I have always had a passion for taking care of babies and began calling it my “job” when I started working in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in 2014, after earning my Bachelors of Science in Nursing (BSN) at Baylor University. I have had the privilege of helping NICU mamas hold their babies for the first time, get their babies latched for the first time, assisting them with positioning, helping them with pumping, and encouraging them along their journey. My passion for breastfeeding really took off after having my daughter in 2017. I began to dream about one day helping other women achieve the bond and success my daughter and I had together for our 19 month lactation journey. When I was on maternity leave after having my son in 2020, the dream resurfaced from the back of my mind. I had other friends having babies at the same time and heard about the struggles some of them were enduring. I wished I could be with each of them, supporting them along their own journeys. I was still breastfeeding my son when I became pregnant with my youngest. One night, he nursed ALL.NIGHT.LONG. and to my surprise, the next morning he never nursed again. Our 17 month journey came to an abrupt end, but was somewhat welcomed since I suffered from hyperemesis gravidarum for the 5 months prior while nursing him. Life became very busy with three littles, 5 and under, once our youngest was born - I had a nursling again (and still do at almost 3 years old!), I was juggling working night shift & trying to be fully present on my days off, and our family was operating in survival mode - my dream was once again, just that, a dream. As I began to s l o w l y see things more clearly beneath the heavy cloud of postpartum mood and anxiety disorder, I began re-evaluating many aspects of my life, and felt called in a new way to support other mamas in their postpartum journey. I knew I needed to finally start making this dream a reality. I became a Certified Breastfeeding Specialist (CBS) and Marigold Latchworks was born! I sat for my boards in September 2024 and became an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). Along with Marigold Latchworks, I still enjoy working part-time in the NICU. I am so excited you are here & look forward to supporting you & helping you meet your own lactation goals!