Today we’d like to introduce you to Suzanne Juel IBCLC.
Hi Suzanne, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I started working in lactation support in 2003 because I felt deeply called to help parents through a season that can be both beautiful and overwhelming. Early in my career, I realized how often families were struggling with pain, confusion, and mixed messages about breastfeeding. My own experience made this personal. With my first baby, I struggled far more than I expected. I eventually ended up exclusively pumping for 18 months, and that journey shaped me. I kept thinking that if I struggled this much, even with resources and determination, then so many other parents must be feeling the same frustration and isolation.
As I continued my training and became an IBCLC, I worked with families in private practice and helped bring breastfeeding centered care into hospital settings. Even then, something kept nudging at me. I wanted families to have more than a quick fix or a single visit. I wanted them to feel supported, informed, and truly seen throughout their entire feeding journey. That idea eventually grew into Bayou City Breastfeeding. In 2016, a colleague and I started the practice with a simple vision: walk alongside parents, give them evidence based guidance they can trust, and build their confidence so their babies can thrive.
What began as a small partnership has grown into one of the largest lactation practices in Texas, with clinics throughout Houston and now in San Antonio. I am incredibly proud of the team we have built and the heart they bring into every visit. We support families through breastfeeding, oral function challenges, bodywork, mental health, nutrition, and the emotional side of becoming a parent. At its core, our work is about empowering parents to feel like the experts of their own babies.
Looking back, I can see that my early hardships were not obstacles. They were the beginning of my purpose. They gave me empathy for the families we serve and a passion for creating a place where parents feel understood and supported. That mission still guides every decision we make and every family we meet.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely has not been a smooth road. Nothing worth building ever is. One of the earliest challenges was simply becoming an IBCLC in the first place. The certification process is intense, expensive, and time consuming, and at the time there were very few clear pathways or mentors. I remember feeling like every step required me to dig deep and keep going, even when it felt overwhelming. That experience stayed with me and is one of the reasons I am so committed to creating training opportunities for the next generation of lactation professionals.
Another major struggle has been insurance coverage. Lactation is essential health care, yet the reimbursement structure has never reflected the level of time, expertise, and compassion this work requires. Navigating insurance contracts, advocating for fair compensation, and making sure families can still access care has been a constant balancing act. There have been seasons where the financial pressure felt heavy and the future felt uncertain. We kept pushing forward because families deserve this support and because I believe in this work with my whole heart.
Even with the challenges, every obstacle has pushed me to grow as a clinician, a leader, and a business owner. The struggles shaped our practice into what it is today. They taught me resilience, creativity, and how to keep choosing purpose even when the path is hard.
We’ve been impressed with Bayou City Breastfeeding LLC, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Bayou City Breastfeeding is built on a simple belief. Parents are the experts on their babies, and they deserve support that actually reflects that. Our practice specializes in lactation care, infant feeding, oral function, bodywork, and early childhood development from birth through the toddler years. What we are known for is the depth of care we provide. We do not rush families. We listen closely, understand their goals, and walk alongside them through each stage of feeding and development. Over time we become a trusted part of their parenting journey, not just a one time consultant.
What sets us apart is the way we care for the whole family. We spend real time with parents, offer evidence based guidance, and create personalized care plans that fit their lives. Our clinicians are highly trained IBCLCs, and our team includes pediatric trained chiropractors and providers who bring a holistic understanding of infant development. We see the entire family as our patient, and we support everything from latch to feeding plans to mental health to navigating the conflicting advice new parents often receive. We are filling the gap that the current medical system leaves. Families need time, compassion, and clear guidance, and our visits are designed to provide exactly that.
I am proud of our brand because it reflects who we are at our core. Our promise is that we build parent confidence so babies can thrive. We do this through expert, comprehensive, and compassionate support during the first three years of life. Our team culture is something I care about deeply. We are a family, and we treat each other that way. We prioritize flexibility, growth, and education. We believe no one should have to choose between being a parent and having a career. The heart of our brand is that parents are the heroes of the story. We are the guides who help them feel strong, capable, and supported.
Today we have multiple offices across Houston and San Antonio, and we continue to expand because families need this level of care. We are proud to offer in home visits, in office lactation care, chiropractic services, photobiomodulation therapy, bodywork, prenatal education, and long term support that lasts well beyond the newborn phase. We want readers to know that our entire focus is to help their families feel confident and connected. Every visit is centered on empowering parents and helping their babies grow happy, healthy, and thriving.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
When I think about risk, I see it as a natural part of building anything meaningful. I am not someone who takes risks lightly, but I do move quickly when something aligns with my values and the future I can clearly see. I tend to make decisions as soon as I have enough information because I trust my ability to adjust if needed. I have always believed that most mistakes can be fixed and that progress matters more than perfection.
Starting Bayou City Breastfeeding was one of the biggest risks of my life. There was no roadmap for the kind of practice I envisioned. I walked away from stability to build a model that centered parents, honored whole family care, and gave IBCLCs the time and autonomy to do the work well. At times it felt like standing on the edge of something much bigger than myself. But I had a strong belief in the mission, a deep confidence in my skills, and an optimism that the world really could look different for new families. That hope is one of my core strengths, and it has carried me through every uncertain moment.
Scaling the practice was another major risk. Opening multiple offices, expanding into San Antonio, hiring a large team, and building systems that could support long-term growth stretched me in every direction. As an Enneagram 3w4, I am driven to succeed and I care deeply about doing work that has meaning, so choosing to grow meant letting go of some control and trusting others with something I care about with my whole heart. That was its own kind of risk.
My view on risk today is shaped by several things. I believe in being honest with myself about the potential downside and the potential impact. I believe in staying aligned with my core values of kindness, fairness, hope, leadership, and integrity. And I believe that when something feels purposeful and in service of families, I am willing to be bold. I also take risk with the knowledge that I learn quickly, I adapt well, and I surround myself with people who lift each other up.
I would never describe myself as reckless, but I am absolutely willing to take the leap when the work matters. Every important step in my career has required courage, trust, and a willingness to grow. And each time I have chosen to take a risk, it has brought me closer to the impact I want to make for families and for the team that walks beside me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bayoucitybreastfeeding.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/bcbreastfeeding
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/bcbreastfeeding
- Twitter: https://x.com/bayoucityibclc
Image Credits
Laurie Perez
