Mom’s Feeding Frustration Inspires Business

We’re highlighting small businesses from around the country as nominated by you, our readers. If your favorite small business is using Twitter to communicate with customers, let us know about it @fbsmallbiz with the hashtag #mysbc, and it may be featured as an upcoming Small Business Spotlight.

Small Business Spotlight: Latch Love International

Who: Stephanie Donegan, @LatchLove

What: Breastfeeding concierge service

Where: Birmingham, Ala.

When: January 2012

How: Donegan says when she had her son  six years ago , she struggled with breastfeeding after leaving the hospital.

“You have no help,” she said. “Babies seem to do what they are supposed to do in the hospital, and forget what to do once you leave,” she said. “You often give up quickly because of the pain.”

Drawing on her own experience, Donegan created LatchLove, a breast-feeding concierge service that gives prenatal feeding classes, and then also follows up with the mother and baby for two weeks after the birth.

Much of her marketing has been word-of-mouth, and in one year she has grown to 20 employees. In the year to come, Donegan said she hopes to branch out into franchising.

Quote from the owner: “Breastfeeding is natural, but doesn’t always come naturally,” she said. “Mommies quickly find this out and jump on to our services.”