Meet Carolyn Hernandez RN, BSN, IBCLC
Carolyn is a mother of two, Registered Nurse, Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), and soon-to-be Midwife. She is passionate about women’s health and empowering families to make holistic, well-informed decisions in pregnancy, birth, and parenthood. As a student midwife and experienced team member, Carolyn is honored to care for and support families through their unique journey.
“My love of midwifery bloomed when I had the chance to see firsthand, the sharp contrast between medicalized birth in the hospital and uninterrupted birth at home with a midwife. I marveled at how intimate, secure, and private the labors at home felt, compared to the bright, invasive, and often dismissive atmosphere of the labor and delivery unit. I knew then that I would love walking alongside families as they navigate the joys and challenges of pregnancy and birth.”
Carolyn has been assisting Paula Grady with births since she became an RN in 2017. After working for a year as a nurse, and while pregnant with her first, she studied and trained to become a lactation consultant. Since then, Carolyn has been working towards completing her midwifery education and licensure while raising her girls and running her business, Loving Leche Lactation, from home.
“Having lived with Type 1 Diabetes most of my life, I have struggled against a medical system that is designed to treat people as statistics, rather than individuals. Throughout both my pregnancies, it felt like I was constantly fighting to prove that my condition didn’t define me or my ability to have a baby safely. After having a 9.5lb baby in hospital, and then a 10lb 2.5oz baby at home (both vaginally and unmedicated), I treasure the midwifery model of care which honors the normalcy of birth.”
Carolyn keeps her knowledge up to date by attending lactation and midwifery-related webinars, conferences, and classes. She also has received training in trauma-informed care for birthing persons via the Trauma-Informed Birth Nurse Program, by Mandy Irby.
“Safety of parents and babies is of utmost importance, and that includes ensuring that the parents feel physically, mentally, and emotionally safe in their care environments and with their providers. This can only be achieved in a trusting relationship where there is open-communication and client-centered care. Our team works together to provide this kind of care for all families.”
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