Today we’d like to introduce you to Cristin Garfield.
Hi Cristin, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My journey to founding Pura Vida Lactation & more, LLC began long before I ever imagined owning a private practice. I’ve spent over a decade working as a speech-language pathologist, with a significant portion of that time in the NICU — a world that is simultaneously heartbreaking and incredibly rewarding. Watching families navigate the most vulnerable moments of their lives, often from a bedside chair in a hospital room, shaped everything about how I approach care.
But it was my own experience as a mother that truly changed my trajectory. When I had my children and navigated breastfeeding firsthand, I felt the gap between clinical knowledge and real-life support in a way I hadn’t expected. I knew the science. I had the credentials. And I still found myself with questions, doubts, and moments where I just needed someone in my corner. That experience lit something in me.
I began building Pura Vida Lactation & more, LLC as a space where families could receive the kind of care I would have wanted — expert, personalized, and accesible (not just from Dr Google). The name comes from a summer I spent studying abroad solo in Costa Rica, where Pura Vida (“pure life”) — is more than a phrase. It’s a way of moving through the world with simplicity, warmth, and fullness. That philosophy lives at the heart of everything I do.
In 2025, I relocated from the DC area to Baltimore, and this city has become home in the truest sense. I recently launched a completely reimagined business model — offering prenatal-to-postbirth packages that combine my lactation expertise with my background as a speech-language pathologist. No more one-and-done visits. Families deserve continuous, relationship-based care that grows with them. I also recently became a Certified Babywearing Educator and Certified Infant Massage Coach, expanding the ways I can support families beyond feeding alone.
Whether I’m at a Baby Hour Event troubleshooting a latch over coffee, working bedside in the NICU, or sitting in a family’s living room helping a new mama find her footing — this work is my Pura Vida.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Building a private practice from the ground up while working full-time in the NICU is no small feat. The business side of healthcare — marketing, visibility, web presence, client acquisition — is not something they teach you in graduate school. I’ve had to learn a lot along the way, leaning on mentors, coaches, and a willingness to ask for help. Finding the right families has also been part of the journey. It’s why I started Baby Hour Events, why I network with pediatricians and birth workers, and why I recently overhauled my entire business model to better reflect the care I’ve always wanted to provide. I’m also transparent with families about my credentials and how care is accessed. As an SLP and Certified Lactation Counselor, I bring a clinical lens that goes beyond traditional lactation support — and while I don’t currently accept insurance directly, I provide Superbills that often allow families to receive substantial reimbursement through their insurance. Removing barriers to care matters deeply to me, and I’m always working to make that easier for the families I serve.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am, at my core, a problem-solver who genuinely loves what she does. I’m silly, I’m from Philly, and I have a way of meeting families exactly where they are- with honesty, warmth, and a very positive spin on even the hardest moments. That energy is intentional. New parents don’t need more anxiety. They need someone who can look them in the eye and say “You’re right, this IS hard, and here’s what we’re going to do about it.”
What sets me apart is the combination of everything I bring to the table. I’m not just a lactation counselor — I’m a licensed speech-language pathologist with over a decade of NICU experience, a TOTs-trained tongue-tie specialist, a Certified Babywearing Educator, and a newly minted Certified Infant Massage Coach. That range of training means I can see the whole picture when a family is struggling, not just one piece of it. I’ve memorized more bottle types than I care to admit, and I can often get a pretty clear picture of what’s going on from a verbal description alone (though hands-on assessment is always where the real magic happens).
I’m especially excited about bringing infant massage to families in a group setting. There is something so powerful about teaching a parent to use their own hands to comfort, connect with, and support their baby’s development. It’s one of those things that gives back to the whole family.
And what am I most proud of? Honestly, the fact that I show up fully for Pura Vida Lactation & more while also showing up fully as a mom. Building something meaningful in the margins of a demanding career and a full family life is hard. But watching it grow into something that genuinely helps families in Baltimore and beyond makes every late night worth it.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
My husband is my #1 steady. Without his support, none of this would be possible — and I don’t take that for granted for a single day.
My children are my greatest inspiration. They are the reason I understand, on a deeply personal level, what it means to navigate new parenthood with all of its beauty and overwhelm. They remind me every day why this work matters — and provide great content for reels. 😄
My mother deserves a very specific kind of credit — she introduced me to the field of speech-language pathology. Without that, there is no career, no NICU, no Pura Vida. She pointed me toward my purpose before I even knew what it was. And as a dual sport college athlete, my father taught me to never give up — a lesson I carry into every challenge this business throws at me. And, my sister, an occupational therapist, has been both a role model and a collaborator throughout my career. I’ve always looked up to her — and the more I grow in this field, the more I understand how powerful the intersection of our two professions truly is, especially in supporting fragile and medically complex populations.
My NICU families hold a permanent place in my heart. Over the years, some of those relationships have grown far beyond the clinical — we’re talking exchanging cell numbers, following each other’s families grow on social media. Those families trusted me with their most vulnerable moments and their most precious people. That trust is something I carry into every single visit I do in private practice.
And finally — the Baltimore community. I was nervous relocating to a new city and starting over in many ways. But the peers and professionals I have met here have been extraordinarily kind and welcoming. It truly takes a village — and the beautiful thing is, it keeps growing. It feels like every day I meet someone new and amazing to connect and collaborate with. This community continues to surprise and inspire me, and I can’t wait to see where those connections lead.
Pricing:
- Single visit $300
- 2-pack $550
- 3-pack $750
- 4-pack, all-inclusive $995
- prenatal consultation $99
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.puravidalactation.com
- Instagram: puravidalactation
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PuraVidaLactation
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cristin-garfield-ms-ccc-slp-clc-90107711
