About Melissa Block

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Melissa is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), Certified in Perinatal Mental Health (PMH-C) an administrator for the Chicago Breastfeeding Collective, an accredited Breastfeeding USA Counselor and past Vice President for the Northern Illinois Lactation Consultant Association. She co-founded the North Suburbs chapter of Breastfeeding USA. Melissa is also a preceptor for lactation consultant students enrolled in the University of California, San Diego lactation consultant program.

After nine successful years in the business world, Melissa found her passion as soon as she started nursing her first-born. Melissa quickly became active with several breastfeeding organizations and educated herself with every resource she could get her hands on. Melissa found herself helping dozens of her friends overcome their breastfeeding challenges and, at the prompting and encouragement of those friends, Melissa decided to make a career of her passion.

Melissa is a tethered oral tissues (TOTs) trained IBCLC and a member of The International Affiliation of Tongue-tie Professionals. She has completed extensive education and training on lip ties, tongue ties and buccal ties. She confidently supports the dyad throughout the entire process of assessment, treatment and aftercare and partners with qualified providers in Chicagoland for frenectomy diagnosis and bodywork.

Melissa lives in Highland Park, Illinois, with her husband, three children and 95 lb Goldendoodle Rocky. She collectively has 6 years of her own personal breastfeeding experience under her belt.

Credentials:

International Board Certified Lactation Consultant

(#156382 expires 12/31/2024)

Perinatal Mental Health Certified

(Postpartum Support International April 2023)

Certified Lactation Consultant

(AALP #241397 expires 6/30/2025)

Northern Illinois Lactation Consultant Association

(Vice President 2020-2022)

Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorders: Components of Care

(Postpartum Support International - Course Completion Certificate 2022)

Breastfeeding USA Counselor

(Certified 2017)

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Melissa has successfully completed over 50 hours of oral habilitation and tongue tie education. Melissa has worked with thousands of families and collaborates with pediatric dentists, SLPs and bodyworkers to give families the support they need when it comes to tethered oral tissues. Melissa conducts a thorough health history and symptom evaluation for both the feeding parent and baby to guide families towards diagnosis and treatment of oral restrictions.

About Jill Aspinwall

Jill has been an IBCLC for 7 years. She has personal experience breastfeeding her own three children for a total of eleven years. Formerly an OB Tech, Jill Aspinwall assisted on the BFHI committee at NW Kishwaukee Hospital. She currently provides IBCLC services to parent/baby dyads in postpartum and NICU at Rush Copley Medical Center in Aurora, IL.

About Jennie Meyer

Jennie is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and La Leche League Leader. She has previously worked as a Postpartum Doula as well as an Elementary School Teacher. She has two kids of her own, both of whom were breastfed for a long time, and she has personally experienced the challenges of late preterm babies and readmissions for jaundice related issues. Jennie loves helping families work toward feeding goals step by step, supporting them throughout their journies!

About Gretchen Monday

Gretchen is a Registered Nurse, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (RN IBCLC). She is a proud military veteran of the United States Army Nurse Corps. Gretchen has extensive nursing experience in Maternal-Child with rotations in Labor and Delivery, Pediatrics, and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). She began her nursing career in 2012, became a certified lactation educator in 2014, and obtained her IBCLC in 2016. She has worked as a hospital IBCLC for both the inpatient and outpatient population, pausing to move across country from Washington State to the Chicago area for a year and a half and has since returned to the beautiful Pacific North West. Gretchen has three energic little boys, she nursed her first two for 2+ years each while on active duty and is currently nursing her youngest. Her passion and support for breastfeeding developed at a young age as her mother is a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) nurse who is also an RN IBCLC. Gretchen specializes in the establishment of milk supply, breastfeeding and the working mother, breast pumps, and long term breastfeeding.

About Sara Pop

Sara is a Certified Maternal Newborn Nurse and an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (RNC-MNN, IBCLC). Sara has several years of Maternal Newborn nursing experience and it was the time she spent working with these mothers that spearheaded her desire to grow her lactation knowledge. Sara now has several years of lactation experience working with mothers and infants in Postpartum, Antepartum, NICU and Labor and Delivery. Sara has additional training and experience in working with infants who have tethered oral tissues (TOTs) and is an active member of the United States Lactation Consultant Association (USLCA). She regularly attends conferences and seminars to stay up to date with the best lactation practices. Sara still works within the hospital setting in addition to providing outpatient services. She loves to work with families to provide the support they need in helping them achieve their feeding goals. 

About Tera Shapiro

Tera is a Registered Nurse, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (RN, IBCLC). Tera’s passion for serving women and families was born during her 14 years as a Labor and Delivery nurse. Tera’s experience breastfeeding her own three children showed her that great support can make all the difference in a breastfeeding journey. She is honored to be able to offer that support with patience and care to help families reach their breastfeeding goals. Tera currently provides outpatient lactation care to families in the Milwaukee area.

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