Mellanie Sheppard, IBCLC ~ Fort Worth office
I have been working with breastfeeding families since 1999 and have been an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) since 2004. In these years, I have learned so much about breastfeeding and parenting. My clinical skills have grown exponentially as I have worked hard to find answers for mothers and babies who have struggled with breastfeeding.
One thing that has stayed constant though, is the firm conviction that breastfeeding is not just a method for getting the best nutrition possible into an infant. It is about nurturing, about connecting, and about meeting the most fundamental emotional needs of both mother and baby.
Personally, I am the proud mother of 3 breastfed children. However, my breastfeeding journey was not without challenges. We battled nursing strikes, reflux, plagiocephaly, and a variety of challenges that came with nursing my youngest, who has Kabuki Syndrome. Through this, I learned so much about how the function of the entire body impacts breastfeeding.
Outside of the lactation world, I still enjoy date night with my husband of 30+ years. I am a seasoned homeschooling mother and have graduated 2 of my 3 children. I have a fascination with herbalism and natural medicine and use it extensively in our family. My faith in God is very important to me and I am thankful for the family and profession that He has given me.