Learn the critical steps for a pain-free latch
Hello!
I’m Dr. Erin.
I am an expert in family feeding and fourth trimester care, and the creator of Latching Logic™.
Hello!
I’m Dr. Erin.
I am an expert in family feeding and fourth trimester care, and the creator of Latching Logic™.
Where it all began...
I was born in Winnipeg and grew up in rural Newfoundland. I spent my teenage years in beautiful Halifax, where I attended Dalhousie University.
I discovered my passion for breastfeeding medicine after enrolling in specialized courses in breastfeeding support while completing my Bachelor of Science in Nursing.After graduating nursing magna cum laude and being awarded the University Medal for highest scholastic achievement in 2001, I began my medical doctorate degree (MD) at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. I completed my residency in family medicine in 2009 and worked in hospital medicine for 3 years.
In 2012, I began my breastfeeding medicine training, eventually co-founding the Nurture Family Feeding Clinic, and in 2014 I became an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC).
In 2018, I became one of only a few hundred MDs in the world with a Fellowship in the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (FABM).
Over the years I have attended many conferences with days-long training just in tongue anatomy and tongue tie effects. I have released thousands of tongue and lip ties in my clinic with profound effect on the moms and babies who have needed the procedures.
While I’m proud of my education, training and experience, I believe that some of my most valuable lessons have been firsthand.
Learning the hard way…
I am a happily married mother of three beautiful boys (and a fur baby!). My first son was born during my residency. As a trained family doctor, I felt passionate about preventive medicine and the power of breastmilk and breastfeeding. Armed with this knowledge, I was determined to be the perfect breastfeeding mother. I envisioned idyllic feeding sessions, a steady milk supply, and easy latching.
You can probably guess that my breastfeeding journey wasn’t exactly a walk in the park. To my dismay, it was more like stumbling down a slippery slope.
Did I get that effortless latching that I’d imagined? The predictable feeding schedule? The blissful bonding time?
Nope. Not even close.
My first son was diagnosed as “failure to thrive” (those words STILL make me shudder) at 8 weeks, and I had to supplement with formula. With my second son, I supplemented right away because I perceived from my first traumatic feeding experience that my body had ‘failed’ at making breastmilk.
Luckily with my third son, I had trained in breastfeeding medicine and learned SO much more about the physiology of milk supply, and realized how poorly I had been supported and educated with my first two. With the right support from some amazing breastfeeding doctors, we were able to overcome posterior tongue tie early on and he went on to breastfeed until he was almost 3 years old. It was a healing and beautiful journey for me.
When I struggled with breastfeeding my own children, I felt like a failure… and I felt as though I were alone in my struggle.
I was shocked and deeply affected by how little knowledge and support I received during this very vulnerable time in my life. As a new parent, even one with medical training, I felt isolated, confused, and pulled in a million different directions by practitioners who seemed to be just as unsure as I was (and they weren’t even getting up four times a night!).
I knew that new families deserved more support and better results.
That’s why I’ve dedicated my medical career to becoming an expert in all things infant feeding and fourth trimester care. While I strongly believe in the need for tongue and lip tie releases in most cases where they truly exist, I support nuanced, head-to-toe maternal and infant assessments and promote non-invasive, non-surgical interventions wherever possible. My passion for helping new families navigate the confusing, overwhelming, frustrating, sometimes scary, and often tumultuous changes that come from bringing a new little person into the world was born from my own personal struggle.
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My approach is based around two key beliefs:
Fed is first.
Your baby’s nourishment is the #1 goal, whether you choose breast/chest feeding or bottle feeding, breast milk or formula
— there are no judgments or expectations here!
Mental health is massive.
Birth trauma, postpartum depression and anxiety, stress, overwhelm, sleep deprivation… new parents don’t have it easy when it comes to mental health. Addressing your needs during this time is vitally important, not only to your health but to your child’s health.
My first and biggest goals, in both my clinical practice and in my signature Latching Logic™ online program, are to support you in feeding your baby and in maintaining your mental health. I am here to help you be as informed, supported, and empowered as possible as you navigate the transitions into new parenthood and bond with your favourite tiny human — no matter what your personal feeding journey looks like.
Because you and your family deserve it.
Dr. Erin Appleton
MD, CCFP, IBCLC, FABM
My approach is based around two key beliefs:
01
Fed is first.
Your baby’s nourishment is the #1 goal, whether you choose breast/chest feeding or bottle feeding, breast milk or formula
— there are no judgments or expectations here!
02
Mental health is massive.
Birth trauma, postpartum depression and anxiety, stress, overwhelm, sleep deprivation… new parents don’t have it easy when it comes to mental health. Addressing your needs during this time is vitally important, not only to your health but to your child’s health.
My first and biggest goals, in both my clinical practice and in my signature Latching Logic™ online program, are to support you in feeding your baby and in maintaining your mental health. I am here to help you be as informed, supported, and empowered as possible as you navigate the transitions into new parenthood and bond with your favourite tiny human — no matter what your personal feeding journey looks like.
Because you and your family deserve it.
Dr. Erin Appleton
MD, CCFP, IBCLC, FABM
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