Meet Our IBCLCs
North Shore Lactation has a team of International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs) that are here to provide evidenced-based, compassionate, and comprehensive support to you and your family. Our team is driven to meet you where you are in your own personal feeding journey.
Melissa Block
Melissa is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), Certified in Perinatal Mental Health (PMH-C), an administrator for the Chicago Breastfeeding Collective, an accredited Breastfeeding USA Counselor and past Vice President for the Northern Illinois Lactation Consultant Association. She co-founded the North Suburbs chapter of Breastfeeding USA.
After nine successful years in the business world, Melissa found her passion as soon as she started nursing her first-born. Melissa quickly became active with several breastfeeding organizations and educated herself with every resource she could get her hands on. Melissa found herself helping dozens of her friends overcome their breastfeeding challenges and, at the prompting and encouragement of those friends, Melissa decided to make a career of her passion.
Melissa is a tethered oral tissues (TOTs) trained IBCLC and a member of The International Affiliation of Tongue-tie Professionals. She has completed extensive education and training on lip ties, tongue ties and buccal ties. She confidently supports the dyad throughout the entire process of assessment, treatment and aftercare and partners with qualified providers in Chicagoland for frenectomy diagnosis and bodywork.
Melissa frequently speaks and lectures on lactation-related topics. She has also mentored numerous students during their own journey toward becoming an IBCLC.
International Board Certified Lactation Consultant
Perinatal Mental Health Certified
Certified Lactation Consultant
Northern Illinois Lactation Consultant Association
Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorders: Components of Care
Breastfeeding USA Counselor
Jill Aspinwall
Jill Aspinwall has been an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) for 7 years. She has personal experience breastfeeding her own three children for a total of eleven years.
Formerly an OB Tech, Jill assisted on the BFHI committee at NW Kishwaukee Hospital. She currently provides IBCLC services to parent/baby dyads in postpartum and NICU at Rush Copley Medical Center in Aurora, IL.
Jennie Meyer
Jennie Meyer is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and La Leche League Leader. She has previously worked as a Postpartum Doula as well as an Elementary School Teacher.
She has two kids of her own, both of whom were breastfed for a long time, and she has personally experienced the challenges of late preterm babies and readmissions for jaundice related issues. Jennie loves helping families work toward feeding goals step by step, supporting them throughout their journeys!
Gretchen Monday
Gretchen Monday is a Registered Nurse, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (RN IBCLC). She is a proud military veteran of the United States Army Nurse Corps.
Gretchen has extensive nursing experience in Maternal-Child with rotations in Labor and Delivery, Pediatrics, and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). She began her nursing career in 2012, became a certified lactation educator in 2014, and obtained her IBCLC in 2016. She has worked as a hospital IBCLC for both the inpatient and outpatient population, pausing to move across country from Washington State to the Chicago area for a year and a half and has since returned to the beautiful Pacific North West.
Gretchen has three energetic little boys. She nursed her first two for 2+ years each while on active duty and is currently nursing her youngest. Her passion and support for breastfeeding developed at a young age as her mother is a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) nurse who is also an RN IBCLC. Gretchen specializes in the establishment of milk supply, breastfeeding and the working mother, breast pumps, and long term breastfeeding.
Sara Pop
Sara Pop has a Bachelor's Degree in the Science of Nursing (BSN) and is a Certified Maternal Newborn Nurse (RNC-MNN), meaning she has several years of experience and specialized her nursing career in working with mothers and infants in the postpartum period. Sara worked as a nurse at Prentice Women’s Hospital in Chicago and is familiar with their practices. Having cared for so many mothers with feeding challenges, Sara was motivated to learn more about lactation to be able to provide comprehensive care and support. Sara became a Certified Breastfeeding Counselor and then furthered her education and training by becoming an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (CBC, IBCLC). Sara is also Certified in Perinatal Mental Health (PMH-C) and is a strong advocate for supporting positive mental health.
Sara has several years of lactation experience working with mothers and infants both inpatient and outpatient, so she understands all the struggles parents may face between the two worlds. She has additional experience in working with mothers who have had breast complications such as mastitis as well as with infants who are born early or were in the NICU. Sara has done extensive training in ties (tethered oral tissues) and understands not only the importance, but how to assess infant oral function. Sara is an active member of the United States Lactation Consultant Association (USLCA) and she regularly attends conferences and seminars to stay up to date with the best lactation practices. She teaches workshops for nurses and residents, and collaborates with other companies to support community access to lactation education.
Sara continues to work both inpatient at Prentice as a lactation consultant and with North Shore Lactation to see patients at home. She loves to work with families to provide the support they need and help them achieve their feeding goals, whatever they may be!
Tera Shapiro
Tera Shapiro is a Registered Nurse, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (RN, IBCLC). Tera’s passion for serving women and families was born during her 14 years as a Labor and Delivery nurse.
Tera’s experience breastfeeding her own three children showed her that great support can make all the difference in a breastfeeding journey. She is honored to be able to offer that support with patience and care to help families reach their breastfeeding goals. Tera currently provides outpatient lactation care to families in the Milwaukee area.
Julie Goudzwaard
Julie is an RN/IBCLC and has 15 years experience in pediatrics and Ob/newborn care. She has nursed 4 children in their toddler years and pumped for 1 with special needs (including tube feeding).
Julie has training in tethered oral tissues (TOTs) through the IBCLC Masterclass and is involved in her local breastfeeding coalition. In private practice since 2018, Julie is passionate about coming alongside parents where they are in their journey. She is proud to offer all families kindness, compassion and a listening ear.
Flor Camacho
Flor has been an IBCLC for 5 years. Flor received her Bachelor of Sciences in Food Science & Human Nutrition, a few weeks later became a Certified Lactation Counselor, then began working for WIC (Women Infants and Children) helping moms and children with their nutrition goals, including breastfeeding. Through WIC, Flor became more passionate about lactation and qualified for the Illinois IBCLC Mentorship Program to take the exam when her second-born was only 5 months old.
Flor personally experienced hardships breastfeeding her babies, including lip and tongue ties, even when having already studied some lactation, and knows how helpful a Lactation Consultant can be. Flor serves the South Chicago Suburbs.
Professional Memberships & Associations
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