Hello!
My name is Leah Wilkocki, and I am so glad that you found Leading the Latch.
I am a registered nurse with over 12 years of experience in labor and delivery, critical care, and lactation. I am certified in inpatient obstetrics and I am a board certified lactation consultant.
I live on the North Shore of Massachusetts with my husband and three children.
What is personalized lactation care?
Breastfeeding, while considered "natural", does not always come naturally. The more information and resources parents have, the more successful your breastfeeding can be.
Leading the Latch provides support to families and babies learning how to breastfeed.
I provide 1-to-1 lactation services in the privacy and comfort of your home.
Leading the Latch utilizes a Tanita BD-815U high end scale that provides incredible sensitivity for the smallest of patients. It was specifically designed to weigh premature infants and babies that are having difficulty gaining weight, featuring a measurement accuracy of 0.1oz/2g. This is especially helpful for obtaining weight gain calculation for pre and post feeding also known as a test weight. A test weight will tell you exactly what your baby takes in at the breast. Not all scales are created equal!
Testimonials
"Leah came to our home at our convenience with little notice and helped us develop a plan that worked for the whole family. Our baby went from slowed weight gain to accelerated catch up growth - the evidence speaks for itself!"
"I would highly recommend Leah's consulting services. She has a calming presence and she is direct and clear with her communication. She made me feel at ease and reassured me that I was doing a good job at a time when I felt like I was failing. I also appreciate that Leah was available for follow up questions after our in home meeting via texts and FaceTime."
I heard about Leah’s business through a friend. She came highly recommended. I received little lactation guidance while I was in the hospital and when I got home I quickly developed a lot of soreness and discomfort with breastfeeding. It was wonderful to have a lactation consultant come to the house. I wasn’t ready to venture out yet and being able to learn from the comfort from my own home was really helpful. Leah answered all my questions and had very helpful techniques for successful breastfeeding and pumping. Since her visit, breast feeding is a lot more comfortable and productive . I highly recommend Leah and her business Leading the Latch.
Leah came for a home visit the day after we returned from the hospital. Since our daughter was 3 weeks early, our baby was having difficulty latching. I benefitted from both Leah’s knowledge expertise and supportive, caring approach. In Leah’s first visit, she explained why our baby was experiencing challenges and provided a plan for us to use moving forward. She continued to check in through out the next week and provided ample resources for us to use. I felt supported throughout the whole process, which was critical for me as a first time mom. I would highly recommend Leah’s services to anyone seeking breastfeeding support. My breastfeeding relationship with my daughter has benefited greatly with Leah’s assistance, and she clearly cares about her clients and is passionate about the field.
If I could give more than 5 stars, I would! Leah’s heart is made of gold. My breastfeeding journey stretched me to my limit . Over the course of my maternity leave, I was in an out of triple feeding, struggled with adequate weight gain, a bottle refusal that lasted months and low milk supply. Leah was there every step of the way. Her compassionate, dynamic approach to caring for us was what got me through. When we first met, I was a modest mom to be. Under Leah’s guidance, I was able to bloom into a confident breastfeeding mom. She gave me power, knowledge and strength when I needed it most. She answered my hundreds of questions with patience and was always honest with me. I had a lot of determination to be successful but I give Leah so much of the credit for getting me there! I could not have done it without her and for that gift, I will be forever grateful. Wherever you are in your breastfeeding journey, I highly recommend Leah.
Leah is absolutely amazing! She made me feel supported on my breast feeding journey without laying down any hard and fast rules. Leah works with you to make sure you are successful with your individual baby. The first time I saw Leah I was in pain, a few days in and she showed up with the warmest energy and guidance. She also miraculously cured a bottle aversion by taking the time to examine why our baby was rejecting the bottle. I can’t recommend her enough!
Leah is a valuable resource in the lactation world and I am SO happy I was able to meet with her. Leah came to my home a few days after I returned from the hospital with my second daughter. We had a rough start with breastfeeding after she was born and I wanted some confidence and reassurance that we were on our way to a successful latch and breastfeeding experience. Leah was able to answer my questions, confirm that my daughter and I were on the right track and encouraged me to be intuitive when it comes to feeding. She gave great tips and is so knowledgeable and up to date on breastfeeding medicine protocol. She is fabulous and I would highly recommend her services!
Leah is amazing! I am so grateful to her for everything she has done for me and my baby. I have worked with her since I gave birth at the hospital and I have had a difficult breastfeeding journey. Leah has been thru all of it be it exclusively pumping in the beginning to having my baby finally latch after a month to exclusively breastfeeding and then having to deal with bottle rejection. She is always messaging and checking up on me how I am doing and how is the baby doing. She has given me tips and tricks about pumping at work to keep my supply up. I really can't thank Leah enough for everything she has done. She really is the best!!!