We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Melanie Kondrat a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Melanie, appreciate you joining us today. Was there a moment in your career that meaningfully altered your trajectory? If so, we’d love to hear the backstory.

Prior to becoming an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, my background is actually Oncology/ Hospice. Once I became pregnant with my first child and gave birth my whole view on the Maternal Health Care field changed. I knew I wanted to make the switch from one realm to another. I find it ironic that I moved from end of life care to beginning of life care. My first experience was not the best. Birth did not go the way I had imagined and neither did breastfeeding. That’s where the spark that lit the fire was ignited. I prepared for pregnancy and birth, but I did not prepare for postpartum or breastfeeding which is just as important. After my experience I thought surely this is not how it has to be for every Mom and family. From there I pursued my Birth Doula training and started the journey to becoming an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC).
Each one of my children has contributed to my skill set. They have taught me so incredibly much from life lessons to different feeding obstacles which helps me relate to the families I serve.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Melanie Kondrat, I am a Mom to three beautiful kiddos, a wife to the most supportive husband and a small business owner. I am an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. In the short, I help families feed their babies and tackle both breast and bottle feeding challenges. I was launched into my field after the birth of my first Kiddo. We had one heck of a journey together. His birth did not go anywhere near what I thought it would and breastfeeding was even worse which spiraled me into the realm of postpartum depression and anxiety. I was never depressed to the point of not being able to function, but I was anxious enough to lose the little sleep I was getting worrying over every little noise my baby made. Once I left this fog, I wanted to be the support for other parents that I didn’t have during this time period. My husband and I had just recently moved to Tennessee and I wasn’t aware of how much support was out there…let alone where to find it.
I help families with a slew of challenges such as pain with breastfeeding, clogged ducts, mastitis, slow weight gain, bottle refusal, oral function, oral ties, colic behaviors, low milk supply, breast pumping, back to work preparation, prenatal breastfeeding education, and so on. I provide a judgement free space for families to feel safe and heard. I always want families to feel empowered when choosing how they want to feed their baby!
While I help with all the issues listed above I specialize in Oral ties. I also approach my practice in a holistic sense as I’m always sure to offer alternative measures that families can explore and discuss with their health care providers. I also love to show families how to massage and gently stretch their babies to help improve breastfeeding outcomes.
I’m most proud of the small role I get to play in a mom’s postpartum and feeding journey. I love helping babies and moms learn how they fit together.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

Almost all of my business growth has been referral based. I am sure to attend networking meetings, inviting providers to lunch to get to know them, along with being consistent on social media. One of my goals is to provide evidence based information to new Moms. Unfortunately there is so much misinformation surrounding infant feeding on the internet.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Providing comprehensive lactation care for families has helped me build my reputation. I always strive to provide the best care possible and am sure to not leave any stone unturned. Each family’s concerns are of the upmost importance to me.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.dragonflylactation.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dragonfly_lactation
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Dragonflylactation/

Image Credits
Devon Adrianne Photography