My name is Bernice Mitchell and I am a Certified Lactation Counselor, certified through Academy of Lactation Policy and Practice (ALPP).

My lactation journey first began when I decided to exclusively breastfeed my first-born son. However, after getting home from the hospital, I had excruciating pain with nursing him; so much so that I almost gave up. It did not help matters that I had difficulty finding assistance in the community to navigate these postpartum challenges. Talking with other moms, I learned that tongue ties can affect breastfeeding, and I asked for a referral for a pediatric ENT who clipped my son’s tongue tie which helped significantly and led to us continuing breastfeeding. Though tongue tie repairs can be important, a lot of the time it’s just a latching issue, which is what happened with my second born son. At that point, I was more equipped to navigate my second breastfeeding journey.

In addition to my personal experience, my background as a registered nurse has also played a role in learning and understanding the intricacies of breastfeeding.

The difficulties I faced, the lack of community resources I found, and the persistence of overcoming obstacles inspired me to learn evidence-based strategies and education techniques so that I could become the help in the community that I was once seeking.

I am married with a wonderful husband, have two sons, and in my free time I enjoy spending it with my family.