Laura Kent-Davidson‘s passion for the environment, global health, and maternal and newborn care led her down her path to become a Naturopathic Doctor and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). After completing a Bachelors degree in psychology, she went on study Natruopathic Medicine at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine (CCNM) in Toronto. It was during that time she was introduced to Dr. Jack Newman’s International Breastfeeding Centre and the amazing work they do to help families achieve their breastfeeding goals. Realizing Lactation medicine was the missing piece she was looking for in her training and understanding the value of qualified lactation support, she decided to enrol and complete the necessary steps to become an IBCLC.
Laura sees herself as a community mobilizer and humanitarian. While at CCNM, she was very fortunate to complete a clinical externship in Haiti at a birth centre through Naturopaths Without Borders. It was there that her desire to serve moms and babies grew, and where she saw the power of breastfeeding in decreasing infant morbidity and mortality. The clinical focus in her private practise is with women in the postpartum period, supporting their transition into motherhood, guiding them with feeding support, and promoting infant mental health. She has worked in Thailand as a private consultant and with the Bangkok Child Protection project, a UNHCR funded initiative through Jesuit Refugee Services, where she provided case work support, needs assessments, and health education to unaccompanied minors.
Laura currently calls Toronto home where she lives with her husband and their two young children. She sees patients part-time and is developing online courses for new parents. Her current course, Prenatal Breastfeeding Companion, is an introductory breastfeeding course for parents-to-be which goes over all the essentials and includes a Facebook support group for members. 15% of the profits made on the course are currently going toward an amazing NGO called Nurture Project International who are working in Greece to support safe infant feeding with refugee families.
Websites:
www.laurakd.com
http://laura-kent-davidson.thinkific.com
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/LauraKentDavidsonNDIBCLC/