bwellbaby provides home visits for families living in Raleigh, Cary, Apex, and Wake Forest, North Carolina.

Occupational therapy (OT) helps people of all ages build the skills they need to participate in everyday activities (occupations). An occupational therapist is a licensed healthcare professional who has earned a masters or doctorate degree.  

For infants and young children, OT focuses on helping them develop critical skills to support their growth and independence, such as feeding and early movement.

A pediatric occupational therapist works with infants to support their developmental milestones—these are the essential skills, like rolling over, sitting up, and reaching for objects, that lay the foundation for future skills like crawling, walking, and playing. An occupational therapist may also support feeding skills and work with infants who have difficulty latching, swallowing, or transitioning to solid foods.

By addressing these areas early, OT can help infants overcome challenges, build confidence, and establish the necessary skills for later life stages. For parents, OT offers guidance and support in understanding their child’s unique developmental needs, while providing techniques to nurture these skills at home.

An IBCLC, or International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, is a healthcare professional with the highest credential specializing in breastfeeding and lactation support. An IBCLC has undergone rigorous training and passed a board-certification exam, making them experts in breastfeeding physiology, infant nutrition, and maternal health. 

IBLCLCs help parents and infants with a range of breastfeeding-related challenges, such as latching difficulties, low milk supply, positioning techniques, milk expression, and navigating special situations like feeding multiples or premature infants. They play a crucial role in helping families establish and maintain breastfeeding, supporting both the infant's and mother's health and well-being.

As the region's only occupational therapist who is also a board-certified lactation consultant (OT/IBCLC), Nicole believes in providing holistic and comprehensive care for infants and families.  Seeing an OT/IBCLC provides a unique combination of skills that can offer more comprehensive support for your baby. Here are the key benefits:

• Holistic Feeding Support: Feeding is one of the earliest and most critical skills for an infant, and it involves a complex interplay of motor, sensory, and oral skills. As an OT/IBCLC, Nicole will assess and address not just breastfeeding or bottle-feeding mechanics, but also any underlying developmental issues that might affect feeding success, such as low muscle tone, coordination challenges, or sensory sensitivities.

• Coordinated Developmental Support: Feeding and other early developmental milestones—like grasping, head control, and movement—are often interconnected. An OT/IBCLC can simultaneously address feeding and developmental needs, creating a seamless approach to achieving milestones that builds confidence and skills for both baby and parent.

• Customized Family Guidance: With expertise in both lactation and early childhood development, an OT/IBCLC can give parents like you the tools and strategies tailored to your family’s unique needs. This can include guidance on feeding routines, positioning, pacing, and safe transition to solids, all while supporting the parent-infant bond.

• Early Intervention Advantage: If there are any signs of feeding challenges or developmental delays, Nicole can help spot them early, providing guidance and interventions that can make a big difference in preventing more complex issues later on.

Nicole brings a deep understanding of both infant development and feeding, helping babies get the best start in both nutrition and early skills development. This expertise can be particularly helpful for babies born prematurely, with medical challenges, or who have unique feeding needs.

Lactation-related consultations may be covered by your health insurance plan.  We are a member of The Lactation Network which is a company who verifies your benefits and submits claims on our behalf.  Check your coverage here: https://go.lactationnetwork.com/bwellbaby,LLC

For all other appointments, we are a private-pay practice and out-of-network with insurance.  

Focused, Personalized Care for Your Family

At bwellbaby, we’re committed to providing the highest quality care to support your infant’s development—right when you need it. By operating as a private pay practice, we can offer immediate, flexible access to occupational therapy without the delays, limitations, or other barriers to care often dictated by insurance companies.

Here’s what that means for your family:

• Faster Access to Therapy: When challenges arise, getting help quickly is essential. Because we don’t rely on insurance authorizations, we can often see clients within a day.

• Tailored, Family-Centered Goals: Insurance often requires children to meet certain arbitrary criteria before approving services. At bwellbaby, we believe every child deserves support when needed. We’ll work with you to set personalized goals based on what’s best for your child and family.

• Flexible Session Frequency and Duration: Insurance can limit the number and length of sessions. In our private pay model, you and I decide on the best therapy frequency and session length to ensure steady progress and the best outcomes for your child.

This approach empowers us to provide the most effective, responsive care possible—designed entirely around your family’s needs and goals.

We accept HSA and FSA cards, as well as all major credit cards.

We also provide you with a “superbill” to submit to your insurance provider for potential reimbursement. 

Complete this contact form and someone will email you shortly to schedule your appointment!