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Silvia Hazel feeds Sparrow Hazel, 8 months, with a bottle at Lactation Room in Mount Airy on Friday. Lactation Room supports parents prenatal and postpartum with education and techniques surrounding bottle or breastfeeding.
Sparrow Hazel, 8 months, sits with Lactation Room owner Sarah Early n Mount Airy on Friday. Lactation Room supports parents prenatal and postpartum with education and techniques surrounding bottle or breastfeeding.
Aela Hazel, 5, reaches to comfort her sister Sparrow Hazel, 8 months, next to their mother, Silvia Hazel, at Lactation Room in Mount Airy on Friday. Lactation Room supports parents prenatal and postpartum with education and techniques surrounding bottle or breastfeeding.
Aela Hazel, 5, watches as her mother, Silvia Hazel, feeds Sparrow Hazel, 8 months, with a bottle while Sparrow holds on to Sarah Early’s hand on Friday. Early owns Lactation Room, which supports parents prenatal and postpartum with education and techniques surrounding bottle or breastfeeding.
Aela Hazel, 5, left, embraces Sparrow Hazel, 8 months, in front of their mother, Silvia Hazel, at Lactation Room in Mount Airy on Friday. Lactation Room supports parents prenatal and postpartum with education and techniques surrounding bottle or breastfeeding.
Silvia Hazel feeds her daughter Sparrow, 8 months, while she holds on to Sarah Early's finger. Early owns Lactation Room, which supports parents prenatal and postpartum with education and techniques surrounding bottle or breastfeeding.
Silvia Hazel feeds Sparrow Hazel, 8 months, with a bottle at Lactation Room in Mount Airy on Friday. Lactation Room supports parents prenatal and postpartum with education and techniques surrounding bottle or breastfeeding.
Sparrow Hazel, 8 months, sits with Lactation Room owner Sarah Early n Mount Airy on Friday. Lactation Room supports parents prenatal and postpartum with education and techniques surrounding bottle or breastfeeding.
Aela Hazel, 5, reaches to comfort her sister Sparrow Hazel, 8 months, next to their mother, Silvia Hazel, at Lactation Room in Mount Airy on Friday. Lactation Room supports parents prenatal and postpartum with education and techniques surrounding bottle or breastfeeding.
Aela Hazel, 5, watches as her mother, Silvia Hazel, feeds Sparrow Hazel, 8 months, with a bottle while Sparrow holds on to Sarah Early’s hand on Friday. Early owns Lactation Room, which supports parents prenatal and postpartum with education and techniques surrounding bottle or breastfeeding.
Aela Hazel, 5, left, embraces Sparrow Hazel, 8 months, in front of their mother, Silvia Hazel, at Lactation Room in Mount Airy on Friday. Lactation Room supports parents prenatal and postpartum with education and techniques surrounding bottle or breastfeeding.
Silvia Hazel feeds her daughter Sparrow, 8 months, while she holds on to Sarah Early's finger. Early owns Lactation Room, which supports parents prenatal and postpartum with education and techniques surrounding bottle or breastfeeding.
After a few moments of nursing, 8-month-old Sparrow Hazel pulled away from her mother's breast and gazed around the room.
Sarah Early, a nurse and international board certified lactation consultant, observed the baby closely. Early got up from her seat and retrieved a nipple shield for Sparrow's mother, Silvia Hazel.
With the shield in place, Silvia positioned her daughter to nurse again. Sparrow latched on, and her mother smiled.
"She's doing way better," Silvia said to Early. "I'm really glad you suggested this."
Early opened Lactation Room in Mount Airy in July. It is her third location, in addition to one in Rockville and one in Herndon, Virginia.
Early has been a nurse for more than 12 years and a board certified lactation consultant for 11 years. The certification requires 500 clinical hours.
Lactation Room was born in 2014 from a need Early saw while working around babies and their parents.
"I realized that so many people left the hospital unsure of what to do next," she said in an interview Friday at her Mount Airy location.
Early wanted to help them.
Through Lactation Room, international board certified lactation consultants help parents meet their goals — breastfeeding, bottle feeding or a combination of both.
Lactation Room also provides prenatal services, such as physical assessments to see if an anatomical reason hinders a person's ability to produce milk. It rents out hospital-grade pumps, too.
Lactation Room accepts most major insurance plans, and can take Medicaid once Early finishes her studies to become a family nurse practitioner.
Early wants clients to know Lactation Room is a safe, inclusive space, free of judgment.
"My goal is just to make people super comfortable," Early said.
It sees 70 to 90 clients a month in Mount Airy. Early opened there because she had clients traveling a long distance to Rockville and Herndon.
There are many reasons that clients come to Lactation Room, according to Early. Perhaps a parent is struggling to produce milk, has a colicky child or needs advice on weaning. Every client is different.
"It's a big puzzle," Early said.
And really, there are at least two people Early has to think about during appointments.
On Friday morning, Early's goals were to help Silvia with milk production and help Sparrow get back to breastfeeding.
Sparrow cooed and slapped her hands on the carpet as her big sister Aela, 5, brought her soft toys. The grown-ups, meanwhile, talked about Silvia's hydration, iron levels, when Sparrow eats and more. Early suggested adding alfalfa to Silvia's diet and offered recommendations on nipple shields.
"She's doing good though. You are, too," Early said reassuringly to Silvia.
Silvia is a client, but also a mentor to Early. Silvia is a nurse practitioner.
When she worked in a neonatal intensive care unit, Silvia saw how difficult breastfeeding can be. She knew she wanted to see a lactation consultant for her children.
On Friday, Silvia and Early chatted in a private room with a view of Main Street. Lactation Room's Mount Airy office is characterized by soothing gray tones, woven baskets, green plants and decor that looks straight out of HomeGoods.
Early donned gloves to feel around Sparrow's mouth.
"Will you let me look in your mouth?" Early said in a gentle voice, wiggling her fingers.
Sparrow obliged, and even smiled for a moment before her face turned grumpy. Early checked for scar tissue buildup and watched her tongue movement. Sparrow had a tongue and lip tie release several months ago.
Tongue and lip ties are conditions that can limit the use of the tongue or movement of the lips, and can affect feeding. Tongue and lip ties can be released with a surgical procedure called a frenectomy.
Early said Lactation Room has become known for providing oral exams and collaborating with providers that provide frenectomies.
Staff members know their limits, Early said, and are happy to recommend providers outside Lactation Room, such as chiropractors.
Early's daughter Mackenzie, who turns 28 Saturday, helps manage the office.
"I love learning from her," she said. "I look up to my mom so much."
The Hazel family lingered in the lobby after their appointment. Faith Montalvo and her 2-year-old daughter Evie exited from another private room.
Montalvo said she struggled with breastfeeding when Evie was younger, so she came to Lactation Room in Rockville.
"I learned how to breastfeed my child. It was super helpful," she said.
Evie played with Sparrow as her mother spoke with a reporter. Evie seemed enamored with the baby. Early smiled as she gazed upon them.
"This is my happy place," Early said.
Follow Mary Grace Keller on Twitter: @MaryGraceKeller
1 Park Avenue, Suite 1B, Mount Airy
Book an appointment online by visiting https://lactationroom.com/book-now or call 301-529-5433.
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