Meet Danielle Gauss | Booby Fairy

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

Hi Danielle, what’s something about your industry that outsiders are probably unaware of?
I do practice quite differently in my practice than most IBCLCs. I incorporate acupressure points along with position changes, cranial sacral therapy, and a little bit of booby fairy dust. I find that when the mother understands how her body works, how the milk making process is made, how her baby’s neurological system works, how the pressure points they are born with can actually help centralize the nervous system and allow for a calmer more effective journey, the experience becomes not only easier, but fun and empowering. My specialties include low milk supply, MTHFR, and the diagnosis and treatment of oral ties (tongue, lip, cheek ties) and is my goal to educate doctors and parents on the new findings of just how impactful ties can be on your overall health. Statistics now show that about 75% of the population has some form of oral ties resulting in life long problems. It goes so far beyond just breastfeeding. Imagine how much healthier and happier these kids and families would be if we were able to support them with evidence based knowledge from the start. That is easier said than done, but I feel that it is so important to help the mother find the ‘why’ in how her breastfeeding journey may have gone awry, correct it, and provide tools and understanding for her to be successful vs creating a space that enforces any form of mom guilt. Too often I see the medical community placing blame on the mother when in reality it has to do with anatomy and a lack of education and understanding on the providers end and nothing to do with the mother what so ever. When we focus on the baby’s overall health and tools to empower the mother to succeed, the confidence in her ability to parent grows. I created the Gauss method which incorporates both anatomical position changes combined with acupressure and cranial sacral therapy in an easy to follow step by step guide to help the mother achieve breastfeeding success. I recently wrote a book entitled ” The Booby Fairy’s Guide To Breastfeeding” that goes into detail how the process works, from the point of view of being in a consult with me. It truly is different than any other breastfeeding book out there. I also have included several chapters about topics no one ever talks about. I found it crucial to explain to new families everything that no one tells you about. I talk about sex, relationships post baby. Depression, going back to work, pumping, when survivors of assault become parents, and so much more. The book is a very real, raw, highly educational, easy to read guide into all things breastfeeding. I also share my very personal stories in hopes of mothers being able to relate to me. I have been in their shoes, I get it, and I have got them! Parental anxiety is a fierce beast, and if families are not given basic tools with evidence based knowledge, that beast will take root and cause complete unrest. My legacy I pray is one that has done nothing short of providing confidence, peace, and encouragment.

What should our readers know about your business?
Although I have been in the mother baby field for close to 20 years, my real passion is with the controversial subject of tongue ties. A topic that has been getting a lot of press lately. Along with my two fabulous business partners Dr. Rosanne Berger, DDS, IBCLC and Dr. Michelle Weaver, DC, IBCLC we founded what we call “Tongue Tie Tribe”. We know it takes a village, so welcome to our tribe. We are the first in house collaborative team for new moms and babies with feeding issues. We are all mom’s of tied children, who suffered life long consequences of being ignored by other medical professionals who refused to keep learning about oral tethering. Individually we were finding ourselves picking up the pieces of mother’s and babies who were suffering and not receiving the care they so deserved. Mother’s just want their babies to thrive and so often they are dismissed. We knew we could provide a space for new families where we could have a conservative, collaborative approach to infant feeding. We truly believe that collaboration is the best care. I have learned so much from each of them and we push each other to be better each day. You have to keep learning. I always say if I am done learning than it is time for me to quit. Never stop thinking outside the box. Never stop fighting for what you believe it, never stop seeking the answers.
We are Orange County’s premiere CO2 laser frenectomy center for infants with a one of a kind, never before seen team, consisting of California’s first children’s dentist to become an IBCLC lactation consultant Dr. Rosanne Berger, DDS, IBCLC, bestselling author and social media expert lactation consultant Danielle Gauss, IBCLC, CST aka “The Booby Fairy”, frenectomy trained infant Chiropractor Dr. Michelle Weaver, DC, IBCLC. Together these three have created the Tongue Tie Tribe. Unlike most tongue tie release centers which may take a more aggressive approach, our focus is to see the baby as a whole, and treat our patients in the most gentle, holistic, conservative approach possible. We focus on preparing the baby with myofascial release and suck training prior to the frenectomy procedure to ensure faster more efficient healing. We also have an Speech Language Pathologist who we work with closely for infants who need additional therapy and care to ensure better rehabilitation of your child’s tongue. We look at healthcare in a preventative approach.

