The Intersection of Midwifery, Lactation Care,&Bodywork

Milk Thistle brings together the practices of midwifery, lactation care, and pediatric bodywork to support families through pregnancy, infant feeding, and early parenthood.

My approach is rooted in the understanding that feeding, development, attachment, and wellbeing are deeply interconnected.

Through evidence-informed care and collaborative relationships, I support parents and babies as they navigate growth, change, and the transition into family life.

With expertise in infant feeding, oral function, bodywork, and parental wellbeing, care is designed to address the whole feeding relationship, not just individual symptoms.

A Practice Born Out of Clinical Need

As a Registered Midwife, I entered perinatal care passionate about supporting families through pregnancy, birth, and early parenthood. But over years of practice, I found myself facing a recurring frustration: standard clinical midwifery often ran out of answers for families navigating complex, persistent infant feeding struggles.

Seeking deeper answers, I advanced my clinical training to become an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). Focusing on the complex mechanics of lactation allowed me to assess latches, milk supply, and feeding dynamics at a deeper level. Yet even then, I watched families continue to struggle with underlying infant body tension, head preferences, irritability, and painful feeding that traditional lactation protocols alone couldn't resolve.

I realized that feeding mechanics cannot be separated from the infant’s physical body and nervous system.

Integrating Bodywork & Oral Function

To bridge this gap, I dedicated my clinical education to specialized pediatric bodywork, dynamic infant movement, and oral biomechanics. My training evolved through multi-layered study and hands-on intensives:

Craniosacral Therapy (CST): Foundational and advanced training across adult, infant, and parent-infant dyad applications, culminating in pediatric clinical residencies focused on resolving deep physical strain patterns.
Pediatric PT/OT Physical Therapies: Specialized education led by pediatric physical and occupational therapists, focusing on infant motor development, therapeutic massage, structural symmetry, and nervous system regulation.
Tethered Oral Tissue (TOTs) & Frenotomy Care: Comprehensive training in ankyloglossia (tongue and lip tie) assessment, conservative non-surgical management, dynamic pre- and post-procedure bodywork, and gentle recovery protocols.

What This Means for Your Family

When you bring your baby to Milk Thistle, you do not have to piece together care across three separate providers. You don't need one appointment for medical assessment, another for feeding mechanics, and a third for body tension.

By integrating primary midwifery, IBCLC clinical lactation, and infant craniosacral therapy into a single holistic practice, I look at the complete picture:

Whole-Dyad Care: Evaluating how parent posture, infant tension, and nervous system state interact during every feed.
Root-Cause Support: Going beyond quick fixes to address the underlying structural strain, oral dysfunction, or tissue restrictions driving feeding discomfort.
Trauma-Informed & Inclusive: Providing a calm, grounded space that honors your autonomy, baby , and goals.

Whether you are navigating unexplained feeding pain, recovering from a difficult birth, preparing for, or choosing to decline a frenotomy, or simply looking for grounded, specialized support—Milk Thistle was built to pace, cater to, and centre your unique feeding journey.

Parents and providers are invited to book a consultation or refer a patient for specialized clinical care.

Book Now

Kind Words from Families---

"With my first child, I had low-to-no milk supply due to a breast reduction over a decade ago.

Under Ams' guidance with our second, I reached a full milk supply in just over two weeks.

I could not have imagined such great results in such a short time."

Parent
Victoria, BC

"Ams has a lovely gentle touch with babies, I called them the Baby Whisperer.

Ams performed an infant physical assessment and offered so many helpful solutions, including supplements and bodywork.

Ams made me feel hopeful during times of overwhelm. I am grateful for their support during this time."

Parent
Victoria, BC

"I’m very grateful for the support I received from Ams Sweiger during my postpartum journey.

They were caring, knowledgeable, and very responsive during a really challenging time for me as a new mom.

Their guidance helped me feel more confident with breastfeeding and managing early difficulties."

PArent
Victoria, BC