About Me
My passion is empowering families to meet their unique parenting and feeding goals when it comes to nurturing their babies. I will listen to your concerns and honor your intuition; you know your baby better than anyone. I encourage you to listen to your instincts when it comes to parenting your child. Every parent/baby pair is unique, every case is different. I help with troubleshooting and brainstorming, provide information, resources and options for your unique situation, your individual goals, all informed by experience, current research and evidence-based practice.
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I'm a mom. I'm passionate about the sacred connection between parents and their babies. I grew up in mid-Michigan, graduated from the University of Michigan, then traveled, studied and lived all around the U.S. before returning to Michigan with my own family in 2016. I have two daughters, both of whom I breastfed.
My own experience with birth and motherhood sparked my interested in the amazing field of lactation. I'm fascinated by the value of human milk for its nutritional and immune properties, as well as by the important role that feeding plays in bonding and development. I have studied many things (psychology, yoga, massage, nutrition), and hadn't landed on a profession that felt just right until I began supporting parents in nurturing their babies.
I was fortunate to study under some of the best lactation professionals (IBCLCs, midwives, doulas, naturopaths & herbalists), and graduate from the Lactation Consultation program at Birthingway College of Midwifery in Portland, Oregon in 2016. After passing my IBCLC board exam I started my practice in Michigan.
I especially love the flexibility of being in private practice, as I'm free to do lengthy visits with my clients, wherever they feel most comfortable.
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What is an IBCLC?
International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, IBCLC, is the highest certification for lactation professionals.
Other providers (physicians, nurses, midwifes, doulas, etc.) may have lactation knowledge and experience, but only IBCLCs meet the rigorous qualifications for lactation-specific classroom education & clinical hours under a certified mentor. IBCLCs are required to receive lactation-specific continuing education every 5 years, so we should be up-to-date on new research and latest information. Not all providers are equally educated or experienced, and not all Lactation Consultants are IBCLCs!
If you have already received lactation advice but are still struggling, there's help out there. It is definitely worthwhile to keep looking until your concerns are addressed, I hope I can help!
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Suspect a tongue tie?
As an IBCLC, I've become increasingly interested in infant oral function. Much of my continuing education has been on this topic, and the more I learn, the more I understand how absolutely important it is! I'm fascinated by how necessary good oral function and posture are not only for feeding, but also for other skills, development and health throughout life.
I've worked with hundreds of tongue-tied babies and their parents, and I understand how impactful ties can be. While I cannot make diagnoses as an IBCLC, we can identify various signs/symptoms commonly associated with ties (e.g. reflux, gas, painful nursing, poor weight gain, etc.), and I can educate and advise about the process of addressing ties, make referrals, direct you towards trusted local resources, and be your consultant throughout the process.
(See blog post about tongue tie for more info).
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