As a proud partner of the HelpMe Feed Foundation,
A global, non-profit committed to supporting the health of babies and parents, my
clients receive access to:​​
Exclusive Support App
World's Largest Digital Breastfeeding Library
SERVING NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
ABOUT ME
First and foremost, I am a mamá of three!
Two beautiful boys (7, 5) and a brand-new little princess!
They are my world.
​
My husband is a rocket scientist (I'm not kidding). We are college sweethearts from Gonzaga University- go ZAGS!
​
I am a true Northern California girl, born and raised.
I love Pilates and my Peloton "Cruz"...(yes she is named after Disney Cars Cruz because, well I have 2 boys) and she is awesome.
​
It brings me joy to bake and create elaborate, tiered and themed cookies or cakes for my littles' birthdays. Some of my favorites have been Thomas The Tank Engine, Lightning McQueen, Super Hero Lego, Toy Story 4 and Dr. Seuss' Cat & The Hat.
​
In the Winter you can find me on the slopes, playing in the rain or making EPIC forts inside the house.
​
In the Spring, expect to run into me frantically coming or going from musical rehearsal or soccer.
​
We are most likely camping, riding bikes, playing in the pool or out on the lake during the Summer.
​
Last, but certainly not least - my favorite season ...
​
We spend the Fall wine tasting, going to Apple Hill, baking, launching rockets, playing in leaves and decorating for the holidays.
​
Our life is loud, full of laughter and love.
Our world is sometimes chaotic, but it is always sweet!
MY EXPERIENCE
I have been a pediatric nurse since 2011. I have worked at Children's Hospital Colorado and Stanford Lucile Packard Children's Hospital in both the inpatient and outpatient setting. After the birth of my first son, I instantly became obsessed with learning more about lactation. Despite delivering him in a "baby-friendly" hospital and my professional training and practice as a pediatric nurse practitioner, I still did not feel like I had the necessary tools post-partum to be successful in navigating the challenges we encountered with breastfeeding. I had a prolonged, induced labor and a somewhat traumatic delivery. This made it particularly difficult for my body to lactate in a timely fashion. I had a lot of nipple trauma due to improper latch which led to recurrent plugged ducts, mastitis, "let-down" issues and more. You name it, I probably had it. I vividly remember, several times, considering if it was time to give up. I ended up persevering through and breastfed my first until he was 2.5. It was not easy, but it propelled me into another profession I love.
​
With all my experience, I felt strongly that there was a significant discrepancy between what we as healthcare providers, the AAP and WHO recommend to women (exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months) and the resources we provide (or do NOT provide) to help them succeed. The period between hospital discharge and the 6-8 week post-partum OB appointment is, statistically, the same period in which the highest rate of women quit breastfeeding. This is not coincidental. The first several weeks post-partum are crucial in the establishment of lactation and are highly predictive of long-term breastfeeding success. The first days and weeks also are the toughest physically (hello grade III tear...) and don't get me started on the hormones!
​
So... where is the one place you will find these mamas in that time? The answer to this question was clear and is backed by research. All mamas were coming in to see me for their child's newborn visit, possibly multiple weight checks, 2 week and 1-2 month well visits! I felt so strongly, that as a primary care pediatric provider, I had this unique opportunity to engage and help mothers during this exceptionally vulnerable time. A time when they often do not have access to the hospital lactation consultants and a time when they need it the most. Research shows that when primary care pediatric providers are trained, have the skills, time (and desire) to help, maternal satisfaction and confidence in breastfeeding improves, continuation rates go up and exclusive outcomes improve!
​
My official journey as a lactation educator started in 2015. Over the next 6 years, while studying lactation in further depth and in preparation for international board certification, I helped moms with positioning, latch and supplemental nursing systems at their newborn visits. In 2019 I completed my doctorate in nursing practice degree, which entailed conducting an 18 month quality improvement initiative. I chose to focus on increasing exclusive breastfeeding outcomes in a primary care pediatric office. After extensive research, I chose to implement pediatric provider education and training in all things lactation & breastfeeding, to develop a support group for moms and to partner with IBCLCs in the clinic to develop protocols, referral criteria and policies supporting breastfeeding families.
​
In 2020 I became an Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). I still work in primary care pediatrics three days a week, where I see children ages 0-18 for wellness visits, sports physicals, sick visits and mother-baby-dyads for both prenatal, initial and follow-up lactation consults.
It is my honor to offer flexible, personalized, in-home lactation services, as well as lactation, breastfeeding and parenting education throughout my platform. I offer video (telehealth) consultations for those who are not local, as these have been shown to be very effective in assessing positioning and infant LATCH. ​The virtual option is also suitable for initial prenatal, weaning and pumping consults.
TESTIMONIALS
Lauren L.
"I can't say enough wonderful things about Haleigh and her knowledge of breastfeeding. I worked with Haleigh after I had my second child. Things should have been easy, right? Wrong. I battled multiple rounds of mastitis and thrush and almost gave up multiple times because I thought "there's no way I can continue doing this." With the support and education I received from Haleigh, I pushed through the extremely trying times I faced and was able to provide my daughter with that "liquid gold" for several more months to follow. I cannot thank Haleigh enough for sticking by my side through my tears and frustration. She helped me turn the memories of breastfeeding my daughter from stressful to wonderful.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Robyn S.
"Although my journey with breastfeeding was short, Haleigh was very helpful with both her medical advice and emotional support. I never felt as if I was just another patient needing to be rushed through. She really took her time to make sure that I felt supported and she guided me with the help I needed. She truly has a nurturing spirit and is wonderfully supportive in whatever is best for your family."
Andrea A.
"If you are looking for an educated and compassionate lactation consultant Haleigh is the one for you. She virtually, over video, helped identify that my daughter’s upper lip and buccal ties were the cause of her indigestion and was able to walk me through some adjustments to positioning and our breastfeeding routine that helped resolve the issue! She eased so many of my concerns and helped me decide whether or not to get the ties fixed. In the end with her guidance we decided we did not need to correct the ties and my daughter now eats like a champ. She was available day and night to answer all my questions. Her patience and overall knowledge of feeding an infant was impressive and I can't recommend her enough!"
Crystal M.
"Haleigh is amazing! After I left the hospital I felt so lost when it came to breastfeeding my first child. When I was at the hospital I felt rushed and when things were explained to me it was so fast I didn't retain everything. They give you papers on how to do everything, but in all reality when your a first time mom that is recovering and is sleep deprived, you don't have time to read nor do you think about where all the paperwork they gave you is. I had my child's first doctor appointment with Haleigh and she exceeded my expectations. She was there to care and look over my daughter, but she saw the I was having a hard time breastfeeding and that I was in pain from feeding my daughter. She sat with me as I feed my daughter and walked me through different positions I could try, along with different tips that I dont recall the hospital showing me. I was so overwhelmed and she was so kind and helpful. I walked out of that appointment feeling more comfortable and confident in what I was doing. Thank you Haleigh!"
INSURANCE
Services are HSA/FSA eligible.
​
Since the implementation of the Affordable Care Act in 2010, insurance companies are required to provide coverage of lactation and breastfeeding education and support.
Check with your individual insurance provider for more details on how to submit your claim for reimbursement. I provide appropriate documentation as requested.
