Nourishing Roots: Meet Taylor Silver, Your Local Guide to Nutrition Throughout Motherhood

We're thrilled to introduce Taylor Silver, RD, IBCLC. Taylor is a compassionate expert in women’s health, infant development, and nutrition. Our interview with Taylor highlights her profound knowledge and skills and her deep passion for nurturing the next generation right from their first moments.

A Journey Fueled by Passion and Purpose

Taylor's journey into the world of women's health and nutrition began early in her life. As a young girl, she was fascinated by prenatal anatomy and the miracles of birth and baby care.

When I asked Taylor how she came to her current roles as a dietitian and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant she shared

“I was the weird little kid with my nose in textbooks about prenatal anatomy and watching all the birthing/baby shows I could find.  I explored many different avenues including neonatologist, labor and delivery nurse, midwife, etc. but never did I imagine I would have the role I have now. I first became interested in nutrition after coming across a Time Magazine article about “how the first 9 months shape the rest of your life”, looking at recent science on prenatal nutrition and epigenetics. This blew my mind and led me down the path of dietetics. As I continued in my education, I learned more about lactation specialists and how I could not only help women grow healthy babies in utero, but I could also support women in feeding their babies after birth as well. Ultimately, this combination of nutrition and lactation felt like my perfect path and has only been strengthened by my clinical, community and personal experiences.”

Tailored Services for Every Family's Need

What sets Taylor apart is her holistic approach to healthcare. Whether through home visits under the Utah Breastfeeding and Tongue Tie Center or telehealth consultations for infants and toddlers with food allergies via Free to Feed, Taylor’s services are extensive and comprehensive. She offers prenatal breastfeeding classes, virtual sessions on baby-led weaning, and provides support in fertility, pregnancy, postpartum, and pediatric nutrition. Her approach is empathetic, holistic, and above all, empowering.

”I can assist with various lactation and breastfeeding challenges including, pain with nursing, latch issues, milk supply, infant weight gain troubles, pumping, bottle feeding, tethered oral tissues and more! Secondly, I am a consultant for Free to Feed, where I work with families all over the world using telehealth regarding infants and toddlers with food allergies. I help them navigate breastfeeding, elimination diets, infant feeding and starting solids. I also offer a fantastic prenatal breastfeeding class with USU extension as well as a virtual class all about solids and baby led weaning offered quarterly with Utah Breastfeeding and Tongue Tie Center. I am also available for nutrition counseling regarding fertility, pregnancy, and postpartum in addition to pediatric nutrition. 

For someone working with me, they can expect a dedicated healthcare professional that listens, empathizes, supports their goals (whatever they may be), thinks outside the box, looks at things holistically and works as a team with them to come up with sustainable solutions so that they feel empowered and supported.”

Personal Experience Fuels Professional Expertise

Taylor's own journey as a mother, particularly navigating the challenges of food allergies with her son, has given her a deeper understanding and empathy for the families she supports. This personal connection to her work enriches her professional approach, making her guidance all the more relatable and effective. Taylor describes that some of the best parts of her job are the close connections she forms with her clients and seeing them find success and empowerment through such a vulnerable experience. In Taylors words:

“There have been many families that I have worked with over the duration of their entire breastfeeding journey. Some, working through or overcoming incredibly difficult challenges. I feel so proud of all the mothers that I have worked closely with, shared tears with and celebrated with in some of their most vulnerable times. No matter if they provide breastmilk for a week, a month, a year, or five. No matter how feeding ended up looking for them. No matter if they met their original goal or if it had to change. Many tell me things like “I don’t know what I would have done without you”, “I feel so heard when no one seemed to hear me before”, “I couldn’t have done it without your support and guidance”, etc. This fills my cup and keeps me doing what I am doing because everyone deserves someone to support them as they learn this new skill and navigate feeding as well as parenthood.”

More Than Just Nutrition

For Taylor, the joy of motherhood is deeply intertwined with the process of providing nourishment. Her experience of feeding her son—from prenatal nutrition to breastmilk, and then introducing him to solid foods—has been one of the greatest joys of her life. Taylor’s aim is to leverage her expertise to educate and support other women in nourishing their babies. She firmly believes that how we feed our children in their early years can significantly shape their lifelong relationship with food and their overall health.

Taylor emphasizes the importance of professional support in dietetics and lactation, something she learned firsthand when breastfeeding her own son. The depth of knowledge and personalized care that professionals like her offer cannot be replicated by online resources alone. Her goal is to make every mother feel heard, seen, and understood.

“We have an overwhelming amount of information at our fingertips with a quick google search. Many think that they can learn all they need to know with resources online and try to figure it out on their own. I myself fell into this trap when breastfeeding my own son and was very reluctant to reach out for professional support and it caused so many tears and heartache. I think a few things that many don’t realize is the depth of knowledge that RDs and IBCLCs have. We look at the whole picture and take so many things into account when working through problems. Also, what worked for someone in your family or online might not be what works for you, or it could potentially have other consequences if not done right or monitored closely. Another thing we don’t tend to value enough is how impactful, healing and nurturing it is to be able to express everything that you are feeling and have someone truly hear you, see you and tell you that you are not alone. I really believe that one’s goals can be achieved with proper support. In addition, these services can oftentimes be covered by insurance and may be completely free to the client, which many don’t realize.”

Nutrition from Conception to Toddlerhood

Taylor’s expertise shines in how she supports families through different phases – from conception to toddlerhood. She understands the vital role of nutrition in the first 1,000 days of a child’s life, influencing everything from fertility and pregnancy symptoms to a baby's oral development and relationship with food. Her job is to guide families through these chapters, making eating and feeding enjoyable and stress-free.

“Nutrition during the first 1,000 days, from conception to toddlerhood, is a vital time for laying the biochemical building blocks of lifelong health. Our bodies can only function as good as the fuel we are putting in our mouths and during this critical time of growth the impact is grand. Starting at the beginning, optimal nutrition can increase fertility, hormone balance and conception success. During pregnancy there are high nutrient demands to support your hardworking body in growing a healthy baby. Things like energy levels, pregnancy symptoms, diabetes and preeclampsia can all be influenced and managed by adequate nutrition. In the postpartum period, nutrient-dense foods can impact mom’s healing and recovery as well as breast milk production and composition of breastmilk. Into further milestones, the way in which we introduce complementary foods can impact one’s oral development and emotional relationship with food. Toddlerhood often brings pickiness and concerns from parents but there are ways to ensure nutritional adequacy without the mealtime battles and stress. My job is to support, educate and guide a family through every chapter of this journey. Eating and feeding can be simple and enjoyable.”

Nourishing Families, One Meal at a Time

Taylor Silver is more than just a dietitian and lactation consultant; she's a guiding light for families navigating the complex world of nutrition and feeding. Her blend of professional expertise, personal experience, and compassionate care makes her an invaluable resource for anyone looking to nourish their family healthily and happily.

If you would like to reach out to Taylor you can find her at:

TaylorSilver.RD@gmail.com

435-227-5022

https://www.utahbreastfeedingandtonguetie.com/taylor-silver

https://www.freetofeed.com/taylor?locale=en