I became a registered nurse in 2005 with a desire to help people. My nursing career has spanned working in the hospital setting and as a public health, home care nurse. I was blessed with my first child in 2009, and my breastfeeding journey began. Throughout the years, I struggled at times with nursing my own three children and I sought help from skilled lactation consultants and La Leche League (a volunteer breastfeeding organization).

These experiences inspired me to strengthen my knowledge base in the lactation field. In 2013, I became accredited as a La Leche League leader and began helping mothers and babies navigate their own successful breastfeeding relationships. In 2015, I became a Certified Breastfeeding Specialist. I achieved the gold standard in lactation care by becoming an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant in 2016.

I have been a Registered Nurse for 18 years, and an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant for 7 years. I breastfed my own children for 8 years and was a La Leche League Leader for 3 years. One of my children was diagnosed as an infant with a rare, severe food allergy called Food Protein Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome (FPIES). I was able to successfully breastfeed on an elimination diet under the care of some of the best doctors and nutritionists in that field and learned so much. I knew there was a lot I could give back and created Love and Wellness Lactation.

I have professional experience helping families with alternative feeding methods such as: tube feeding, finger feeding, syringe feeding, cup feeding, spoon feeding, tube at breast, and supplemental nursing systems. I have helped families with pumping plans, oversupply, low milk supply, engorgement, mastitis, preparing to return to work, blebs, FPIES, food allergies, elimination diets, breastfeeding after breast reduction surgery or breast augmentation / implants, nipple pain, nipple damage, inverted nipples, flat nipples, nipple shields, tongue tie, lip tie, supporting families after frenotomy, breastfeeding while pregnant, paced bottle feeding, helping exclusively pumping parents to get baby back to breast/chest, helping exclusively breastfed babies learn to take a bottle, and breastfeeding the baby with torticollis.

I have worked in both the inpatient hospital setting as well as outpatient setting as a lactation consultant giving me the benefit of a whole patient experience. I also continue to receive additional training attending conferences and educational offerings to provide my patients with exceptional evidence based care.