Home
Read My Blog
Contact Me

Hi there!
I'm Avery.  

I help new parents like you build the education and confidence you need to overcome latching and feeding challenges. 

Because feeding should feel good. For both of you.

Let's Make Your Next Latch Better.

Hi there!
I'm Avery.  

I help new parents like you build the education and confidence you need to overcome latching and feeding challenges.  Because feeding should feel good. For everyone.

Let's Make Your Next Latch Better.

You’re doing everything ‘right’… so why is feeding still so hard?"

 

You planned, you prepared, you did the research. But nothing could have prepared you for how hard latching and feeding would actually be. The pain, the stress, the self-doubt.  I know exactly how it feels—because I’ve been there, too. My journey into lactation support didn’t start in a classroom—it started in the trenches of painful, frustrating feeds with my own baby.

 

And just like you, I just wanted to get it right.
But nobody had answers that helped. So I set out to find them.

You’re doing everything ‘right’… so why is feeding still so hard?"

 

You planned, you prepared, you did the research. But nothing could have prepared you for how hard latching and feeding would actually be. The pain, the stress, the self-doubt.  I know exactly how it feels—because I’ve been there, too. My journey into lactation support didn’t start in a classroom—it started in the trenches of painful, frustrating feeds with my own baby.

 

And just like you, I just wanted to get it right. But nobody had answers that helped. So I set out to find them.

I quickly realized I had to find the answers myself. 


That’s what led me to become a lactation consultant—because once I finally found what worked, I knew I couldn’t keep it to myself. I had to share what I’d learned with other parents who were just as desperate for real answers.

And it wasn’t just the professionals who didn’t have the right solutions—my friends, family, and the people who loved me wanted to help, but they were giving advice that didn’t work for my babies. It wasn’t their fault. They were relying on the same outdated guidance that had failed me.

At first, I thought I was alone in this. But the more parents I talked to, the more I realized we weren’t failing at feeding—feeding was failing us.

I wasn’t just navigating feeding struggles—I was navigating a system that wasn’t built for parents like me. Parents with intense babies, parents with large bodies, parents whose challenges didn’t fit neatly into the standard advice

That’s when I realized: If feeding was going to feel better—not just for me, but for every parent struggling—I had to rethink everything. So I did.

I quickly realized I had to find the answers myself. 


That’s what led me to become a lactation consultant—because once I finally found what worked, I knew I couldn’t keep it to myself. I had to share what I’d learned with other parents who were just as desperate for real answers.

And it wasn’t just the professionals who didn’t have the right solutions—my friends, family, and the people who loved me wanted to help, but they were giving advice that didn’t work for my babies. It wasn’t their fault. They were relying on the same outdated guidance that had failed me.

At first, I thought I was alone in this. But the more parents I talked to, the more I realized we weren’t failing at feeding—feeding was failing us.

I wasn’t just navigating feeding struggles—I was navigating a system that wasn’t built for parents like me. Parents with intense babies, parents with large bodies, parents whose challenges didn’t fit neatly into the standard advice

That’s when I realized: If feeding was going to feel better—not just for me, but for every parent struggling—I had to rethink everything. So I did.

It Didn’t Happen Overnight.

Becoming a lactation consultant didn’t immediately solve everything.

The more I learned, the more I realized that parents were being given outdated advice—not because professionals didn’t care, but because they were working with the only information they had.

At first, I tried using the same advice I had been taught, but it led to the same results—the same pain, the same struggles. Feeding was still hard, and no one seemed to have real answers, including me. 

Was this really the only way? 

It Didn’t Happen Overnight.

Becoming a lactation consultant didn’t immediately solve everything.

The more I learned, the more I realized that parents were being given outdated advice—not because professionals didn’t care, but because they were working with the only information they had.

At first, I tried using the same advice I had been taught, but it led to the same results—the same pain, the same struggles. Feeding was still hard, and no one seemed to have real answers, including me. 

Was this really the only way? 

 

I almost gave up.  Several times.  Instead, I went on a mission to find a better way.

My background in Biology and years of teaching science had trained me to question, test, and refine. The scientific method wasn’t just something I taught—it was how I thought.

So, I went deep.

I studied everything I could about infant reflexes, brain development, and the mechanics of feeding. I experimented to see what worked.

I wasn’t satisfied with solutions that worked once; I needed something that worked consistently, for every baby and every family. 

I almost gave up.  Several times.  Instead, I went on a mission to find a better way.

