Parent Spotlight : Kira Kim

Founder and Lead Clinician of The Boston Area Lactation Connection (BALC) , Kira Kim, IBCLC, RLC, CLE is a Mom + Business Owner any expecting or new parent should absolutely know!

I first met Kira more than a decade ago ,when she was a homebirth midwife, before I even got pregnant with my own babies. I was drawn to her energy, kindness, humor and ability to be real about the struggles (and joys) of motherhood. After having my own babies, and working with her on latch issues with 2 of my 3 babies, I found her grounding, informative, gentle, supportive and again, very real. We worked together yet again when I need some support with weaning. Because of her, I exceeded my own breastfeeding goals. What an empowering feeling to have!

Since then, she has helped countless friends and acquaintances. We often share her info with customers (who ask!) in our shop.  I am so excited to officially introduce this lovely human with all of you! So, without further adieu, check out our interview with Kira below!

-XO Sarah L

Meet Kira Kim

Your name:  Kira Kim

Your business name:  The Boston Area Lactation Connection

Tell us a little bit about your business:

I provide compassionate, individualized lactation and infant feeding care for parents in the Greater Boston Area. I specialize in structural issues (tongue tie, tension from birth) and oral motor functioning, having helped over 3,000 families reach their feeding goals. From exclusively breastfeeding to weaning completely and everything in-between, I firmly believe in meeting families where they are and helping them to implement changes that will allow them to thrive. Fully formula fed families are always welcome for oral motor functioning evals and bottling skills!

What inspired you to start your business?

I originally was in the homebirth midwifery and herbalism eld for years, working towards making my own homebirth midwifery practice. As much as I love birth and midwifery, being on call 24/7 with 4 kids and a husband who was traveling extensively at the time, was not sustainable. Lactation was part of my original training, and was a big interest of mine, so I decided to learn more. During my deep dive into lactation training, I had the aha moment: being able to mix my midwifery education with herbalism, not being on call AND still being able help new families? This was where I was supposed to be! Over 10 years later and it's still a ball.

How old are your kids?

14, almost 12, almost 10 and almost 8 

Best tips for juggling a parenthood + a business: 

Boundaries. Major boundaries. A large part of my business is mentoring other IBCLCs and boundaries are majorly lacking in our eld. It's pretty systemic in small business ownership. Separating work and home life is critical. It can be hard and oftentimes we hear ourselves saying, "Just this once." But, we all know it's never just this once, and it opens a can of worms.

-Make strict working hours.
-Get your work stuff out of your personal phone and put your phone away when you get home! Your family deserves your time and your brain deserves a break.
- Make YOU hours weekly. Start an hour late one day a week if you can or take a whole day "off" that you can catch up on whatever you need to do. You can't pour from an empty cup.
-Never prioritize your business over your family. Remember who you are working for and what you are working for. Work towards balance, not burnout.

What is something that people would be surprised to learn about you?

I am a die-hard introvert. Yes, me, the person who has 500+ appointments a year that last 1-2 hours each, who has 4 children, and who teaches extensively. My job and life is VERY "peopley," as my oldest daughter says, and I love it. However, at the end of the day, I need to be alone. Sensory deprivation is a big part of how I handle my very people-heavy life. Lots of time spent solo, showers by just candle-light, salt tanks; anything I can do to hear nothing for a while.

What was or is your favorite baby product?

Baby carrier, hands down. I used a Babyhawk meitei style carrier because it was versatile and I could wear the baby and the toddler in the same carrier without fumbling with rewrapping or xing buckles. They were a life saver when my kiddos were small.

What would you tell a parent navigating the newborn days? Or the toddler days?

You are in survival mode and it really is as hard as it feels. There is very little thriving in the early days, and that is ok. If the baby is changed and fed, you're doing enough. If your choices are the toddler watches PBS so you can take a breather and be a calm, present parent afterwards, or you force learning activities when you want to explode, pick up the remote and put down the pressure. The dishes will be there later, the laundry will never end, nobody cares if the floor is swept. Give yourself the same grace you'd extend to a friend.

Do you have any hobbies ?

I have ADHD. Hobbies are my thing. The ones The ones that have stuck are knitting and piano, though. I play my piano every single day. It was a gift to myself after my father passed away. I always wanted a grand piano and when talking to my father about it when he was near the end, he said to me: "No more tomorrows. If you want something and can get it. . . no more tomorrows." A simple life lesson that stuck. Now there's a Steinway in my living room. Thanks Dad.

What person has made a big impact on your life? How?
Momma Sandi, my midwife with my second child. We were expats living in China and I went to see this American midwife everyone was telling me about. Newly pregnant after a traumatic miscarriage, I was vulnerable, to say the least. This wonderful, beautiful person became like a mother to me. Twelve years later, and she still comes to visit us from her home base in Florida, sends me loving texts when I'm struggling and has been known to show up to watch my kids and care for my diabetic cat so my husband and I can go on weekend trips. I don't know what I did to deserve her, but I'm grateful every single day of my life.

You can find Kira Kim's website here: https://thebalc.com/ 

You can find another blog entry by Kira- Preparing to Breastfeed, here: IBCLC Corner with Kira Kim