I'm Katie, a registered nurse, an IBCLC, and a mom of four (three daughters and one son). I see patients throughout Indianapolis, and I spend my days driving to families' homes to help them figure out breastfeeding.

That's the professional summary. But it doesn't really explain why I do this.

What actually happened

When I breastfed my first daughter, things went smoothly, I felt confident in my breastfeeding abilities. However, I didn't know what I didn't know. When my second daughter came along, it was a completely different story. Severe latching pain from day one, and I had no idea that help even existed. I muscled through it because I thought that's just what you did.

It wasn't until my third daughter that I finally sought outpatient lactation care. And honestly? It changed everything. Not just the feeding. It changed how I thought about my entire nursing career.

I had already been a nurse for over a decade at that point. Medical ICU, Labor & Delivery, Med Surg, Cardiac. I'd seen and experienced a lot. But nothing felt as right as the work I started doing in lactation. So I went all in. I earned my Certified Breastfeeding Specialist credential in 2022, and my IBCLC in 2024.

Why it matters to me

I'm not the kind of provider who hands you a pamphlet (or nipple shield) and wishes you luck. I've been the mom crying at 3am wondering if something was wrong. I've been the one too stubborn to ask for help. And I've been the one who finally did ask and realized how different it could have been from the start.

That's what I want for every family I work with. Not perfection, just support that actually shows up and listens, providing evidence based care that addresses your personal needs.