What does it look like? How is it done? How can the community come together and normalize breastfeeding?
Education, awareness, support, and empowerment—to name a few. These components are essential to Anne Lussier’s mission as a Lactation Consultant and owner of Nursing From The Heart, a lactation consultant practice located at The Burson Center in Carrollton. As she explains it, “support is not a one size fits all concept”.
Specializing in breastfeeding education, clinical management, private home visits, lactation care, and other support services, Nursing From The Heart aims to help both stay-at-home and working mothers.
After spending 10 years providing care to mothers, infants, and pediatrics in a hospital setting, Anne became a lactation consultant. While assisting mothers with breastfeeding as a postpartum nurse, she was approached by the lactation manager and offered an opportunity to join her team.
“It was definitely an honor to be asked,” said Lussier. “She saw that I had the passion for it.”
Soon after, she was certified by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBLCE) in 2009. Soon after, she noticed a pattern of mothers needing help from home, a service that hospitals did not provide. This need would prove to be the catalyst in starting her practice— how to support mothers at home and how to help them succeed with their breastfeeding goals. After applying to the state for licensing in December 2015, she started her business, before moving to The Burson Center in January 2016.
“My focus is to raise breastfeeding awareness in west Georgia and provide support for women—moms back to work and at home—to achieve their breastfeeding goals,” explained Lussier. “The other part of my business is being able to provide businesses with an opportunity to have a lactation support program.”
Most recently, Nursing From The Heart celebrated their official opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony at The Burson Center on July 26 followed by a proclamation signing ceremony with Carrollton mayor, Walt Hollingsworth. The ceremony, which took place at City Hall, declared the month of August as Breastfeeding Awareness Month.
On August 5, Nursing From The Heart in partnership with the West Georgia Breastfeeding Task Force will be hosting The Global BIG Latch On. It is held every August, during World Breastfeeding Week, which is officially celebrated the first week of August. The Global BIG Latch On aims to protect, promote, support breastfeeding families, and identify opportunities to provide ongoing breastfeeding support, resources and promotion in local communities.
“Breastfeeding support is not just with the parents. It’s about being able to educate everybody— from extended family and friends to the community about being able to go out and breastfeed,” said Lussier.
There will be local vendors from around the area, entertainment, family activities, and giveaways that support breastfeeding awareness. The Global BIG Latch On will take place at The AMP located at 119 Bradley Street from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
