What is an IBCLC?
The International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) credential identifies the "gold standard" for lactation professionals. An IBCLC is a knowledgeable and experienced member of the maternal-child health team who has specialized skills in breastfeeding management and care. The IBLCE certification program offers the only credential in lactation consulting and is available globally. Before becoming certified, an IBCLC has college education in health sciences, a minimum of 90 hours of breastfeeding/lactation specific education, and 500-1000 hours of clinical/hands-on experience. An IBCLC maintains competency through continuing education courses every 5 years and takes a certifying exam every 10 years. For more information, visit iblce.org
The International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) credential identifies the "gold standard" for lactation professionals. An IBCLC is a knowledgeable and experienced member of the maternal-child health team who has specialized skills in breastfeeding management and care. The IBLCE certification program offers the only credential in lactation consulting and is available globally. Before becoming certified, an IBCLC has college education in health sciences, a minimum of 90 hours of breastfeeding/lactation specific education, and 500-1000 hours of clinical/hands-on experience. An IBCLC maintains competency through continuing education courses every 5 years and takes a certifying exam every 10 years. For more information, visit iblce.org
Meet Our IBCLC Lactation Consultants
We proudly serve all families offering excellence in evidence-based, compassionate, inclusive care, education and support.
Kate Cropp, MSN, APRN, WHNP, IBCLC
I am mama to four beautiful children. I breastfed for 12.5 years straight, yes through 3 pregnancies! We live in Nashville, having moved here in 2004 from Cincinnati. We have three cats and adopted a pup during the 2020 pandemic. I grew up in rural Ohio, witnessing birth and nursing of countless farm animals (my favorites are kittens and calves). With certain irony, my first job was as a milk maid for a local dairy farm. I love to hike, identify wild flowers and plants, kayak, learn about other cultures, and support new families in a variety of ways (birthing, breastfeeding, babywearing, and more!). I offer inclusive, compassionate care to all families.
I started my career with mamas and babies as a Labor & Delivery nurse. The hospital where I worked (in Cincinnati) had birth tubs in many rooms and we had nurse-midwives in nearly every practice. Babies stayed with families at all times, even after cesarean section births. So, my entry into the scene of natural birthing came with the territory. While an L&D nurse, I went back to graduate school to become a Women's Health Nurse Practitioner (cross-trained in midwifery). At the same time I was in school for my NP degree, I was studying and working clinically to become an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. I took both certification board exams within 11 days of each other! Lactation is my specialty as an NP; it is my passion.
In 2008, my second son, Elijah, was stillborn at term. He was a perfect, beautiful boy and changed my life in many ways. During maternity & bereavement leave, I decided to leave bedside lactation at Vanderbilt University Medical Center & Children's Hospital and opened a private practice along with a dear friend of mine. It has blossomed into what Nashville Birth And Babies is today! In honor of Elijah, I offer free lactation services to families who have lost their babies or expect their baby to pass. You may take a peek at our birth photos here: www.ElijahPatrick.com
E-mail: kate@nashvillebirthandbabies.com
she/her
I am mama to four beautiful children. I breastfed for 12.5 years straight, yes through 3 pregnancies! We live in Nashville, having moved here in 2004 from Cincinnati. We have three cats and adopted a pup during the 2020 pandemic. I grew up in rural Ohio, witnessing birth and nursing of countless farm animals (my favorites are kittens and calves). With certain irony, my first job was as a milk maid for a local dairy farm. I love to hike, identify wild flowers and plants, kayak, learn about other cultures, and support new families in a variety of ways (birthing, breastfeeding, babywearing, and more!). I offer inclusive, compassionate care to all families.
I started my career with mamas and babies as a Labor & Delivery nurse. The hospital where I worked (in Cincinnati) had birth tubs in many rooms and we had nurse-midwives in nearly every practice. Babies stayed with families at all times, even after cesarean section births. So, my entry into the scene of natural birthing came with the territory. While an L&D nurse, I went back to graduate school to become a Women's Health Nurse Practitioner (cross-trained in midwifery). At the same time I was in school for my NP degree, I was studying and working clinically to become an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. I took both certification board exams within 11 days of each other! Lactation is my specialty as an NP; it is my passion.
In 2008, my second son, Elijah, was stillborn at term. He was a perfect, beautiful boy and changed my life in many ways. During maternity & bereavement leave, I decided to leave bedside lactation at Vanderbilt University Medical Center & Children's Hospital and opened a private practice along with a dear friend of mine. It has blossomed into what Nashville Birth And Babies is today! In honor of Elijah, I offer free lactation services to families who have lost their babies or expect their baby to pass. You may take a peek at our birth photos here: www.ElijahPatrick.com
E-mail: kate@nashvillebirthandbabies.com
she/her
Nancy Hinesly MS, APRN, CNM, IBCLC
I am the mother of two lovely grown daughters and a grandmother. It was through their births that my desire to assist women in childbirth began. My first birth was in a hospital with a nurse midwife. My midwife was amazed at the ability of a 20 year old to deliver completely natural after only six hours of labor (I read Childbirth Without Fear…). I was equally impressed by my midwife and began to set goals as a young single mother to become a Certified Nurse Midwife. My second child was born at home with the assistance of a midwife and family. Both births were amazingly positive experiences!