My background in Biology and years of teaching science had trained me to question, test, and refine. The scientific method wasn’t just something I taught—it was how I thought.

So, I went deep.

I studied everything I could about infant reflexes, brain development, and the mechanics of feeding. I experimented to see what worked.

I wasn’t satisfied with solutions that worked once; I needed something that worked consistently, for every baby and every family. 

What I discovered changed the way I approach feeding forever.

What I discovered would change the way I approached feeding forever.

Then one run changed everything.  

I wasn’t in my office or pouring over research articles when the idea hit me. I was out on a run.

As my feet started running, my mind followed —replaying everything I knew about how babies feed. The way their anatomy synchronizes with the feeding parent, the delicate balance of reflexes, movement, and muscle coordination.

And then, it clicked.

If a baby is supposed to feed in extension, with their head gently angled up and their mouth wide open, then the chin had to play a key role.

The moment I got back to my office, I started experimenting. And what I found rewrote everything I thought I knew about latching.

Then one run changed everything.  

I wasn’t in my office or pouring over research articles when the idea hit me. I was out on a run.

As my feet started running, my mind followed —replaying everything I knew about how babies feed. The way their anatomy synchronizes with the feeding parent, the delicate balance of reflexes, movement, and muscle coordination.

And then, it clicked.

If a baby is supposed to feed in extension, with their head gently angled up and their mouth wide open, then the chin had to play a key role.

The moment I got back to my office, I started experimenting. And what I found rewrote everything I thought I knew about latching.

The touch that
transformed feeding. 


I realized that touching a baby's chin triggered a reflexive response to open their mouth - wide.  And it didn’t just happen once. It happened over and over again—baby after baby. That’s when I knew.

This wasn’t random. It was a reflex. 

The reflexive response I was taught was wrong.  Stroking down a baby's lips didn't cause them to open wide. It causes them to chew or suck the nipple into their mouth, and that's what leads to pain and damage. 

So I started learning how to incorporate what I discovered into practice—to turn the theoretical into real-world results.  

And It worked. And ended latch pain. Immediately.  

And a touch 
transformed feeding. 


I realized that touching a baby's chin triggered a reflexive response to open their mouth - wide.  And it didn’t just happen once. It happened over and over again—baby after baby. That’s when I knew.

This wasn’t random. It was a reflex. 

The reflexive response I was taught was wrong.  Stroking down a baby's lips didn't cause them to open wide. It causes them to chew or suck the nipple into their mouth, and that's what leads to pain and damage. 

So I started learning how to incorporate what I discovered into practice—to turn the theoretical into real-world results.  

And It worked. And ended latch pain. Immediately.  

From Discovery to Revolution 

Over the next year, I experimented—adapting my approach for different parents, different anatomies, and different babies.

And time after time, the pain stopped. Immediately. Damaged nipples healed. Parents gained confidence. Feeding started feeling easy—sometimes for the first time ever.

I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was perfecting the Reflexive™ Latch, so that it worked for every body.

Now, I had to see if it worked beyond my own practice.

I started teaching professionals and speaking at international professional conferences. And when professionals told me they started seeing the same results?

I knew this was bigger than just me.
Parents and professionals everywhere needed to know.

From Discovery to Revolution 

Over the next year, I experimented—adapting my approach for different parents, different anatomies, and different babies.

And time after time, the pain stopped. Immediately. Damaged nipples healed. Parents gained confidence. Feeding started feeling easy—sometimes for the first time ever.

I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was perfecting the Reflexive™ Latch, so that it worked for every body.

Now, I had to see if it worked beyond my own practice.

I started teaching professionals and speaking at international professional conferences. And when professionals told me they started seeing the same results?

I knew this was
bigger than just me.
Parents and professionals everywhere needed to know.

And now, that’s my mission—to change how we feed babies, one latch at a time.

This isn’t just about making feeding easier.
It’s about rewriting the way we understand and support new parents, starting from the very first latch.

And if feeding feels hard, I’d love to help you, too.

Avery Young, M.S, M.Ed, IBCLC
Founder of the Reflexive™ Latch.

Let's Make Your Latch Better

And now, that’s my mission—to change how we feed babies, one latch at a time.

This isn’t just about making feeding easier. It’s about rewriting the way we understand and support new parents, starting from the very first latch.

And if feeding feels hard, I’d love to help make it easier for you, too.

Avery Young, M.S, M.Ed, IBCLC
Founder of the Reflexive™ Latch.

Let's Make Your Latch Better