About
Support that starts with listening.
MY STORY
I'm Natalie Blythe, BS, IBCLC, and the founder and sole provider of The Milky Mermaid.
My path to lactation was not a straight line.
After graduating from the University of North Carolina Wilmington with a degree in Business Management, I spent nearly a decade working in business and finance. Becoming a mother changed the direction of my life in ways I never expected.
My own feeding experiences, along with watching friends and families struggle to find the support they needed, sparked a desire to better understand breastfeeding and infant feeding. What began as a personal interest grew into a multi-year journey into lactation care.
I became an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant and launched The Milky Mermaid in 2018.
Since then, I've had the privilege of working one-on-one with families throughout the Wilmington area and helping parents navigate everything from those first challenging days to the many changes that can happen throughout a feeding journey.
There is no one-size-fits-all feeding plan.
I believe effective lactation care starts with listening.
Your baby, your body, your feeding goals, your circumstances and your day-to-day life all matter. Instead of giving every family the same checklist of recommendations, I take the time to understand the whole picture and work with you to develop a plan that makes sense for your family.
My approach is:
Compassionate
You deserve support without judgment, pressure or unrealistic expectations.
Evidence-Based
Recommendations are grounded in current knowledge and individualized to your situation.
Practical
A feeding plan needs to work in real life — not just on paper.
Individualized
There is no single "right" way to feed a baby. We will work together to identify what supports your goals.
How I Can Help
I support families with concerns including:
- Painful feeding
- Latch difficulties
- Low milk supply
- Oversupply
- Pumping challenges
- Bottle feeding
- Bottle refusal
- Infant oral function concerns
- Tongue-tie concerns
- Slow weight gain
- Returning to work
- Exclusive pumping
- Relactation and induced lactation
- Transitioning between breast and bottle
- And other feeding concerns
When a family's needs extend beyond lactation care, I value collaboration with other members of the healthcare team when appropriate.
Credentials & Experience
Natalie Blythe, BS, IBCLC
Natalie is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant and the founder of The Milky Mermaid, a private lactation practice serving families in the Wilmington, North Carolina area.
She graduated from the University of North Carolina Wilmington with a degree in Business Management and spent nearly a decade working in business and finance before transitioning into lactation care.
Natalie launched The Milky Mermaid in 2018 and has since built her practice around individualized, evidence-based support for families navigating infant feeding.
Speaking, Publications & Media
In addition to her clinical work, Natalie contributes to professional education and conversations surrounding lactation, infant feeding and maternal-child health through speaking engagements, podcasts, published work and media contributions.
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Learn More
Co-author, Care During Pregnancy, Childbirth, Postpartum, and Human Milk Feeding for Individuals Who Identify as LGBTQ+, MCN: The American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing, 2021.
Podcast Guest
Learn More
For Lactation Professionals — "Shadowing an LC | Business Management Grad turned IBCLC shares how she runs her private practice."
Professional Speaker
Learn More
Virtual speaker for a South Carolina breastfeeding professional meeting, August 2026.
Romper — Author
Learn More
"What's the Best Time of Day to Boost Prolactin for Breastfeeding Success?"
The Bump — Expert Contributor
Learn More
"Is CBD Safe for Breastfeeding Moms? What You Need to Know."
WECT — Local News Interview
Learn More
Featured as a local lactation expert in a 2021 story about a North Carolina mother's breast milk donation.
Interested In Collaborating?
Natalie welcomes opportunities to contribute to podcasts, professional education, speaking engagements, interviews and projects related to lactation, infant feeding, private practice and maternal-child health.
