I began this crazy journey as a mama at 22 years old in an isolated part of rural Northeast Georgia. I remember having such little confidence in my own body and even less guidance from experienced breastfeeding women in my life. I had never held a baby or changed a diaper when they finally handed me a little bundle named Jacob who I never got to have skin-to-skin with. 

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That first birth and postpartum period was so traumatic. My body was racked with pain after childbirth, and breastfeeding was painful too. I didn’t understand why it was so hard. I gave up after two weeks but grieved the loss of that experience while battling severe postpartum depression and anxiety.  Times were tough. 

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Nineteen months later, Sara was born.  I was so determined to make breastfeeding work this time and I was lucky to come into a circle of women who supported me and brought forth knowledge, experience and encouragement. This time, breastfeeding was a life-changing experience and there was a moment when all this clicked in my head and in my heart.  I knew that I wanted to devote my life to helping other mamas reach their goals too.

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Harper came along fifteen months after Sara, and while finding my confidence with breastfeeding, I had also gained confidence in my own body to birth my baby without lots of the medical interventions that traumatized me and that I now know had impacted my previous experiences. I had an empowering, un-medicated hospital birth and at this point I was already in school to become a lactation consultant.

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Through the heartaches of a divorce, single motherhood, and multiple moves, I  finally graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Maternal Child Health: Lactation Consulting in 2016 and became an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) in 2017.

In 2019 I married my best friend, Tyler, and in July 2021 we welcomed a new baby boy, River, born peacefully at home in the water.  I cry as I type this, because my experiences have all been so profound, although different. 

I have struggled with breastfeeding to some degree with all my babies, even as an IBCLC.  Support and perseverance were key, as I never could’ve made it alone, and every family on this planet deserves to feel this same level of support.  Families deserve to be met where they are in their feeding journey, to have their goals respected and to know unconditional love and support while having access to skilled clinical feeding support.  That is where I come in. I help families navigate their own paths even when riddled with obstacles like medical complexities, social challenges and helping you and baby safely reach your feeding goals without ever compromising the health of baby or the mental well being of a lactating parent. 

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As an IBCLC and DONA trained birth doula, I continue to serve the families of Western North Carolina with humility and kindness. It’s true that my passions lie in all things birth and breastfeeding, but I also hold a deep love of advocacy and social justice issues, working to ensure everyone can access equitable care and opportunities.

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Many know me from my role at Harris Regional Hospital as an LC for the past almost five years, and my time there helped to ground me in this community in a special way, seeing and hearing the stories of so many families.  As I work to support breastfeeding families and clinicians in the state of North Carolina, I also joined up with the MILK team at NC State University as an IBCLC Mentor, offering a preceptorship to those seeking clinical hours to become an IBCLC, as well as serving as chairperson of the North Carolina Breastfeeding Coalition.

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In my free time, I love movie nights, bike rides and beach trips with my babies and my husband.  It’s important to me to take time to smell their heads and kiss their fingers and toes and get all the hugs I can while they are still little, even though life is pretty chaotic at times.

I’m just a mama.  I have battled so many personal breastfeeding issues: low supply, tongue ties, pain, and more, and I always say that I’m just a mama who needed help, and that help made all the difference.  You can reach your goals too.  Let’s chat about how to get you there!