Garcia Consulting and Lactation Services

06/18/2025

Heart full as the Michigan Maternal Infant Health Summit closes.
From Xaviera Bell’s soul-stirring testimony to fangirling over Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha and her visionary RxKids program—this was the recharge and reckoning I didn’t know I needed.

Grateful to share this space with advocates, birth justice warriors, and my WKKF Global Fellow sister, Kelsey Wabanimkee.

This work is sacred. Let’s keep going. 💛

06/17/2025

My heart is so full after the last two days. From standing in solidarity with our Pride ERG to kicking off our Maternal Infant Health Summit in Kalamazoo today — it’s been a powerful reminder of why we do this work.

Hearing from the incomparable Dr. Joia Crear-Perry as our keynote speaker and connecting with colleagues and birth justice advocates from across the state has been nothing short of inspiring. Grateful for these moments of community, courage, and commitment to equity in every birth and every life. 💜🏳️‍🌈👶🏽

06/15/2025

Happy Father’s Day 💙

Today we honor all fathers and father figures—biological, chosen, and everything in between—who play a vital role in the health of our families and communities.

Your love, your presence, and your support matter.

When fathers are included and empowered—from pregnancy to postpartum—maternal and infant health outcomes improve.

Let’s keep building a world where dads are seen, supported, and celebrated as part of the solution to ending preventable maternal and infant deaths.

06/09/2025

When we center voices long left at the margins, we unlock the true heart of community health improvement: dignity, trust, and belonging for all.

Across my work — from maternal health to immigrant well-being to pain equity and belonging — I’ve learned this truth again and again:
✨ Communities know what they need.
✨ Partnerships must honor lived experiences.
✨ True health improvement is equity work.

Even as language and policies shift, our mission is steady: to uplift every voice and advance health, dignity, and justice for all.

Grateful to walk this journey with so many courageous leaders and community partners. 💛

06/01/2025

As we close out May—honoring Military Appreciation Month and AAPI Heritage Month—and step into Pride Month, I’m reflecting on what it means to lead with purpose in healthcare and community work.

Each of these observances reminds us that advocacy, recognition, and inclusion are not seasonal gestures—they are essential to the wellbeing of our patients, our teams, and our communities.

In healthcare, we witness the deep impact of feeling unseen or unheard. We also see the transformation that happens when individuals feel safe, respected, and supported. Whether we are honoring those who have served, amplifying the voices of Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, or celebrating LGBTQ+ joy and resilience—this work is all connected.

Health equity demands more than data—it requires visibility, cultural humility, and a commitment to systems that value every life.

Let’s continue to center dignity, belonging, and justice in every space we influence.

05/26/2025

On this Memorial Day, I pause to honor the lives of those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country.

Their courage allows us the freedoms we often take for granted—including the ability to advocate, to heal, and to build more just and compassionate communities.

May we carry their legacy forward not only in remembrance, but in action—with gratitude, humility, and a deepened commitment to service.

05/11/2025

Today, we celebrate all the women who mother in their own way.
To those who are moms, yearning to be, new, grieving, or remembering…
To those who mother through love, through loss, through fur babies or bonus families…
To those who show up as aunties, mentors, and guides…

Happy Mother’s Day.
Your presence, your love, and your care are seen and honored.

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05/08/2025

I know I shared this before, but this is NOT okay. We have to do better!

In an interview with the Washington Post, Dr. Rachel Moon, AAP Chair of the Subcommittee on Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID), discussed concerns with recent federal workforce budget cuts affecting the Safe to Sleep Campaign. The decades-long campaign at the National Institute of Health aims to prevent infants from dying in their sleep due to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). “To have this program be terminated when the number of deaths is going up is really quite devastating. If we take [the messaging] out, then more babies are going to die. That’s what I’m worried about,” Moon said. Learn more: https://wapo.st/4k7XcgF

04/06/2025

Updated. Here is a write up on this.

https://www.npr.org/2025/05/05/nx-s1-5383871/trump-cuts-safe-sleep-sids-baby

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Today, I share heartbreaking news: the Safe to Sleep® campaign, a trusted source of education about infant sleep safety, has been terminated.

As a pediatrician, advocate, and mother, this hits home deeply. Safe sleep education saves lives. It has been a critical tool to prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and other sleep-related infant deaths. The end of this NIH-backed campaign means losing a powerful, evidence-based resource that has guided countless families — especially those in underserved communities.

We know that infant mortality disproportionately impacts families facing systemic barriers to healthcare access, education, and support. Without nationally coordinated efforts like Safe to Sleep®, these disparities are only going to widen. Families already struggling to get the information and resources they need will be left even more vulnerable.

As someone who has dedicated my career to health equity, and as a mother who knows the fear and hope wrapped into every decision about a baby’s safety, this is devastating.

We must not let this work end. Our babies’ lives depend on it.
I urge my colleagues, community leaders, and families to stay informed, keep educating, and advocate for new initiatives that center on equity, access, and safe sleep.

The mission isn’t over — we will continue it.

04/02/2025

💙 Did You Know? 💙
April 2 is World Autism Awareness Day — a time to uplift visibility, understanding, and acceptance of neurodivergent individuals.

As a pediatrician and a mom of neurodivergent children, this day isn’t just on my calendar — it’s in my heart.

💡 Visibility matters.
💡 Understanding matters.
💡 Advocacy matters.

Too many kids are misunderstood because the world wasn’t built for their brilliance. I’m committed to changing that — in medicine, in motherhood, and in every room I walk into.

Let’s build a future where all children feel seen, supported, and celebrated. ✨

04/02/2025

✨ Are you passionate about supporting families in their infant feeding journeys? Want to become a community-based breastfeeding advocate? This is for YOU. 🫶🏾🍼

Michigan Breastfeeding Network (MIBFN) is proud to share the 45-hour Community Breastfeeding Supporter (CBS) Course, created and taught by the brilliant . 💥

💻 Virtual & accessible
📚 No exam—just a real-life case study
🤎 Grounded in equity, justice, and practical lactation skills
🗓️ Offered monthly, 20 learners max per cohort

This course is transformative. Here’s what participants are saying:

🗣️ "This training was nothing short of transformative!"
🗣️ "I identified a life-threatening issue in a newborn because of this course!"
🗣️ "It’s next level. Interactive, empowering, and clinical."

Whether you’re a doula, healthcare worker, or community leader—this training will change how you support families AND how you see yourself in this work. 🌱

📍 Learn more + register now:
🔗 mibreastfeeding.org/cbs

📸 Save & share this with someone who should be in the next cohort! 💬

03/30/2025

🌟 Happy National Doctors’ Day 🌟
Today, I celebrate the incredible community of physicians who show up every day with compassion, resilience, and unwavering commitment to care. Being a doctor is not just a profession—it’s a calling rooted in service, advocacy, and deep human connection.

As we honor doctors across the country, I’m reminded that the health of our communities—and the health of every single person—is our North Star. Whether in a clinic, hospital, community center, or policy room, we do this work because every individual life and experience matters.

Here’s to the physicians who:
✔️ Listen with empathy
✔️ Fight for equity
✔️ Educate and empower
✔️ Heal with both heart and skill

To my fellow doctors—thank you for being steady in the storm, and bold in your belief that better is possible. Let’s keep leading with purpose and keeping people at the center of all we do.