Tongue ties effect a person their entire life and have been linked to: Sleep Apnea, enlarged adenoids and tonsils, TMJ disorders and pain, migraines and headaches, slow growth, poor sleep, picky eating, speech issues, orthodontic issues, ear infections, tonsillectomies, even ADHD. Our goal is to catch ties early to prevent unnecessary procedures and treatments later on in life. Our primary focus is aftercare. No other center offers immediate chiropractic body work, with additional follow up bodywork, 2 lactation consults, craniosacral therapy, acupressure calming techniques, and suck training. Parenting is hard enough without the confusion of contrasting opinions. Our office is located in Costa Mesa, CA. You can find more info about us at www.tonguetietribe.com or on instagram @daniellegaussibclc @tonguetietribe and on TikTok

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would start with a visit to the quaint town of San Juan Capistrano and take a trip through the mission exploring the beautiful history, with lunch at the Los Rios Tea house, wine tasting at the vine, and happy hour at Trevor’s on the track I side the historic train car, where the food is excellent. Our second day would be a trip to Laguna Beach to explore the hidden natural pools, crisp beaches and tide pools. After a visit to the Candy Baron where you can find any and every type of candy, I would explore the many art galleries including my favorite the Kush gallery right on the water. The final stop of our mini trip would be to Orange Circle where you step back in time to 1950. Surrounded with vintage and antique stores, historic sites and finish with dinner at my favorite Italian restaurant “Francolis” . As we head back home we would make one final stop at “The Cauldron ice cream shop” for red velvet cake batter waffle cones with decadent flavors of creamy ice cream.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
First I would not be here if it weren’t for my faith. I have not had an easy road and have encountered countless obstacles, but if it weren’t for my Faith in the Fight with Jesus I would not be able to continue on. That being said, if I had to pick anyone it would be my daughters Alyssa and Alaina Marie, as without them I would not be doing what I do today. . After the birth of my eldest daughter and her sister that followed 21 months later I realized that all the time of pregnancy is spent preparing mothers for the birth of the baby, but no one realistically prepares you for how to feed your baby. Breastfeeding was horrible for me in the beginning. My baby had tongue ties (which I didn’t know was the root cause of many of her ailments throughout life) . It was painful, she was miserable, and my postpartum depression was awful. I will never forget staring at my baby with tears in my eyes, and deciding right then and there that no woman should have to go through what I went through. I changed careers on the spot and went back to school to become a lactation consultant. The schooling and journey was definitely more intense than I anticipated but worth every minute.
In my life I have had to definitely endure some tough situations. I feel like it is important to be transparent and open with my patients and peers as much as I can since life is one big lesson. I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason, and that difficult, even traumatic situations that test your resilience can make you stronger and inspire someone else going through the same thing. This is one thing I preach to my patients. When in doubt check it out. When doctors are saying nothing is wrong but your mom gut says otherwise, LISTEN TO IT!! You will be right. My daughters inspire me daily to be better and push harder. Both have endured some pretty substantial life threatening conditions, and showed me how to step up and be strong. They are my inspiration. Alaina Marie, is a songwriter who just released her first single and soon to be album called “Red Flags” that is all about overcoming traumas in our life. My other

daughter Alyssa is about to become a theater teacher to inspire kids’ confidence. They push me to be better each and every day.

Website: https://www.tonguetietribe.com

Instagram: daniellegaussibclc

Other: TikTok theboobyfairy