Meet Samantha Vitabile | IBCLC & Owner of Honeysuckle Lactation Consultants

We had the good fortune of connecting with Samantha Vitabile and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Samantha, we’d love to hear more about your end-goal, professionally.
I don’t believe there is an end goal in my career. I have ongoing goals and work towards them, and when I hit a goal, I reflect on how I achieved it, what I’d like to do or experience next, and start working towards that. For example, my lactation business started as me wanting to supplement my income so I could help more families outside of a hospital environment and build independence in my profession. I am almost a year into the business at this point, and have achieved both of those. While I love working for the hospital I am employed at, I have been able to split my time across that any Honeysuckle Lactation.

While I have an array of goals for Honeysuckle, I would love to have a team of lactation consultants across area, state, and east coast to help more families and provide the support to new moms that they rightfully deserve.

What should our readers know about your business?
At Honeysuckle Lactation Consultants, we’re all about supporting and assisting new families in their breastfeeding goals. We get that it’s a mix of amazing moments and tough times, and we’re here to help through it all. Our goal is to make sure moms feel heard, supported, and ready to tackle anything breastfeeding throws their way. We’re here to cheer you on, giving you advice that fits just right for you and your baby. Our focus is to supply personalized care for each situation and a solution that is best for each mom and their baby.

We are so proud to have started this business because the gap in support between the hospital and the support a pediatrician can provide. While we love our doctor network and friends, most don’t know the current best practices and current data/studies because its not their specialty. This created a need for an independent lactation specialist that I wanted to provide to our community.

There were some hurdles to overcome in creating this business, but the ongoing challenge is awareness. Like any small business, we are always looking to get our name in front of people. We know that the service we provide is invaluable to new families, but making people aware that we are here to help is always a work in progress. We have had a great network of providers and clients helping us connect with new families, and we hope to continue reach more.

Additionally, we face the challenge of holding insurance companies accountable for what is required of them by law. Its often not known, but the American Cares Act (ACA) requires insurance companies to pay for 6 visits with a lactation specialist to assist breastfeeding mothers succeed in feeding their children. Unfortunately, like most healthcare in the US, insurance companies make it difficult to get services covered or reimbursed, and that is often a deterrent from moms attempting to receive help. Luckily our partnership with The Lactation Network (TLN) helps mitigate this and gets lactation services covered at no cost to them. Families can learn more about TLN on our website.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Theres a lot of great options to enjoy in the Raleigh area! Some of our favorite places to visit include Jordan Lake, Duke Gardens, the Durham Bulls baseball stadium for a game, PNC Arena for a Hurricanes game, Occoneechee Speedway Trail, and the endless parks around the area. We also love the proximity to the beach and mountains that the area provides. Regardless of what you are into, the area doesn’t disappoint!

When it comes to restaurants, the list in honestly endless. Each small town and city has its highlights, but some of our favorites include Nils Mediterranean Cuisine in Fuquay Varina, Osha Sushi in Holly Springs, Giuseppe’s Italian Market and Subs in Angier, Stanbury in Raleigh, Med Deli in Chapel Hill, and Machete in Greensboro (we know that one is a hike from Raleigh, but it is incredible).

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d like to dedicate my shoutout to all the women reading this who are breastfeeding, have breastfed, or are thinking about breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is an often difficult and taxing act of love and care that doesn’t get discussed as often or openly as it should because of the taboo stigma that this country has put on it for decades.

Breastfeeding support and discussion should be promoted to help success rates of breastfeeding increase across the US. The benefits it provides to babies and mothers are well documented, but we still have decades of research to go. While online resources are becoming more abundant, education on breastfeeding and its benefits often isn’t taught/learned until a family is pregnant, making breastfeeding a challenging topic if you don’t have a support system with experience surrounding you.

To the mamas and mamas-to-be, know support is out there, and asking questions and seeking help is a good thing! Build your knowledge and network as much as you can, and talk about breastfeeding openly, because thats the only way to continue to help others learn of its benefits to families.

I became an IBCLC because of of the amazing moms I have had the pleasure of learning from and working with. Without them, I wouldn’t have started Honeysuckle Lactation Consultants.

Website: https://www.honeysucklelc.com

Instagram: _honeysucklelc

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HoneysuckleLactationConsultants

Image Credits
Dylan Eddinger Photography