After the birth of my first daughter in 2011, I became passionate about breastfeeding and its advocacy. I had no idea how hard and isolating it would be and desperately wanted help and advice. We moved back to the Capital Region and I found La Leche League! This community of supportive, non-judgmental nursing families inspired me and I became an accredited Leader in 2017. Since then, I’ve been fervently learning about breastfeeding and human lactation. I earned the title of IBCLC in December 2022. I live in Averill Park, NY with my husband, two daughters, our two rescue cats, and a handful of chickens. I love gardening, cooking, cycling, running, pole vaulting, learning new things, and empowering families to overcome challenges and achieve their goals.
Bachelor of Science, Biomedical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (2004)
Master of Arts in Teachering, SUNY Cortland (2006)
IBCLC (2022)
ILCA, NYLCA, NLCA
English
In-home and virtual lactation care for families in the Capital Region of NY (and anywhere virtually!) Support for latch, positioning, milk supply, pumping, inducing lactation/relactation, breastfeeding twins/multiples, breastfeeding your pre-term baby, mastitis, plugged ducts, engorgement, nipple pain, co-nursing, and more!
Cara is absolutely amazing! She was so helpful during her home visit and made both my husband and I feel so comfortable to ask any and all questions. She had great information and made me feel so much more confident as a first time mom on this breast feeding journey. There is so much unknown in this process and she has been a great resource. The process of working with her was also very easy, to book, follow up and complete/review all pre-appointment information as well as all of the leave behinds she provided as resources. I would 10/10 recommend Cara to anyone looking for lactation support!
- Abby Nero
I called cara out of desperation and ready to quit. She was so amazing. I had been trying for weeks to get my daughter to nurse, cara got her nursing within 3 seconds. Iv had no problems ever since. You can tell she genuinely cares about helping breastfeeding moms and babies. Her attention to detail, and the little things she does really shows she cares. She filled out the reimbursement form for me, addressed it, and even stamped it. So all I had to do was sign it and stick it in the mailbox. I will forever be greatful that iv been able to have a breastfeeding journey bc of cara. I will always recommend her to anybody. My baby had a checkup today and I even told my pediatrician about heirloom lactation and how amazing they are.
- Kyrstin Rappazzo
Cara was absolutely fantastic. I’ve been really struggling and stressed out, and had a very emergent issue. She came to see me the day after I reached out. She really took the time to answer all of my questions and made suggestions to help my second ebf journey successful. Seeing her really boosted my confidence, and I really hope to see positive changes in the coming weeks! Thanks Cara again for all your help:)
- Elizabeth Laurange
So incredibly helpful! Shared realistic steps, ideas, and advice. Made me feel a lot more comfortable and confident in breast feeding.
- Ashley Burghardt
I reached out to Cara for postpartum lactation support and was so impressed by her quick response. She was extremely helpful and kind and put us on the right track for breastfeeding and pumping with a home visit. When I ran into issues after our visit, she was quick to respond and provide additional support. Highly recommend working with Cara!
- Helen Root
Cara was exactly what we were looking for. From the moment I reached out, she was a pleasure to work with. She provided resources throughout the entire process and was really encouraging. Every breastfeeding parent should get care and instruction like this.
- Nicole Badalato
Cara was the best support I could have asked for on my breastfeeding journey. She answered every single question with patience and care, made me feel completely comfortable, and tailored everything to both my needs and my baby’s specific needs. Her reassurance that my baby was getting enough gave me such peace of mind. I can’t recommend her highly enough!
- Kendra Richards
I had a great experience with Cara! She helped build my confidence in feeding my daughter. I greatly appreciated all of the information she shared in our meeting and the resources she provided during and after to refer to. Having her come to the house and work together in a comfortable space for me and my daughter was such a great opportunity. I highly recommend!
- Kayla Quenelle
Cara is an exceptional lactation consultant. She has a very strong knowledge base and is up to date on the most current recommendations and evidence which made me feel confident in the guidance she provided. After our visits, she sent clear and helpful summaries, checked in frequently, and was always responsive when questions came up. She also made the insurance reimbursement process incredibly easy, which was such a relief during an already overwhelming time. I felt fully supported every step of the way and can’t recommend Cara highly enough as she truly set me up for success on my breastfeeding journey.
- Christina Spaulding
I worked with Cara for an at home postpartum lactation consultation. She was very easy to communicate with leading up to the appointment. She was able to give me various strategies for both breast feeding and pumping to make the process easier and more relaxing. She is very knowledgeable! She provided me with a folder of resources for feeding as well as a thorough write up via email to reiterate all of the things we spoke about during our appointment. I highly recommend Cara for any lactation needs!
- Meaghen Duker
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