newborn expectations. I also do postpartum consults where I assist with breastfeeding, and milk supply issues, and assessing other developmental factors. I do an oral function exam with each postpartum consult to rule out issues caused by oral dysfunction and/or oral ties (tongue, lip, or buccal restrictions). I provide these services in my office in Overland Park (121st and Metcalf) and I also have telehealth and newborn home visit options.

I think what sets me apart from other lactation consultants is my extensive training in oral function and my ability to collaborate with other professionals. I am in constant communication with a baby’s care team (pediatrician, chiropractor, etc) to make sure we’re all doing the best we can to help these families. I also am so privileged to be a part of KC Well Nest, a collaborative of holistic providers who work with families to promote wellness. We’re not here to just put a bandage on problems and move on, we’re here to help families work towards becoming overall better. I believe helping babies to have appropriate oral function and developmental skills sets them up for a lifetime of overall health, success, and wellness.

We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
I learned to be adaptable to new situations- and quickly! My practice went from all home visits to all telehealth overnight.

There was definitely a learning curve with figuring out how to assess breastfeeding and oral function over a video screen but I got a good routine down and was still able to offer support to families despite being quarantined at home! Now it’s great because I can offer telehealth consults to families who are too far to drive to me or who would prefer a virtual option in addition to my in-person options.

Contact Info:

• Website:www.lizslactation.com
• Instagram:www.instagram.com/lactationliz
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/lactationliz
• Other: www.thekcwellnest.com