About Nectar & Nurture
Hi, new mama.
I’m Amanda.
Welcome to Nectar & Nurture, mama. I’m Amanda, a Certified Lactation Counselor and bodyworker trained in the Gillespie Approach.
I support the mother-child dyad holistically throughout the breastfeeding journey and beyond.
I’m here to honor you and your baby’s God-given innate intelligence.
I’m here to empower you so that you and your baby can grow and thrive together.
So much of motherhood is about deep trust and surrender. It’s about trusting your body to nourish, and trusting your baby to communicate their needs. Vulnerability and strength. Joy and pain. Nectar and nurture.
I believe the root cause of breastfeeding problems and other infant conditions can often be addressed with bodywork. In my practice, I hold space for the body to unwind and release tight fascia to help the body heal itself and function optimally. For those seeking breastfeeding support, I perform a functional latch assessment and provide an individualized plan of care.
My Story
My journey to holistic living began in 2018 while pursuing healing from a head injury holistically.
I had been a Registered Nurse since 2015, but my own research led me to nervous system chiropractic care, which changed my whole perspective. I learned about the body’s innate intelligence, how our Creator designed our bodies to be self-regulating and self-healing—that everything we need to thrive is within us.
Learning this truth about my body, I began to trust it. I started thinking about the body, healing, pregnancy, and birth, through this lens.
In March 2020 I took a leap of faith to pursue a career that aligned with this perspective. I began working toward becoming an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). I began a 90-hour lactation education course, started mentorship under a IBCLC at a pediatricians office, began training as a birth assistant at a local birthing center… and got pregnant!
At 34 weeks, while assisting at a birth, I went into preterm labor.
After days of trying to stop labor, my water broke and I gave birth to Josephine. It was traumatic and devastating to hold my daughter in the NICU for 15 days, but I leaned into the trust I had gained. That she was born for a reason. That she was ready. That God had a plan. And even though the neonatologist told me breastmilk would never be enough for her to grow—
I trusted my body to nourish her.
She was fed by an NG tube with my breastmilk for the first two weeks of her life. After a lot of hard work and a lot of tears, she was exclusively breastfeeding by seven weeks old.
I discovered the Gillespie Approach by researching ways to help with symptoms that I attributed to her traumatic birth and NICU stay.
After just one session of CFT, she was latching better, her belly was softer, she was having less reflux, and she was a happier baby.
I knew I had to learn more about the Gillespie Approach—and to combine it with breastfeeding support because I saw first-hand how fascial strain is intimately connected to how well a baby can breastfeed and function.
Watching my 4lb 13oz blue-eyed, red-haired angel thrive and breastfeed against all odds is a testament to our innate intelligence and the importance of supporting and trusting our bodies to do what they were created to do. Breastfeeding Josephine has been my greatest sacrifice and the sweetest time of my life.
I am grateful for God’s provision and faithfulness.
He made clear my purpose through my deepest pain—
to facilitate healing to help your baby function well and to help your breastfeeding relationship thrive!
education & certifications
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I am a Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC) certified through the Academy of Lactation Policy and Practice (ALPP). A CLC is a professional in lactation counseling who has demonstrated the necessary skills and knowledge to provide breastfeeding counseling and management support to families during the course of breastfeeding/lactation.
I have completed a 52-hour training course, passed the ALPP exam and demonstrated the clinical competencies and skills required to provide safe, evidenced-based counseling for pregnant, lactating and breastfeeding families.
I have also been a Registered Nurse since 2015 and I am an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) Candidate. I completed a 90-hour lactation course. I started working as a lactation consultant in August 2021 under my RN license at a local hospital to earn my 1,000 clinical hours to sit for the IBCLC exam. I will sit for the IBCLC exam in Fall 2022.
Bachelor of Arts in Theology
Franciscan University of Steubenville 2013
Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Registered Nurse (BSN, RN)
Georgetown University 2015
Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC)
Healthy Children Project Center for Breastfeeding
IBCLC Candidate
Lactation Consultant at Medical City Dallas + 90 hour Lactation Education Course
Craniosacral Fascial Therapy (CFT): The Gillespie Approach
Foundation Training + Infant Training
The Breathe Institute: Breathe Baby Course
I hear you, I see you.
Ready to work together?