Meet Lauren Leipper | Pediatric Occupational Therapist & Feeding Specialist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lauren Leipper and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lauren, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
It’s always tricky to balance work and life– but especially so once you have children. I’ve been amazingly lucky in my career with the flexible options I’ve had. I have taken extended time off while having infants and I’ve worked 2-3-4 days a week with small children. It was always a juggle though while working for another company to make it work. Now, as my own private practice owner, I have control over my schedule and the flexibility to change things up to fit the needs of my family. I’ve found it to be the best of both worlds for this season of life! My children are now both in elementary school (one starting middle next year!); this age and stage has allowed me more mental space and time to focus on OT Mama. Occupational Therapy as a whole is very wholistic and balance-focused, making it a phenomenal career for people with children!

I love the Nora Roberts quote – “the key to juggling is to know that some of the balls you have in the air are made of plastic & some are made of glass. And if you drop a plastic ball, it bounces, no harm done. If you drop a glass ball, it shatters, so you have to know which balls are glass and which are plastic and prioritise catching the glass ones.” This idea has helped me to remember what really matters, while letting go of the others if needed.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
OT mama is my private practice, pediatric occupational therapy and feeding therapy business.

Since I became an occupational therapist, I’ve focused on babies and children. I worked in a pediatric therapy clinic and in schools for a decade. As I worked and became a mother, I grew increasingly interested in feeding therapy. Feeding and eating are such an integral part of our lives as parents and individuals. Yet, it’s incredible to me how little information is provided to parents on feeding our little ones. We’re always questioning ourselves: Are they eating enough? Am I doing this right? How should I feed them? Do I breast or bottle feed? Is this wrong? How many veggies should they eat? Etc. It’s stressful and guilt-inducing.

I want to help parents and their little ones with feeding struggles–whether or not it’s medically-based, covered by insurance, etc; so a private practice helps me to do just that! I provide direct feeding therapy and parent coaching to support the feeding relationship between parent and child. I am so lucky to get to help babies, children, and families thrive! Every day, I get to use my creativity and expertise (as a mama and an OT)— it’s just the best!!

Getting to this point in my career has taken lots of education, continuous learning, and stretching myself into the world of running a business! I started with my Masters degree in Occupational Therapy, I’m always taking new courses, and trying to learn as much as I can.

OT mama provides private-pay occupational therapy, feeding therapy, and parent coaching services, early intervention services through San Diego Regional Center, as well as local and virtual workshops.

I am so proud to support babies, children, and families; I love working with providers like lactation consultants/IBCLCs, pediatric dentists, chiropractors/body workers, physical therapists, and others to fully support our patients! Hearing success stories from parents, seeing little goals getting met, and watching parents feed their babies– these are the best feelings!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Our current favorite place to explore is Balboa Park– I LOVE Panama 66- the cutest cafe near the sculpture garden. They are incredibly food-allergy friendly (I have celiac disease, so eating a safe meal out is not an easy task). My personal favorite museum is the Mingei Museum; the juxtaposition of artifacts with more modern folk art pieces is incredible!

Another day should be spent at the beach– maybe San Elijo State Beach in Cardiff— with a campsite if possible! Fish 101 is another great allergy-friendly spot!

I’d also spend an afternoon at Local Roots– sitting outside at the boochyard in Vista, enjoying a drink and the sunshine!

Throw in a few hikes, a trip to a Pannikin coffee shop, and shopping at a bookstore. Sounds like a pretty good week to me!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Jen Varela of Sugar Night Night– I reached out to her in the beginning stages of my private practice, before I really knew anyone else in the occupational therapy/feeding specialist world who was doing the same thing. Jen was incredibly gracious, met me for coffee, and answered all of my private practice, parent coaching, workshop questions. She confirmed for me that there was a need for my services and ideas and she encouraged me to go for it. Jen and I cross paths frequently in the parent/baby/young child world here in north county San Diego; It’s always a pleasure to meet up and I’m reminded of her support in those early days!

Website: www.otmama.com

Instagram: @Lauren.otmama

Image Credits
Lauren Leipper