Building the Village: Infant Feeding and Lactation Support with Abby B SLP
At Aspen Grove Counseling & Wellness, we know that early parenthood can feel both beautiful and overwhelming, especially when you’re navigating it without a trusted support network. That’s why we created our Building the Village blog series to highlight local professionals, organizations, and small businesses offering thoughtful support to new and expecting parents throughout the Atlanta area.
Each post introduces readers to the people behind these services: what they do, why they do it, and how they’re helping families feel more connected, supported, and less alone during the transition into parenthood.
Families searching for additional resources can explore our guide to postpartum care and support in Atlanta.
This week, we’re honored to introduce you to Abby of AbbyBSLP, a Speech Language Pathologist, Board Certified Lactation Consultant, and Infant Feeding Specialist. Abby supports families through some of the most tender and often stressful parts of early parenthood: feeding, lactation, pumping, bottle feeding, tongue ties, NICU transitions, and the many questions that can come with nourishing a new baby.
With experience as both a clinician and a mother, Abby brings a deeply compassionate, trauma-informed lens to her work. Her approach helps parents feel more resourced, more confident, and more connected to their babies as they navigate feeding in whatever way best supports their family.
Getting to Know Abby B SLP
Welcome, Abby, and thank you for sharing your story with us! Can you start by telling us a little about yourself and the work you do?
“I am a Speech Language Pathologist, Board Certified Lactation Consultant, and Infant Feeding Specialist. I am also a mom of 2 kids, with 2 very unique feeding journeys - they taught me more about breastfeeding than any book or course.
I am Tethered Oral Tissues Certified and Beckman Oral Motor Trained. I have worked in a children's hospital, several NICUs and special care nurseries as both an SLP and IBCLC and I am an ex-NICU mom myself.
My favorite thing now is to bring all of this perspective to moms with a prenatal session, helping them avoid many common feeding struggles. And then for the moms that are in the thick of it struggling, I help them sort out feeding issues with a holistic team approach including bodywork and oral motor training. If that doesn't work, I help them assess their feeding/pumping goals and go through the tongue tie release process if needed. I love helping parents connect with their babies through bottle and breastfeeding, optimize their pumping schedules, and start solids and eventually wean their babies from breast or bottle.
I love the work that I do and building relationships with the moms I work with, helping become part of their village and connect them to other providers and resources that might help them transition to motherhood more smoothly. A well resourced mom helps regulate a calm, well nourished baby.”
Do you offer in-person, virtual, or hybrid services?
“I mostly offer home visits, but also use office or telehealth visits as necessary. I love being able to work in the comfort of peoples' homes, especially when they are freshly postpartum and it is hard to leave the house. I feel lucky to be able to take insurance and keep my caseload concierge-level, so I can provide email and texting follow up to my patients and really help feel like a knowledgeable friend in your village, rather than a cold medical professional in an office.”
What inspired you to start working with new and soon-to-be parents?
“I have always been interested in infant feeding since my first internship as an SLP/feeding therapist in aa Level 4 NICU in graduate school. Having my son really showed me a different lense and inspired me to educate myself even more on lactation, prematurity, oral function, tongue ties, and pumping. I wanted to become the type of trauma informed, nurturing, postpartum mental health advocate I needed while also bringing my expertise in infant feeding and lactation.”
“No matter how you feed your baby, this is just the first chapter in a very long story with you nurturing your child.”
What are some of the common challenges your clients face in early parenthood, and how do you support them through that?
“I think new parents are facing so much. They are learning how to partner with each other in a new way, all after the intensity of a first birthing experience and desire to learn how to feed their new baby. They are sleep deprived, and women are learning to be kind to themselves and trust their body in a way they likely never have needed to before. I really try to meet them where they are at and take care of them. Mother the mother, and arm them with information to help them meet their feeding goals, whatever those may be.”
What makes your approach unique or different from others in your field?
“I think I am holistic and understand the feeding struggles people face from a developmental SLP angle, lactation angle, and from a personal motherhood level. I really care about your whole experience through matrecense, not just about feeding. Although, I think your feeding journey is how you are communicating and co-regulating with your baby so it naturally does have a big impact on how people are feeling postpartum many times.”
Are there particular moments in your work that feel especially meaningful or rewarding?
“My most rewarding moments are getting premature babies to effectively latch and transfer milk enough to wean off bottle supplementation. It usually happens sometime between weeks 40-42, so 1-2 weeks adjusted. Every preemie dyad I can help give the gift of breastfeeding makes me so happy. They need that sensory and coregulating experience so much, and it is so hard for mom and baby to get there with so may odds stacked against them in the early weeks. But these moms are so determined and I just love to see their perseverance pay off.”
Can you share one thing you wish all new parents knew or believed about themselves?
“I wish all parents knew they are the best parents for their child, no matter how hard this transition is for you, what matters is connecting with your new little soul. No matter how you feed your baby, this is just the first chapter in a very long story with you nurturing your child.”
What’s something you wish more people understood or asked about your work?
“I wish people understood why early support matters so much. Most women could have full milk supply if they had 1 lactation visit prenatally, and 2 visits within the first 2 weeks.”
How can someone know if your service might be a good fit for them?
“If you want to learn more about breastfeeding, bottle feeding, immediate weaning, or are dealing with challenges such as a NICU stay, tongue ties, bottle refusal, "colic," or want to learn about starting solids, baby led weaning, how to wean bottles/breastfeeding. Basically any infant feeding concerns from 0-12 months.”
We’re so grateful to Abby for sharing a window into her work and for the care she offers to families navigating infant feeding, lactation, and the early months of parenthood. Feeding can be one of the most emotional parts of the postpartum experience, and having knowledgeable, compassionate support can make a meaningful difference.
Abby’s work is a reminder that feeding is not just about ounces, latch, bottles, or supply. It is also about connection, confidence, and helping parents feel supported as they get to know their baby. Whether a family is preparing prenatally, navigating NICU transitions, working through feeding challenges, or simply wanting guidance, this kind of care is an important part of the village.
You can learn more about Abby’s services at http://abbybslp.com, or follow Abby at @abbybslp.
This feature is part of our Building the Village series, highlighting the people and services helping parents build a stronger support network.
About the Author - Aspen Grove Counseling and Wellness
Aspen Grove Counseling & Wellness is a Decatur-based therapy practice supporting individuals and couples across Georgia. We offer warm, steady, emotionally attuned care through all stages of parenting — from pregnancy and postpartum to the ongoing changes of family life.
Our specialties include pregnancy/postpartum therapy, couples counseling for parents, and The Intentional Babymoon — a private, retreat-style intensive designed to help partners reconnect, communicate, and prepare for life after baby.
Whether you’re navigating new parenthood, shifting identities, or the long-term work of caring for others while staying connected to yourself, you deserve support that honors the full complexity of your experience. We’re here to walk alongside you.