Today we’d like to introduce you to Dawnalea Robinson.
Hi Dawnalea, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My journey into lactation support came from a very personal place. After the birth of my first child, I struggled with breastfeeding in ways I never expected. Even with my medical background, I found myself overwhelmed, exhausted, and searching for answers that felt compassionate and realistic. That experience opened my eyes — I realized how many mothers were quietly struggling the same way, and how deeply needed true, ongoing postpartum support was.
Before founding Lavender Lactation, my background was in emergency medicine, trauma, and pediatrics. Those experiences taught me how to stay calm under pressure and how powerful it is to make a difference during life’s most vulnerable moments. But it was my own postpartum journey that gave me a new kind of purpose — to walk alongside mothers in one of the most tender and transformative seasons of their lives.
In 2018, I started Lavender Lactation with that mission in mind — to provide evidence-based, heart-centered care for families navigating the early days of feeding and bonding. What began as a one-woman practice has now grown into a team of dedicated International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs) who share the same vision: to meet families where they are, empower them with knowledge, and remind them that they’re not alone.
Today, we serve families across Middle Tennessee through in-home, office, and virtual care, and we’re proud to mentor the next generation of IBCLCs through our training and internship programs.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Like most meaningful work, it hasn’t always been a smooth road — but every challenge has helped us grow stronger and serve families better. The biggest struggle has been navigating the ever-changing landscape of healthcare and insurance. In the early days, we weren’t able to accept insurance at all, which made access to lactation care difficult for many families. Now that we do, new challenges come with it — not all providers or insurance networks recognize how essential lactation care truly is.
Infant feeding is a vital sign — it’s foundational to a baby’s health and a mother’s well-being — yet it’s often overlooked or undervalued in traditional healthcare systems. That can be discouraging at times, but it also fuels our passion to keep advocating for change.
We’ve also faced the natural growing pains of a thriving practice: there are seasons when we’re fully booked and have to schedule families farther out than we’d like, or times when we can’t take as many home visits for newborns as we wish. Those moments remind us that the need is great — and that what we’re doing truly matters.
Even through the challenges, there’s been so much blessing in the journey. Each family we help, each mother who feels seen and supported, and each new consultant we train is a reminder that growth, even when messy, is a gift.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Lavender Lactation ?
At Lavender Lactation, we specialize in comprehensive lactation and infant feeding care — from the very first days after birth through the many transitions that follow. Our team of International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs) provides in-home, office, and virtual visits across Middle Tennessee, supporting families with everything from latch and milk supply issues to pumping, bottle feeding, oral restrictions, and return-to-work planning.
What truly sets us apart is the level of personalized, compassionate care we offer. Every family’s feeding journey is unique — there is no “one size fits all” approach. We take the time to listen, educate, and create individualized care plans that are realistic and empowering. Families often tell us they leave our visits not only feeling more confident but also more seen, heard, and cared for.
We’re also proud to be a teaching practice, mentoring the next generation of IBCLCs through clinical training. Supporting new consultants helps strengthen our field and ensures that more families will have access to quality lactation care for years to come.
Brand-wise, we’ve built Lavender Lactation to reflect exactly what our name evokes — calm, comfort, and care rooted in evidence-based practice. From the soft tones of our logo to the warmth of our interactions, everything about our brand is designed to help families feel supported and at peace during a deeply emotional and transformative season.
We want readers to know that lactation care is healthcare — infant feeding truly is a vital sign. We are here not only to help babies eat but to help families thrive, emotionally and physically. That’s the heart behind everything we do.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Lavenderlactation.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lavenderlactation