I am an Advanced Practice Nurse, Certified Nurse Midwife, and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant as well as a Certified Doula. I have more than 25 years of women’s healthcare experience specializing in obstetrics. I am very excited to be joining Nashville Birth and Babies as a lactation consultant and doula. I want to empower you and your partner through education, physical, and emotional support for a positive birth and breastfeeding experience. For some it is a natural birth and for others it may be receiving labor anesthesia. There is no single or right way. A healthy, confident mother and baby are the goal! It’s your birth, your way. Pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding are natural processes and your body already knows what to do.
Nancy serves Davidson, Williamson, Cheatham, NE Hickman and Dickson counties.
E-mail: nancy@nashvillebirthandbabies.com
she/her
I am the mother of two lovely grown daughters and a grandmother. It was through their births that my desire to assist women in childbirth began. My first birth was in a hospital with a nurse midwife. My midwife was amazed at the ability of a 20 year old to deliver completely natural after only six hours of labor (I read Childbirth Without Fear…). I was equally impressed by my midwife and began to set goals as a young single mother to become a Certified Nurse Midwife. My second child was born at home with the assistance of a midwife and family. Both births were amazingly positive experiences!
I am an Advanced Practice Nurse, Certified Nurse Midwife, and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant as well as a Certified Doula. I have more than 25 years of women’s healthcare experience specializing in obstetrics. I am very excited to be joining Nashville Birth and Babies as a lactation consultant and doula. I want to empower you and your partner through education, physical, and emotional support for a positive birth and breastfeeding experience. For some it is a natural birth and for others it may be receiving labor anesthesia. There is no single or right way. A healthy, confident mother and baby are the goal! It’s your birth, your way. Pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding are natural processes and your body already knows what to do.
Nancy serves Davidson, Williamson, Cheatham, NE Hickman and Dickson counties.
E-mail: nancy@nashvillebirthandbabies.com
she/her
Leah K. Brown BS, IBCLC
I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. My background is in animal care, specific to marine animals. After the birth of my first child, however, I became a stay-at-home momma. Due to my passion for breastfeeding and the miracle that is mother's milk, I pursued the four year long pathway to IBCLC certification. After completing my two year clinical internship in 2016 with Kate, I passed my board exam and was notified of my new IBCLC certification status! A wonderful day! I truly enjoying helping moms and babies with breastfeeding and lactation goals through a variety of support methods. I also enjoy empowering expectant parents by meeting prenatally to discuss goals and "what to expect" from breastfeeding and lactation, in the comfort of their own home. My husband and I have two beautiful, rambunctious boys. In my spare time I enjoy volunteering for my local Community Pregnancy Center, baking, spending time with my family, watching movies and exploring the outdoors.
Leah serves Sumner, Trousdale, Macon, Smith, Wilson, North Rutherford, West Putnam and NE Davidson counties.
Email: leah@nashvillebirthandbabies.com
she/her
I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. My background is in animal care, specific to marine animals. After the birth of my first child, however, I became a stay-at-home momma. Due to my passion for breastfeeding and the miracle that is mother's milk, I pursued the four year long pathway to IBCLC certification. After completing my two year clinical internship in 2016 with Kate, I passed my board exam and was notified of my new IBCLC certification status! A wonderful day! I truly enjoying helping moms and babies with breastfeeding and lactation goals through a variety of support methods. I also enjoy empowering expectant parents by meeting prenatally to discuss goals and "what to expect" from breastfeeding and lactation, in the comfort of their own home. My husband and I have two beautiful, rambunctious boys. In my spare time I enjoy volunteering for my local Community Pregnancy Center, baking, spending time with my family, watching movies and exploring the outdoors.
Leah serves Sumner, Trousdale, Macon, Smith, Wilson, North Rutherford, West Putnam and NE Davidson counties.
Email: leah@nashvillebirthandbabies.com
she/her
Bess Greevy MSN, APRN, CNM, IBCLC
I am a lactation consultant, nurse, midwife, and mother. When my oldest child was born, I discovered how much determination, encouragement, and support I needed to succeed in breastfeeding. I want to bring this encouragement and support to other families.
