Tied to the Cause: My Family’s Journey and Its Impact on Tongue Tie Advocacy
Trish Wierenga, APRN, FNP, IBCLC, PMH-C

From IBCLC to international advocate, Trish Wierenga discovered her professional purpose through her child’s tongue tie diagnosis, release, and habilitation. In this talk, Trish shares her personal journey, a detailed case study of her son, and the experiences that shaped her continued education and advocacy.

Learning Objectives:
Describe the importance of a multi-disciplinary approach to ankyloglossia treatment.
Analyze a case study of pediatric tongue tie diagnosis, release, and habilitation, with emphasis on functional outcomes and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Identify the role of continued education and involvement in coalitions, governing bodies, and specialty organizations as a tool to drive systemic change in healthcare.

Trish Wierenga, APRN, FNP, IBCLC, PMH-C, has been an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) in Central Illinois since 2011 and a board certified Family Nurse Practitioner since 2021.  She is also one of only a few practitioners in Central Illinois certified in Perinatal Mental Health through Postpartum Support International.

Trish is a member and the current Chairperson of the International Affiliation of Tongue Tie Professionals (IATP), a member of the Central Illinois Breastfeeding Task Force (CIBTF), and is a former member of the Board of the Illinois chapter of Postpartum Support International (PSI). She has spoken at conferences locally and internationally on the role of the IBCLC and in the assessment and management of tongue and lip tie issues in relation to breastfeeding challenges as well as the impact of feeding difficulties on perinatal mental health.  She lives in Central Illinois with her husband, Brian, and has four children.

1 CE credit available to AAPMD members