Kelsie Barta, PHD, APRN, FNP-C, IBCLC

Kelsie is a board-certified lactation consultant and family nurse practitioner at the Lactation Foundation.

“I was a postpartum nurse when I had my first child, and thought my work experience would make breastfeeding easy for me. I was surprised to encounter challenges with latching and pain in the early days and I was lucky to receive knowledgeable lactation support from my coworkers. I quickly became fascinated by all things breastfeeding and became an IBCLC in 2018. I love helping families meet their breastfeeding goals and am passionate about providing patient-centered care. I’m thrilled to work with the Lactation Foundation to provide this vital service to our community.”

Kelsie has two children and knows well the challenges and rewards that come with being a breastfeeding working mother. In addition to her work at the Lactation Foundation, she is an assistant professor in nursing at the University of Houston, where she teaches undergraduate nursing students. Her research interests include breastfeeding education for health professionals, psychological well-being in the postpartum period, and patient-centered breastfeeding outcomes and interventions.

Read about our other team members here.