Maria comes from Spain, where she worked as a Dietitian and taught at the Degree of Human Nutrition and Dietetics as an Associated Lecturer. She moved to Canada where she became a new parent, and her own struggles in breastfeeding made her expand her nutritional career and switch paths to the Lactation field, graduating in Lactation Medicine and became an IBCLC- International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. Finding the right support helped her breastfeed her daughter for over 3 years. She loves the positive impact that lactation support can have in families' lives, providing the best evidence based guidance with a strong focus on the family's individual feeding goals. She can help you with feeding assistance, even if you choose other ways to feed or supplement your infant. Maria has a special interest in Mental Health and she has specialized in Perinatal Mental Health & Lactation.  She is also specializing and supporting the oral habilitation in the breastfeeding dyad in overcoming oral dysfunction. Thanks to her Nutrition and Dietetics professional background, María also helps families to transition to solid foods while breastfeeding or supplementing. She offers a virtual Solid Foods class providing Baby Led Feeding education, which guides families on how to enjoy this new stage letting their babies feed by themselves offering real and quality foods, either by single picked foods or spoon feeding. Maria feels very lucky to join our team, you will find her at our center and also providing home support if you need a home visit, always working around your needs. Common breastfeeding concerns:

• Learning when your baby is drinking from the breast.
• Breastfeeding premature babies, multiples, twins
• Nipple pain or breast pain, getting a pain free latch.
• Making your feeding sessions more efficient.
• Blocked ducts, blebs, mastitis.
• Slow weight gain.
• Baby fussing at the breast: pulling off, biting , arching or refusing to latch.
• Is your baby gassy? Colicky?
• Non-latching baby.
• Low milk supply or oversupply.
• Breastfeeding after breast augmentation or breast reduction.
• Supplementing, finding the right method that works best for you and your family.
• Relactation and induction of Lactation without pregnancy (same sex parents, surrogacy or adoption).
• Support with suspected Tethered Oral Tissues (Tongue Ties/ Lip Ties)
• Pumping support for families who choose to pump occasionally or exclusively- flange fitting and pumping management.
• Prenatal appointments.
• Gentle weaning.