I've been in the room.
That's why you can
trust what I teach.
~20 years of clinical practice, a DrPH, and a genuine love for the lactation professionals who are doing this hard, important work every day.
I didn't plan to build a platform. I planned to help people.
I got into lactation because I cared — about families, about the science, about doing the work right. What I didn't expect was how isolated the field could feel. How hard it was to find mentors who told you the truth. How much was being watered down.
So I kept going deeper. The MPH, the DrPH, the clinical hours, the exam cycles — not because I needed another credential, but because the families I work with deserve a practitioner who takes this seriously.
And somewhere along the way, I started sharing what I was learning. The podcast came first. Then the courses. Then the meetup — which is honestly the thing I look forward to most every month.
If you're here, you probably care about this work the way I do. That's exactly who I built this for.
Beyond the credentials
How I got to where I am
Founded a La Leche League group
Started and led a La Leche League group — the start of a lifelong commitment to breastfeeding support, community, and peer-to-peer education.
BS in Maternal Child Health + IBCLC certified
Earned my Bachelor of Science in Maternal Child Health and IBCLC certification — then went straight to work in inpatient lactation, building the clinical foundation that shapes everything I teach today.
Building the outpatient breastfeeding clinic
Built and ran an outpatient breastfeeding clinic from the ground up — while simultaneously working full-time inpatient. Eight years of clinical depth that became the foundation of how I think and teach today.
Community donor human milk bank
Managed community outreach programs at a donor human milk bank, focused on racial and geographic equity in access. Where public health and lactation first came together for me.
MPH + Naperville Lactation + Pathway 2 faculty
Earned my Master of Public Health from Benedictine University, opened Naperville Lactation, and began teaching the IBCLC Pathway 2 program — all in the same year.
Launched Behind the Latch
Started the podcast because I couldn't find the kind of evidence-based, no-fluff lactation content I actually wanted to listen to. Now 120+ episodes in.
DrPH — Tulane University
Earned my Doctor of Public Health from Tulane's School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.
Building what I needed and couldn't find
Naperville Lactation. Pathway 2 Instructor. NLCA Board Secretary. Policy work with IPHA on Illinois Medicaid lactation coverage. And a growing community of lactation professionals who take the work as seriously as I do.
Trained across lactation,
public health, and education
The peer-to-peer foundation of it all — trained and accredited to support breastfeeding families in community and lead local La Leche League groups.
Undergraduate foundation in maternal and child health sciences — the beginning of a career built on evidence, clinical rigor, and genuine care for families.
The gold standard in lactation care — the credential that sets clinically trained practitioners apart.
Graduate training in maternal and child health, population-level thinking, and evidence-based public health practice.
The highest professional degree in public health — focused on advancing practice, policy, and the field itself.
An approved clinical supervisor for IBCLC candidates completing their lactation-specific clinical hours through Pathway 2.
There's a place for you here.
Whether you're studying for the exam, building your practice, or looking for a community that gets the complexity of this work — join us.