I grew up in a sailing, traveling, military (Navy) family. After college, volunteer service with Americorps brought me to Nashville where I worked as a birth doula and in-home parent educator. Mentoring by birth center Certified Nurse Midwives (CNM) propelled me on to my calling as a midwife. Through nursing (BSN, 2004) and midwifery (MSN, 2006) studies at the University of Pennsylvania, I continued working as a birth and postpartum doula providing breastfeeding education and support. As a new CNM at Vanderbilt University, I met Kate and we bonded over a shared passion for lactation (and hiking). I loved enabling families to have safe and fulfilling birth experiences. Helping babies gently enter the world, encouraging skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding initiation. As a midwife I continued lactation support through the postpartum months, often collaborating with IBCLCs. I witnessed over and over again the transformation as families increased in confidence, learning to care for their new child. Real life is messy and parenting has stretched me in ways I never expected, I saw that reflected in these new families too. Returning to professional practice after a season of at-home parenting, I am thankful to have worked for several years as a postpartum, newborn, and lactation RN at St Thomas Midtown. Now joining Nashville Birth And Babies as an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), I can’t wait to join you in your home or at the office to answer your baby feeding questions. It is my privilege to help you and your family achieve your personal lactation and parenting goals as you welcome a new baby into your family.
Bess serves Bellevue and surrounding areas.
Email: bess@nashvillebirthandbabies.com
she/her
I am a lactation consultant, nurse, midwife, and mother. When my oldest child was born, I discovered how much determination, encouragement, and support I needed to succeed in breastfeeding. I want to bring this encouragement and support to other families.
I grew up in a sailing, traveling, military (Navy) family. After college, volunteer service with Americorps brought me to Nashville where I worked as a birth doula and in-home parent educator. Mentoring by birth center Certified Nurse Midwives (CNM) propelled me on to my calling as a midwife. Through nursing (BSN, 2004) and midwifery (MSN, 2006) studies at the University of Pennsylvania, I continued working as a birth and postpartum doula providing breastfeeding education and support. As a new CNM at Vanderbilt University, I met Kate and we bonded over a shared passion for lactation (and hiking). I loved enabling families to have safe and fulfilling birth experiences. Helping babies gently enter the world, encouraging skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding initiation. As a midwife I continued lactation support through the postpartum months, often collaborating with IBCLCs. I witnessed over and over again the transformation as families increased in confidence, learning to care for their new child. Real life is messy and parenting has stretched me in ways I never expected, I saw that reflected in these new families too. Returning to professional practice after a season of at-home parenting, I am thankful to have worked for several years as a postpartum, newborn, and lactation RN at St Thomas Midtown. Now joining Nashville Birth And Babies as an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), I can’t wait to join you in your home or at the office to answer your baby feeding questions. It is my privilege to help you and your family achieve your personal lactation and parenting goals as you welcome a new baby into your family.
Bess serves Bellevue and surrounding areas.
Email: bess@nashvillebirthandbabies.com
she/her
Heather Price MA, IBCLC
Many people in the Nashville area know me as a childbirth educator and car seat tech (CPST) at the Vanderbilt Birth Center (formerly Baby+Co), as I have worked there since we opened in 2015 and continue to work there part-time today!
I am an educator at heart--my master's is in teaching, and I taught high school English for 6 years before becoming a mom for the first time. Even before my first pregnancy I was curious about labor, birth, and breastfeeding. That curiosity carried me through my first birth in 2012, and two years later I became a childbirth educator and birth doula. One of Kate's colleagues helped me through a very difficult breastfeeding journey with my first child, and Kate helped me with my second child, born in 2015, who had similar challenges! It is Kate's confident, expert guidance that equipped me to reach my breastfeeding goals, and she inspired me to pursue IBCLC certification. I worked through over 1000 contact hours by offering breastfeeding support and education at the Birth Center for five years and interned with Kate from 2019 to 2021, earning my IBCLC certification in December 2020.
It is a joy to support families through a diverse range of feeding experiences and family variations! I especially enjoy helping new parents find their footing when breastfeeding a newborn, guiding parents as they return to work and incorporate pumping and bottles, and supporting parents as they begin the weaning process, whatever that looks like for them.
Outside of work I love gardening, reading, baking, and spending time with my two children and husband.
Heather serves Robertson, Cheatham, West Sumner, and North Davidson counties.
Email: heather@nashvillebirthandbabies.com
she/her
Many people in the Nashville area know me as a childbirth educator and car seat tech (CPST) at the Vanderbilt Birth Center (formerly Baby+Co), as I have worked there since we opened in 2015 and continue to work there part-time today!
I am an educator at heart--my master's is in teaching, and I taught high school English for 6 years before becoming a mom for the first time. Even before my first pregnancy I was curious about labor, birth, and breastfeeding. That curiosity carried me through my first birth in 2012, and two years later I became a childbirth educator and birth doula. One of Kate's colleagues helped me through a very difficult breastfeeding journey with my first child, and Kate helped me with my second child, born in 2015, who had similar challenges! It is Kate's confident, expert guidance that equipped me to reach my breastfeeding goals, and she inspired me to pursue IBCLC certification. I worked through over 1000 contact hours by offering breastfeeding support and education at the Birth Center for five years and interned with Kate from 2019 to 2021, earning my IBCLC certification in December 2020.
