Influential Woman · Speech pathology and lactation consulting
Sarah Leong
Infant Feeding Specialist, Leong Lactation LLC
Cincinnati, OH
Her Story
About Sarah
Sarah Leong is a speech pathologist and lactation consultant with seven years of experience since 2019. She studied speech pathology in undergraduate and graduate school and began her career at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, the nation's top children's hospital, where she worked across outpatient and inpatient settings including the cardiac ICU. There she developed a passion for infant feeding and later became a certified lactation counselor before transitioning to private practice in Cincinnati, OH. In her practice she supports families with breastfeeding, bottle feeding, and other infant feeding needs, always prioritizing the parents' definition of success. She is a member of ASHA, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Sarah attributes her success to incredible parental support that enabled her to attend top graduate school and practice at a prestigious hospital, as well as her husband and family's encouragement in starting her business despite imposter syndrome. She volunteers with Young Lives supporting teen moms and serves as infant/toddler coordinator at her church. Her core values are integrity, a strong work ethic, and compassion, all rooted in her faith.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Sarah
01What do you attribute your success to?
I am so thankful for the opportunities that I've had, having incredible parental support throughout my life that enabled me to go to the number one graduate school and practice at the number one children's hospital. I'm also grateful for my husband and family's support in starting my own business despite imposter syndrome.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Explore all possibilities because speech pathology has a wide scope of practice. Go into it with an open mind, learning as much as you can and working diligently to build a strong foundation in the sciences, anatomy, and physiology.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Many women intend to breastfeed but face systemic barriers like short maternity leave, lack of pumping accommodations at work, and difficulty accessing skilled professional support. Breastfeeding is complicated and requires identifying root causes in the mother-baby dyad.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Integrity is huge because my faith is a big part of my life. I give 110% to every patient and family. Hard work ethic is the only option, and compassion drives me since we go into this profession to help people and make a difference in their lives.
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