MEET MARY CLAIRE
Mary Claire Burks, MA, CCC-SLP, CLC
•Speech-Language Pathologist • Certified Lactation Counselor • Infant Feeding Specialist
Hi, I’m Mary Claire Burks, the founder of Groove & Grow Baby!
For nearly seven years, I have dedicated my career to helping infants and young children develop the foundational skills needed to feed, communicate, and thrive while also helping mothers navigating maternal supply concerns, breastfeeding challenges, returning to work, and so much more.
I created Groove & Grow to provide families with thoughtful, personalized support that considers the whole child—not simply a single symptom or feeding concern.
MY GOAL: Evaluate & support the “whole-child" as they GROW. Empower the caregiver.
My work is rooted in the belief that feeding involves more than the mouth alone. A child’s oral-motor skills, body tension, positioning, breathing, sensory needs, regulation, and gastrointestinal system can all influence the feeding experience. Looking at the child as a whole helps me better understand the “why” behind feeding challenges and tailor care to their individual needs.
For breastfeeding mothers, the support I provide will also be able to consider maternal medical history, milk supply concerns, painful latching, and breastfeeding challenges/uncertainties for extensive support, guidance, and intervention tailored to YOUR individual needs, goals, and desires.
Understanding the caregiver and family’s goals, experiences, concerns, and what feels manageable in everyday life is equally as important. As a mama of two boys, I appreciate how different each child and each parenting experience can be. What worked for your first baby may look different with your next. Every family deserves an individualized approach.
Over the years, empowering caregivers through education has become one of the most meaningful parts of my work. Families often bring their babies home with limited guidance about feeding, oral development, or what to do when challenges arise. Whether you’re a first-time caregiver or navigating something unfamiliar with another child, you deserve space to ask questions and learn without judgment.
Through clear explanations, hands-on guidance, and practical strategies, I help you understand your child’s needs and the purpose behind our plan. Together, we’ll create a feeding plan that supports your child’s development while honoring your family’s priorities and your well-being.
My goal is for you to feel heard, informed, and confident supporting your child—with encouragement along the way so we can all find our ~groove~ and GROW together!
Experience You Can Trust
Throughout my career, I have completed more than 1,000 infant feeding evaluations and supported families navigating breast- and bottle-feeding difficulties, suspected tethered oral tissues, pre- and post-frenectomy care and support, reflux, body tension, oral-motor weakness, feeding aversion, transition to solids, and other complex feeding concerns.
With nearly 7 years of experience, I have learned from and collaborated with speech-language pathologists, occupational and physical therapists, lactation professionals, ENTs, dentists, pediatricians, gastroenterologists, and other specialists throughout Baton Rouge and surrounding areas.
These clinical experiences have strengthened my commitment to collaborative, evidence-based care that considers both the child’s clinical needs and the caregiver’s goals.
Specialized Training & Continuing Education
My approach is informed by ongoing education in infant feeding, lactation, oral-motor development, tethered oral tissues, orofacial myology, and complex pediatric feeding and swallowing disorders.
Selected Coursework
Make The Connection — Function Focus
IAOM-approved, 28-hour course in the evaluation and treatment of orofacial myofunctional disorders.
Breastfeeding & Lactation Education — Healthy Children Project, Inc., Center for Breastfeeding
Training completed as part of my Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC) education
TOTS: Tethered Oral Tissues Specialty Training®
GoMAP: Guided Oral Movements with Active Patterning for Infant/Toddler Feeding
Supporting Oral Motor Skills in the Infant — Lactation OT
Breastfeeding Assessment and Intervention for Medically Fragile Infants — Lactation OT
The CAN-EAT Approach
Advanced training in complex infant and pediatric feeding and swallowing disorders
A Clinician—and a Mom
As both a clinician and a mom of two young boys, I understand how personal and emotional feeding can feel. Feeding challenges can affect much more than mealtimes—they can influence caregiver confidence, family routines, and the way those earliest moments together are experienced.
My goal is to listen carefully, evaluate the whole child, help caregivers understand the “why” behind their child’s challenges, and create practical recommendations that feel manageable in everyday family life.
I want every caregiver to leave our time together feeling heard, informed, supported, and more confident about what comes next.
Let’s groove & grow together!
Thank you for taking the time to get to know me. As a clinician and a mama, I know how much it matters to find someone who listens, welcomes your questions, and takes your concerns to heart.
I’d love to get to know you and your little one— and work together to make feeding feel more manageable, build your confidence, and celebrate each milestone along the way!