It is a joy to support families through a diverse range of feeding experiences and family variations! I especially enjoy helping new parents find their footing when breastfeeding a newborn, guiding parents as they return to work and incorporate pumping and bottles, and supporting parents as they begin the weaning process, whatever that looks like for them.
Outside of work I love gardening, reading, baking, and spending time with my two children and husband.
Heather serves Robertson, Cheatham, West Sumner, and North Davidson counties.
Email: heather@nashvillebirthandbabies.com
she/her
Lakeshia Foster, BS, MPH, IBCLC
I am a Nashville born native located in the Southeast area of Middle Tennessee. Since 2017, I have been a lactation educator and I strive to work with families to successfully meet their breastfeeding goals. My background is in culinary arts due to my passion for cooking. I love creating new recipes with foods that nourish the body inside and out!
My desire to educate started while obtaining my Bachelor of Science degree in nutrition and food science with a concentration in dietetics from Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) and working as a health educator at MTSU’s Recreation Center. For the past seven years I have worked as a Nutrition Educator and for the last two years, as the Regional Breastfeeding Coordinator for WIC of Davidson County.
During my time at WIC, I was able to work directly in the community, collaborate with non-profit organizations, and provide one-on-one and group lactation counseling. I was also able to expand my counseling skills as a Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC) and then as an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). In 2020 I obtained a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Memphis.
Currently, I am mentoring with Nashville Birth & Babies to sharpen my skills and hone my craft so that I can further expand my efforts to support families, improve maternal and infant care, and increase breastfeeding rates and durations for all in our community.
Lakeshia will be serving Antioch, Smyrna, Brentwood, and surrounding areas later this year. At the moment, she is in orienting to this new role.
Email Lakeshia@NashvilleBirthAndBabies.com
she/her
I am a Nashville born native located in the Southeast area of Middle Tennessee. Since 2017, I have been a lactation educator and I strive to work with families to successfully meet their breastfeeding goals. My background is in culinary arts due to my passion for cooking. I love creating new recipes with foods that nourish the body inside and out!
My desire to educate started while obtaining my Bachelor of Science degree in nutrition and food science with a concentration in dietetics from Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) and working as a health educator at MTSU’s Recreation Center. For the past seven years I have worked as a Nutrition Educator and for the last two years, as the Regional Breastfeeding Coordinator for WIC of Davidson County.
During my time at WIC, I was able to work directly in the community, collaborate with non-profit organizations, and provide one-on-one and group lactation counseling. I was also able to expand my counseling skills as a Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC) and then as an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). In 2020 I obtained a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Memphis.
Currently, I am mentoring with Nashville Birth & Babies to sharpen my skills and hone my craft so that I can further expand my efforts to support families, improve maternal and infant care, and increase breastfeeding rates and durations for all in our community.
Lakeshia will be serving Antioch, Smyrna, Brentwood, and surrounding areas later this year. At the moment, she is in orienting to this new role.
Email Lakeshia@NashvilleBirthAndBabies.com
she/her
Grace Caudill, BS
I am an aspiring IBCLC, currently mentoring with Nashville Birth & Babies’ very own Leah and Kate in pursuit of my certification. I graduated from Vanderbilt with an undergraduate business degree in 2014. After nearly a decade working in corporate events, I made the decision to pivot and pursue a lifelong passion: supporting moms and babies through the transformative season of birth and the “fourth trimester”.
A few years ago, in hopes of a career in birth work, I began shadowing local birth doulas in both home and hospital settings. I gradually discovered that the unpredictable and often nocturnal lifestyle of a doula wasn’t a fit for me. Longing to serve this same population in a different way, I discovered lactation and never looked back!
My husband and I live in East Nashville with our puppy, Sue, and together we enjoy hiking, biking, hanging with neighbors, and exploring our ever-expanding city.
I am an aspiring IBCLC, currently mentoring with Nashville Birth & Babies’ very own Leah and Kate in pursuit of my certification. I graduated from Vanderbilt with an undergraduate business degree in 2014. After nearly a decade working in corporate events, I made the decision to pivot and pursue a lifelong passion: supporting moms and babies through the transformative season of birth and the “fourth trimester”.
A few years ago, in hopes of a career in birth work, I began shadowing local birth doulas in both home and hospital settings. I gradually discovered that the unpredictable and often nocturnal lifestyle of a doula wasn’t a fit for me. Longing to serve this same population in a different way, I discovered lactation and never looked back!
My husband and I live in East Nashville with our puppy, Sue, and together we enjoy hiking, biking, hanging with neighbors, and exploring our ever-expanding city.
