Meet Mary Miller, MA, IBCLC, CPD, CBC, CLC, MPH
Mary lives in the Elmwood Village neighborhood of Buffalo, NY with her two small children, a two middle-aged parrots and a cat who loves being worn in a sling. In the good weather she can be found exploring the forest with her children, running amok at music festivals, and camping whenever time allows. She's also an excellent gluten free, nut free, seed free vegetarian cook.
The early part of Mary's adulthood was spent focusing on both human and non-human welfare issues, and as an activist and documentary filmmaker. She currently sits on the Board of Directors for a 501(c)3 organization in Colorado called Rooster Sanctuary, a safe long-term home for abused and abandoned animals which predominately focuses on rooster (specifically cock-fighter) rescue, but which homes other farmed animals as well, and dabbles in nonprofit grant writing.
The early part of Mary's adulthood was spent focusing on both human and non-human welfare issues, and as an activist and documentary filmmaker. She currently sits on the Board of Directors for a 501(c)3 organization in Colorado called Rooster Sanctuary, a safe long-term home for abused and abandoned animals which predominately focuses on rooster (specifically cock-fighter) rescue, but which homes other farmed animals as well, and dabbles in nonprofit grant writing.
Special experience, training, & education
Mary has been fortunate enough to amass a myriad of experience early on into her career. In addition to her personal experience in breastfeeding after a breast reduction (BFAR), achieving re-lactation (to a full supply), witnessing multiple frenotomy procedures in her children (both of whom were tongue-tied), bringing a baby who is no longer breastfeeding back to the breast after a prolonged period, and eventually tandem nursing both her children through the preschool years (and beyond), Mary has been able to fit in some more professional training and education.
In December 2014, Mary had the extreme pleasure of shadowing Dr. Jack Newman, pediatrician and IBCLC, of the International Breastfeeding Centre in Toronto, Canada. It was an amazing learning experience and an honor to be able to watch one of the best in the field work at his trade and spend a day learning from Dr. Newman and his fleet of lactation consultants.
In early 2015, Mary cofounded Village, a cooperative group of businesses with a common goal: Supporting growing families both physically and emotionally, and inspiring a fresh sense of community in a hectic and an increasingly isolated world. Services offered include doula services, prenatal and postpartum massage, postpartum emotional support, and more! Due to the demand of Mary's lactation clients, we outgrew the original Village location and the Breastfeeding Support Center of WNY was born. Around this time, Mary also began teaching the breastfeeding education portion for the Buffalo Doula Collective's birth and postpartum doula training curriculum.
In the Springs of 2017 and 2018 Mary attended multiple specialized lectures on Tethered Oral Tissues from world renowned expert on ties, Dr. Larry Kotlow, and other industry leaders. Content included an update on current evidence within multiple fields (dental, lactation, chiropractic, craniosacral, otolaryngology and orthodontic) and extensive education on tongue function, such assessment and diagnostic information about ties of the lip and tongue.
Mary's Master’s Thesis is focused upon the tongue-tied baby and the related health impacts of restricted oral tissues. Studies included three semesters of instruction and clinical supervision of world renowned lactation and craniosacral therapy expert Dr. Alison Hazelbaker.
In the Summer of 2018, Mary attended the inaugural conference for the International Consortium of Oral Ankylofrenula Professionals (ICAP) conference in Toronto, Ontario. Education provided there included three days of intensive programming, covering a wide variety of modalities including Speech and Language Pathology, Craniosacral Therapy and bodywork, Orthodontics, Dentistry, Linguadontics and of course, Lactation Consultation.
In December 2018, Mary successfully completed her Master's degree in Health and Wellness with a specialization in Maternal Health and Lactation and completed her Thesis entitled: The Truth about TOTs: Unpacking the controversies of diagnostics, treatment and impact of tethered oral tissues. As of Jan 1, 2019 she is a credentialed International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, having scored 90% correct on the certifying exam created by the International Board of Lactation Examiners.
Wherever you are within the parenting time frame- from the decision to bring a child into your family all the way through the extreme postpartum period (usually ending with preschool age, when the family naturally transitions to a different season of life), Mary can either provide you with direct, individualized support or refer you to the best and best and brightest local professionals for the job. Mary is happy to support biological mothers and fathers, adoptive mothers and fathers, LBGTQ+ as single parents (we also have a special single parents support group!) through natural birth, surgical birth, birth with or without medication, hospital birth, home birth... and the list goes on. You deserve individualized, evidence-based, sensitive care for you and your growing family.
In December 2014, Mary had the extreme pleasure of shadowing Dr. Jack Newman, pediatrician and IBCLC, of the International Breastfeeding Centre in Toronto, Canada. It was an amazing learning experience and an honor to be able to watch one of the best in the field work at his trade and spend a day learning from Dr. Newman and his fleet of lactation consultants.
In early 2015, Mary cofounded Village, a cooperative group of businesses with a common goal: Supporting growing families both physically and emotionally, and inspiring a fresh sense of community in a hectic and an increasingly isolated world. Services offered include doula services, prenatal and postpartum massage, postpartum emotional support, and more! Due to the demand of Mary's lactation clients, we outgrew the original Village location and the Breastfeeding Support Center of WNY was born. Around this time, Mary also began teaching the breastfeeding education portion for the Buffalo Doula Collective's birth and postpartum doula training curriculum.
In the Springs of 2017 and 2018 Mary attended multiple specialized lectures on Tethered Oral Tissues from world renowned expert on ties, Dr. Larry Kotlow, and other industry leaders. Content included an update on current evidence within multiple fields (dental, lactation, chiropractic, craniosacral, otolaryngology and orthodontic) and extensive education on tongue function, such assessment and diagnostic information about ties of the lip and tongue.
Mary's Master’s Thesis is focused upon the tongue-tied baby and the related health impacts of restricted oral tissues. Studies included three semesters of instruction and clinical supervision of world renowned lactation and craniosacral therapy expert Dr. Alison Hazelbaker.
In the Summer of 2018, Mary attended the inaugural conference for the International Consortium of Oral Ankylofrenula Professionals (ICAP) conference in Toronto, Ontario. Education provided there included three days of intensive programming, covering a wide variety of modalities including Speech and Language Pathology, Craniosacral Therapy and bodywork, Orthodontics, Dentistry, Linguadontics and of course, Lactation Consultation.
In December 2018, Mary successfully completed her Master's degree in Health and Wellness with a specialization in Maternal Health and Lactation and completed her Thesis entitled: The Truth about TOTs: Unpacking the controversies of diagnostics, treatment and impact of tethered oral tissues. As of Jan 1, 2019 she is a credentialed International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, having scored 90% correct on the certifying exam created by the International Board of Lactation Examiners.
Wherever you are within the parenting time frame- from the decision to bring a child into your family all the way through the extreme postpartum period (usually ending with preschool age, when the family naturally transitions to a different season of life), Mary can either provide you with direct, individualized support or refer you to the best and best and brightest local professionals for the job. Mary is happy to support biological mothers and fathers, adoptive mothers and fathers, LBGTQ+ as single parents (we also have a special single parents support group!) through natural birth, surgical birth, birth with or without medication, hospital birth, home birth... and the list goes on. You deserve individualized, evidence-based, sensitive care for you and your growing family.
With Dr. Larry Kotlow in 2018.
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With Dr. Jack Newman in 2014.
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With Dr. Alison Hazelbaker in 2018.
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