For the Love of Lactation, LLC

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Maryville, TN
For the Love of Lactation, LLC

✿ Sarah Knapek, IBCLC
✿ Maryville, TN
Home visits in the greater Maryville, Knoxville area Hi, I’m Sarah! I can’t wait to meet you!

I've been in your shoes before, googling for lactation help in the middle of the night in tears wondering why this breastfeeding thing was so hard. Take a deep breath and know that help is here and you are not alone! I am an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), here to support you and your baby throughout your feeding journey.

09/22/2025

Happy first day of fall from this chunky lil baby boy who was falling off his growth chart when we first met, and is now an exclusively breastfed 2 month old with all the rolls 🥐🍂🤱🏻👏🏻

07/21/2025

I have exciting news to share!! 📣 Baby number 4 is on the way! We found out baby is another BOY and due Feb 1st 💙 George can’t wait to be a big brother and we are all over the moon to have another baby to love 🥰 I’ll still be seeing clients as normal up until baby’s arrival in the new year!

12/31/2024

2024, you were a good one filled with growth! After taking a lot of time off in 2023 between moving, renovating our home, being super pregnant, and then having a newborn, I was so excited for what this year was going to bring! It didn’t disappoint!

It has been one of my greatest joys to help mom’s and babies in the greater Maryville TN area. It fills my cup and truly feels like God’s calling for me. To all the moms that I was able to help this past year, thank you from the bottom of my heart for allowing me into your home to help you navigate motherhood and achieve your feeding goals. 🫶

I was able to help 50 families this year, and had a total of 137 consults between initial visits and follow ups. I ended the year with helping my first set of twins, and already have a packed calendar as we head into the New Year. I can’t wait to see what growth occurs in 2025! Bring on the babies! 🤱🏻

12/24/2024

Let’s be real, this is almost your baby wants for Christmas 😂👏🎁

I love this phrase! It’s silly, yes, but so true! I see a lot of mamas who worry about feeding cues, feeding too frequently, etc. It can be hard to know what to do when you’re sleep deprived and following the advice you see allll over social media. Everyone seems to have their own opinion. The “eat, play, sleep” trend is super popular, and while I get it & have tried it, it’s just not feasible all the time. Babies are humans, not little robots. Sometimes they want to “eat, play, eat, play, eat, sleep.” Maybe it’s “play, eat, sleep, play, eat.” And that’s okay!!

Babies are constantly going through growth spurts, cluster feeding periods, needing comfort, etc, and the frequent stimulation & effective milk removal are going to stimulate your body to produce what your baby needs in most cases. My biggest 🚩 is if baby is taking 45+ minutes for a feed and acting starving 10 minutes later for the majority of feeds. If that’s the case, seek out IBCLC care to figure out what’s going on.

There you have it— when in doubt, whip it out! Merry Christmas Eve Eve!

11/15/2024

If there was a magic cookie that helped increase milk production, I would be out of a job! 🤪 Sure, those cookies taste great and have ingredients in them that can help give a little boost, like brewer’s yeast and flaxseed- but the honest truth is that frequent and effective milk removal is the only way to truly increase your milk supply. There are some barriers that may exist and I recommend working with an IBCLC to ensure you are using pump settings correctly, using the right fl**ge size, checking oral function for baby, insufficient glandular tissue, hormonal/thyroid imbalances, etc.

Having patience is so important too. A lot of times, if you increase pump sessions, you may start to see less before you see more. Your body is adjusting and regulating to the increase in stimulation and removal. It can take up to a week to see that milk increase so stick with it! You’ve got this 👏

10/28/2024

Let’s talk ~*lip ties*~

As an IBCLC, it’s not within my scope to diagnose ties. However, I have the training and knowledge to know how to look for them, suspect them, and refer to the right team to help treat them. The majority of pediatricians and hospital staff aren’t trained in what to look for or how to assess for oral ties, yet they are the ones that have the ability to make the “diagnosis.” Make it make sense 🙃

Rant over- back to lip ties! Everyone has a frenulum underneath their top lip. You want that frenulum to be flexible when latching. When assessing, the top lip should be able to lift over the nostrils without blanching occurring. If the skin on the sides of the frenulum or the frenulum itself is pulling so tightly that it turns white, that indicates tension. Sometimes the frenulum extends below the gum line and “notches” it. These are all indicators of a lip tie. Majority of the time, lip ties are accompanied by posterior tongue ties— ones that require trained eyes and hands to be able to feel and assess for.

I highly recommend infant chiropractic care to address tension before considering a tie release. I always assess function before looks as well. Even though this baby’s lip appears to be tied, her function is great. She’s able to remove milk from the breast efficiently and effectively, and there are no symptoms present that are hindering feedings. We are addressing tension and keeping an eye on how she continues to do, but I’m not recommending a release for her at this time.

Concerned about a lip tie? Reach out to an IBCLC trained in TOTs near you for the best assessment and to help guide you in next steps for you and your baby 🤱🏻

10/22/2024

So spOoOoKy 👻 anything else that you would add?!

10/14/2024

In complete disbelief and so grateful!! 🥹 The amount of y’all that showed up last week to donate breastmilk and other infant feeding necessities for those affected by hurricane Helene in western North Carolina is absolutely incredible. HUGE shoutout to my incredible client turned friend, .cascarella for driving everything there & the breastmilk was immediately given to moms and babies in need 👏❤️ Thank you thank you thank you for your generosity! You have all helped make a difference!

10/03/2024

The destruction in western NC has been weighing so heavy on my heart and I’ve decided to organize an infant feeding supply drop off with one of my amazing clients who is so graciously going to be bringing everything collected directly to those in need at the end of next week. Please share with anyone that you know who may be able to help 🫶

10/02/2024

I have the best clients ever 🥹💗 I truly believe that if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life. Helping mamas feed their babies is my calling, and I feel so grateful to be able to support them through their feeding journey and navigate motherhood.

09/17/2024

Did you know that it is standard for pump companies to send out 24 and 28mm fl**ges with their pumps? These are wayyyy too big for the majority of mamas, and we almost always need to size down. Wearing the correct size fl**ge is so important for effective and efficient milk removal! Even a millimeter can make a huge difference when it comes to comfort and pump output. I always like to share with my clients that 24mm is the standard size of a dairy cow udder, yet these pump companies are sending that and bigger with their pumps. How wild is that! 🐄 Need help sizing your fl**ge? An IBCLC should be able to help!

08/28/2024

Pregnant & breastfeeding mamas. Do yourself a favor and get a nursing pillow. It is by far the best in those early newborn days in helping to establish a deep latch. Majority of my clients who don’t have one are ordering one on Amazon while I’m still there after using mine that I bring. The boppy tends to slide down too much, causing mom to lean over to latch, and baby to not stay at breast height. Trust me on this one! You won’t regret it! 👏

Address

Maryville, TN
37174

Telephone

+18432769489

Website

https://fortheloveoflactation.com/

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