Mihoko

Aloha! My name is Mihoko Yacavone and I am an International Board Certified
Lactation Consultant and a Registered Dietitian. I was born in Japan but our family
moved a lot and I spent my younger days living in California, Singapore and Japan. Yes,
it was definitely tough at times having to move every 4 years but living in different parts
of the world has shaped my interest in continued learning and the importance of
respecting people, their value systems, and embracing cultural differences. I suppose, in
addition to the natural beauty of Hawaii, the diversity and cohesiveness of cultures is one
of the reasons that initially drew me to the islands and has kept me here on Oahu for over
20 years!

My interest in breastfeeding was found when I was a student, studying Nutrition. After
all, we cannot discuss infant nutrition without mentioning breastmilk! The more I
learned, the more I continued to be in awe at how breastmilk is perfectly made with the
precise nutritional needs of a newborn baby and all the health benefits afforded to baby
and mom. With this in mind, I knew I wanted to be involved in supporting breastfeeding
and I have been doing exactly that for the past 11 years in a clinical/community setting.
As a dietitian, I was fascinated because of the nutritional & health benefits but my
passion to become a lactation consultant grew after having my 2 daughters. . . To be
honest, I was feeling pretty confident that I would be able to breastfeed my baby when I
first became pregnant...However, that quickly changed when my daughter arrived
prematurely with jaundice and a tongue tie.

After going through cracked/bleeding nipples, clogged ducts, thrush and all sorts of other
things, I was able to breastfeed my baby and that was all because of the support I had
from family, friends and colleagues. It was evidence based information, various
techniques, and above all, the genuine compassion that I received from my breastfeeding
ohana that helped me get through my challenges. It was a tremendously empowering
experience and that is what I strive to provide to all my clients.

Seeing hundreds of newborn babies and parents, I have come to realize that each
mom/dad is an expert of their own body and their baby's needs. Therefore, I am
committed to listening to the challenges and needs of my clients so that they can achieve
their personal feeding goals by providing evidence based information and unbiased
support. I strive to have tools that suit each family’s needs, whether its evidence base
information and techniques (trust me on this, I have a master’s degree in Nutritional
Science, enjoy biochemistry, and love to understand how things work so that I may also
explain these things to my clients). I am also passionate about offering/teaching different
breast massage techniques and answering any nutrition questions!

It is an honor to support families as they embark on their breastfeeding journey and there
may be challenges you experience on your journey as well; but, rest assured, I am here to
guide you and support you through the process so that you have confidence in your
technique, feel empowered with an understanding of the issues and how to resolve them,
and experience the wonderful gift of breastfeeding and the benefits to you and your baby
that will last a lifetime.