About Rachel
Hello, I am so happy you took the time to learn a little more about me! I am blessed to have a wonderful husband, Lucas, and 3 beautiful children, Mateo, Joseph, and Nathan. Together we also pastor a church here in West Palm Beach, FL.
It is so important to have a good support system, and I am so thankful that I have my church and home family at my side. It truly does take a village, and there are so many wonderful people that have made a great impact in my life.
My passion for maternal-newborn health comes from my 10 years of experience as a postpartum nurse. Even in nursing school, I always had my heart set on becoming a nurse in the maternity field.
God opened the doors, and I was able to find a full time postpartum position in one of the most prestigious hospitals in Florida, Memorial Hospital. Since then, I have grown tremendously, and have special training in NICU (neonatal intensive care unit), antepartum, pediatrics, as well as the newborn nursery.
In addition to my years of hospital experience, I also am an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC)
What is an IBCLC – International Board Certified Lactation Consultant?
International Board Certified Lactation Consultants function and contribute as members of the maternal-child health team. They provide care in a variety of settings, while making appropriate referrals to other health professionals and community support resources. Working together with mothers, families, policymakers and society, IBCLC consultants provide expert breastfeeding and lactation care, promote changes that support breastfeeding and help reduce the risks of not breastfeeding.
An IBCLC has the highest lactation certification available worldwide
What guides your practice
PATIENT AND FAMILY CENTERED CARE
An approach that aims to improve patient and family communication with the healthcare team as well as with each other. This leads to stronger familial bonds, and making better well-informed choices.
OPEN AND CLEAR COMMUNICATION
Clear directions, clear goals, and clear follow up. It is important to emphasize open communication between patients and the healthcare team.
DIGNITY AND RESPECT
If people would show more respect towards one another, this world would be a completely different place. It is important to be an active listener, be encouraging, and treat others as you want to be treated
STAYING POSITIVE IN A NEGATIVE WORLD
There is so much negativity in the world today. We need people to be a light to those around them, to pick them up when they feel down, and to support them when they feel alone.
COMPASSION
Caring at it’s most basic form. Being kind and willing to help those in need.
Why did you start Mommy Did You Know LLC
One day I was looking for at home lactation consultant jobs online, and found someone who wanted to offer me good money to “verify” the articles on his website. Basically he just wanted my name and license on the website. Looking through the articles, I noticed that a lot of the articles had old practices or wrong information. Unfortunately, the owner declined all of my recommendations for improvement. His response, “I am paying you well, can’t you just say you read them and they are correct?”
Needless to say, I felt very uncomfortable about the situation, and declined his offer. I decided to start my own blog, and my own consulting business. This way, I know that what I am promoting is the TRUTH. Research is ever changing, and you can never just believe what you read online. Best practice is guided by research. My patients and their families DESERVE the best care possible.
