OT Alumni Earns Lactation Certification

Occupational therapy practitioners are important members of the healthcare team for children and adults who have a difficult time feeding, eating, and swallowing. According to the American Occupational Therapy Association, dysphagia (dysfunction in any stage or process of eating) is an essential activity of daily living: the inability to swallow negatively affects nutrition, overall health, and quality of life.

After completing over 100 hours of breastfeeding specific continuing education and 1000 hands on hours, Cara Daubenspeck, OTR/L, IBCLC, CIMI-2 was eligible to sit and passed the board exam to become an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant.

Daubenspeck is alumni of the MOT Class of 2010, and is West Virginia’s first and only dual role Occupational Therapist and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC).  In addition to her IBCLC certification, Daubenspeck is also a TummyTime! Method Professional, Certified Infant Massage Instructor, and Tethered Oral Tissue Specialty Trained (TOTs). She owns a private practice in Charleston, WV, helping families feed their babies with a holistic approach and meeting their feeding goals.

Great work, Cara! Let's Go Mountaineers!