I am a Board Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant  with experience in Primary Care Pediatrics, Lactation, Labor & Delivery, Postpartum, High Risk Antepartum and Newborn Nursery.  I am also a mom of two children who have taught me so much about parenting and the realities of leaving the hospital with a new baby with little support to navigate breastfeeding challenges, sleepless nights and the vulnerability all new parents feel.  

 

Working with families as they navigate their role as new parents has always been a passion for me.   The Fourth Trimester is a term that refers to the first 3 months after a baby is born as they transition to extrauterine life.  At the same time, mother's go through Matrescence which is the process of becoming a mother.  Unfortunately, the United States lacks standardized models and support for postpartum care.  In Europe, it is customary to start planning for the postpartum period before the 3rd trimester and in-home support is standard to help mother and child transition during the first few weeks of the postnatal period.  Through my experiences as a healthcare provider, mother, sister, colleague and friend I have witnessed and assisted so many mothers and their infants navigate the 4th Trimester and their journey into Matrescence, I look forward to the possibility of supporting you or your loved one as they navigate this exciting, overwhelming, scary and exhausting phase of life and be the cheerleader all new parents need (partners included).