Infant Feeding + Family Wellness Collaborative Section

Infant Feeding + Family Wellness

INFANT FEEDING + FAMILY WELLNESS

Who We Are

The Infant Feeding and Family Wellness Collaborative of AAPMD unites healthcare

professionals dedicated to nurturing families during the most formative stages of life. We

advance clinical excellence in functional infant feeding and oral development, support

perinatal mental health, and foster interdisciplinary collaboration to ensure infants and families

thrive. This interdisciplinary collaboration builds bridges between IBCLCs, nurse practitioners,

dentists, ENTs, pediatricians, SLPs, OTs, and mental health providers to promote continuity of

care for families during the perinatal and infant stages.

The foundation of airway health and craniofacial development begins in infancy. Functional

infant feeding, oral anatomy, and perinatal mental health directly influence not only early

growth but also long-term health outcomes. By establishing the Infant Feeding and Family

Wellness Collaborative, AAPMD expands its continuum of care, strengthening its role as the leader in airway, function, and family-centered wellness.

Section Leader

Trish Wierenga, APRN, FNP-BC, IBCLC, RLC, PMH-C

Trish Wierenga 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.

More on Trish Wierenga

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.

AAPMD Infant Feeding + Family Wellness Section

Who We Are

What We Do

How We Do It