Hi, I'm Janel.

Nearly two decades ago, when I first became a mom and decided to breastfeed my newborn, I had little knowledge and support. We had a brief and unexpected NICU stay, and the limited lactation support I received from our healthcare providers was far from adequate. The lack of support and knowledge did not set us up for a successful feeding journey. My baby and I subsequently ended our breastfeeding journey after just a few weeks. However, when it came to my second child I was determined to succeed and received incredible lactation support from my providers and within my community through La Leche League. We went on to successfully breastfeed for a little more than 2 years. This experience inspired me to begin helping others on their own breastfeeding journeys. I accepted a role as a WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselor in 2010, and then began college in 2014 to earn a bachelor's degree in nutrition science - something which had become an area of interest while raising my young children and working at WIC. I joined Breastfeeding USA in 2017 as a volunteer, and became an accredited breastfeeding counselor. I became an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant in 2024. I'm currently pursing a master's degree in Applied Nutrition - Dietetics. Over the years, I've also gained extensive experience in the retail wellness industry, educating consumers about dietary supplements and vitamins, and ways to support their health and wellbeing through food and lifestyle choices.