About
Dr. Emily Spaeth
PT, DPT, IBCLC, CNT, TIP
Neonatal physical therapist, lactation consultant, educator, and founder of Be Well Baby®
Helping clinicians see the whole picture of infant feeding.
Invite Dr. Emily to SpeakExplore the Functional Lactation Intensive
Speaking
Clinical depth, practical tools
Emily speaks to physical therapists, occupational therapists, lactation consultants, neonatal teams, and perinatal providers about infant feeding as a whole-body, whole-family process. Her talks blend NICU-level clinical depth with practical tools clinicians can use the next day.
Signature topics
- Breastfeeding as the First Movement Milestone
- Understanding Infants: Reflexes, State Regulation, and Feeding
- Positioning for Stable Breastfeeding in the NICU
- Trauma-Informed Perinatal Pelvic Health
- Infant Massage for Improved Breastfeeding Outcomes
- The NICU-to-Home Transition
Featured Expert In
and more
★ Finalist, Best Physical Therapist and Best Physical Therapy Clinic, Willamette Week Best of Portland 2026
From the NICU to the whole picture
Dr. Emily Spaeth is a physical therapist, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, and Certified Neonatal Therapist whose work lives where infant movement, development, and feeding meet.
She began her career as the lead physical therapist in the level IV NICU at OHSU Doernbecher Children's Hospital. There she trained occupational and physical therapists in neonatal care, designed competencies for nurses and residents in developmentally appropriate, trauma-informed care, mentored OT and PT doctoral students, and built the unit's infant massage program from the ground up.
In 2022 she founded Be Well Baby®, a multidisciplinary perinatal and infant care practice in Portland, Oregon known for taking on the most complex feeding journeys. That clinical work showed her the same pattern again and again: every provider on a family's team was seeing one slice of the problem. Birth history, reflexes, state regulation, posture, oral motor function, and the lactating parent were rarely being looked at together.
Today her focus is education. Emily teaches clinicians across disciplines to see the full functional picture of the feeding dyad, so more families get answers sooner and more babies thrive. Her mission is to raise the standard of perinatal care so every family feels educated, involved, heard, and validated.
Selected engagements
2026
- APTA Combined Sections Meeting
A Trauma-Informed Approach to Perinatal Pelvic Health: Centering Safety, Autonomy, & Nervous System Regulation - APTA Combined Sections Meeting
Understanding Infants: Reflexes, State Regulation, and Breastfeeding as the Foundational Motor Milestone - GOLD Neonatal Online Conference
From Containment to Coordination: Positioning for Stable Breastfeeding/Chestfeeding in the NICU - Northwest Regional Education Service District
NICU Transition to Home - Dandle•LION Medical
Positioning for Stable Breastfeeding in the NICU - Babylist Health
Labor 101, Pain Management in Labor, and Breastfeeding Prep (live classes, ongoing)
2025
- APTA Pediatrics Annual Conference
Infant Massage for Improved Breastfeeding Outcomes - Oregon Chapter of APTA Annual Conference
The Physical Therapist's Role in Breastfeeding as the First Movement Milestone - National Association of Neonatal Therapists
Innovative Management of Umbilical Hernias - ACA Symposium on Women's Health: Postpartum & Neonatal Health
Supporting Infant Mental Health: Bridging the Gap in the 4th Trimester - POWER
How Optimism, Time Blindness, and a Fear of Opinions Made Me an Entrepreneur
2024
- APTA Pediatrics Annual Conference
Infant Massage for Improved Breastfeeding Outcomes (Practice Fair)
Teaching
Teaching & continuing education
Academic
- Adjunct Faculty, Pacific University, School of Physical Therapy & Athletic Sciences (2021–Present): Physical Agents (Massage Module) and Pediatric Neuromuscular System
- APTA Credentialed Clinical Instructor
Continuing education courses created by Dr. Emily
- Understanding Infants: Reflexes, Skills, & Temperament, Carol Gray Center for CST Studies (in person, 2025–Present)
- Craniosacral Therapy for Infant Feeding, The Lactation OT (2026)
- Infant Development for Better Breastfeeding (0–6 Months), The Lactation OT (2024)
- Advanced Postpartum Massage for Lactation Support, The Lactation OT (2023)
- Bodywork for Better Breastfeeding, The Lactation OT (2022)
Now enrolling
The Functional Lactation Intensive
Emily's live, cohort-based program for PTs, OTs, and IBCLCs who want to master complex feeding cases by seeing the whole functional picture. Founding cohort begins January 2027.
Learn About the IntensiveCommunity leadership
- Founder & Facilitator, Perinatal Business Alliance (2023–Present): quarterly gatherings for the PTs, OTs, SLPs, chiropractors, physicians, IBCLCs, massage therapists, doulas, midwives, dentists, and other providers caring for pregnant and postpartum people and babies in the greater Portland area
- Low-cost multidisciplinary infant feeding & development clinic, Be Well Baby® (2026–Present)
- Director, Portland Oregon Women Entrepreneurs Roundtable (POWER) (2023–2026)
- Volunteer bodyworker and Teaching Assistant, Carol Gray Center for CST Studies (2022–Present)
- Low-cost postpartum support group, Be Well Baby® @ Alma Midwifery (2022–2026)
Education & credentials
Education
- Doctor of Physical Therapy, Samuel Merritt University (2018)
- Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Medical Certificate, Mills College (2014)
- BA, Sociology, Willamette University (2011)
Licensure & certification
- Licensed Physical Therapist (Oregon)
- International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC)
- Certified Neonatal Therapist (CNT)
- Certified Trauma Informed Professional (TIP)
Advanced training
- Advanced Infant and Peripartum Craniosacral Therapy, Carol Gray Center for CST Studies
- SOFFI Feeding Method Certification
- Herman & Wallace Pelvic Floor Level 1; Pregnancy & Postpartum Rehabilitation
- Certified Infant Massage Teacher II (CIMT II)
- Evidence Based Birth® Instructor
- Body Ready Method® Certified Active Pro
- Registered Prenatal Yoga Teacher (RPYT)
- IGNITE Mentorship Program for Neonatal Therapists
Industry consulting
Clinical Consultant, Babylist Health (2026–Present)
Developed the curriculum and course design for Babylist's health education classes, and serves as the expert instructor for expectant parents in live classes.
Clinical Consultant, Dandle•LION Medical (2025–Present)
Created the Pumping Essentials™ clinical framework (Fit, Comfort, Cleanliness, Accessibility, Effectiveness) and is developing a multi-module video training series that helps hospitals implement evidence-based pump and flange fit protocols, so more babies go home on breastmilk.
Media & writing
- Host, The Be Well Baby Podcast
- Featured expert in online publications: Babylist, Parents, The Washington Post, Expectful, Care.com, and more
- Guest expert, New Mom School & Papillion Collective
- Author, Be Well Baby Blog (and forthcoming publications)
- Peer-reviewed publication: Mallari B, Spaeth EK, Goh H, Boyd BS. Virtual reality as an analgesic for acute and chronic pain in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Pain Res. 2019;12:2053–2085.
Work with Dr. Emily
Speaking & hospital training
Conferences, grand rounds, DPT and residency programs, and team trainings.
Invite Dr. Emily to SpeakFunctional Lactation Intensive
For clinicians ready to take on complex feeding cases with confidence.
Join the Founding CohortIndustry & education partnerships
Curriculum development, clinical frameworks, and expert content for brands serving families.
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