Our story begins with a shared
calling to serve all families

Ayla Landry is a dedicated maternal child health expert. ​ She has extensive experience in community health management, program design, and global health initiatives. ​ She has led multiple innovative programs at Lone Star Circle of Care, focusing on integrating social determinants of health and improving health equity for young families. ​ Ayla is also the Co-Founder & CEO of Porches for Progress, an international non-profit aimed at fostering community-driven progress. ​ Her professional qualifications include being a certified postpartum doula, a registered nurse, and an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. ​ Fluent in Spanish, Ayla has volunteered and worked in various global health settings, including Nicaragua and Haiti. She is recognized for her leadership, teaching, and research contributions, and has received several awards for her excellence in nursing and community health.

Through her background in psychology, research, and mental heath and her childbirth educator training and experience, Ali has learned that all birth plans are worthy and that education is critical. Not all babies arrive in the same way, but preparing for a baby’s arrival is a rite of passage — it is our passage into parenthood. Ali is a childbirth educator and mother to two wonderful kids who amaze, love, inspire, challenge, and teach her on a daily basis. She also has a few feathered and furry little ones in her family.

Gail dedicated her life to nutrition and lactation after earning a nutrition degree, serving as a nutrition educator in the Peace Corps in West Africa, and earning a Masters in Public Health. With specialized training in infant oral anatomy, Gail speaks both Spanish and French. Outside of work, Gail stays busy with her husband, teen daughter, and her roller derby team, the Texas Rollergirls.

Kristen became an IBCLC because she feels that every family deserves high quality information and non-judgemental support to make the best decisions for how they feed their babies. Kristen brings her experience helping families in the perinatal hospital setting, Level 3 and 4 NICU’s to leading outpatient services. In addition to her degrees, she has specialized training in infant oral anatomy and infant sleep education. In her spare time, Kristen wrangles her three wily children, endeavors to win all board games, and is a pottery novice.

Alice has more than 25 years of nursing and lactation experience. She has supported families in Mother/Baby, NICU, and the outpatient setting. She has been a manager of multiple nursing and lactation teams and brings a passion for caring for families and her work family. Outside of work Alice pursues her life long dream of completing her novel and enjoys spending time with her 12 Grandchildren.

Heidi applies more than 30 years of Registered Dietitian (RD) experience to leading clinical teams that support growing families.Her passion for making access to medical nutrition therapy more widely available led her to participate in research and kept her active in public policy and advocacy. She also loves putting her knowledge to work in the kitchen creating delicious meals to share with others.

Elena has over ten years of experience in billing management, medical billing, and coding. She manages our team of billing specialists, completes credentialing for our providers, and works with patients and insurance to maximize the number of patients that get lactation care as part of their insurance benefits.

Kimberly has more than fifteen years of healthcare operational and financial experience across outpatient and inpatient settings. During her career, she has worked alongside physicians and healthcare professionals to improve processes and patient satisfaction to achieve Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) NCQA Recognition. She has a passion for travel and loves spending time with her husband, her beautiful breastfed baby, and her golden retriever.

Sarah is a dedicated Women’s Health Registered Nurse since 2017 and an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) since 2020. Passionate about supporting families, she finds joy in watching them grow and learn together in this dynamic field. She thrives on empowering parents, fostering meaningful bonds, and personalizing care to meet each family’s unique goals. With a deep commitment to the field of lactation, she takes pride in making a positive impact on the journey of parenthood

Marisa has been an RN since 2007 and an IBCLC since 2014, bringing years of experience in multiple hospital settings, including the NICU. She has led breastfeeding support groups, assisted with frenectomy care, and is dedicated to ensuring families receive evidence-based care. With strong leadership skills, she is passionate about empowering parents with knowledge and support to help them succeed in their feeding goals. Her commitment to improving lactation care makes her a valuable advocate for families and their babies.

Belinda has been dedicated to supporting families in the NICU for 20 years. With a deep passion for what she calls “reading babies,” she excels at helping them thrive in a variety of circumstances. Her keen ability to understand and respond to each baby’s unique needs makes her an invaluable resource for families and caregivers. Belinda is also a strong advocate for increasing expressed breastmilk rates in the NICU, ensuring that even the smallest patients receive the best possible start.

Patricia has been an IBCLC for 15 years and is passionate about empowering new mothers to reach their full potential. Her own transformative breastfeeding journey instilled in her a deep sense of confidence and purpose, inspiring her to make a meaningful impact on the lives of mothers, babies, and families. She thrives on collaborating with exceptional healthcare providers to create personalized care plans that align with each family’s unique goals.

Dee brings nearly 15 years of experience to BFS as an IBCLC, breastfeeding coordinator, and active member of both state and local breastfeeding coalitions. Passionate about supporting families and advancing lactation care, she plays a key role in managing the schedule and coordinating after-hours gatherings for the Austin Region Team. Her dedication to breastfeeding advocacy and community engagement helps create a strong support network for parents and professionals alike.