Hi, I’m Cecelia! Nice to meet you.

I’m a pediatric feeding specialist and lactation consultant, and I am the owner and founder of Milk Bird Health.

A little about me…

I opened Milk Bird Health in 2023 out of a dream to more holistically support families in my community seeking balanced, richly-informed healthcare for their little ones with complex feeding needs and developmental delays. I am especially passionate about helping complex breastfeeding dyads achieve easeful and enjoyable feeding, and working with families who are transitioning home from the NICU and/or weaning from tube feeding. My goal is to guide parents back towards their innate intuition—that inner voice of the heart that every person has—in order for feeding to be a peaceful activity rather than a stressful one.

I have worked with children and families for over 16 years in various roles, including as an educator, as a caregiver for foster youth, as an arts educator in after school programming, and since 2019, as a licensed speech-language pathologist and pediatric feeding therapist. My clinical experience incudes providing speech and feeding therapy at multiple schools throughout Clackamas and Multnomah counties, Doernbecher Children’s Hospital, and two early intervention programs in WA state. I have seen again and again how a newborn’s nourishment and attunement in the first months of life can set the tone for their health for years (if not decades) to come. I view infant feeding as not just a set of developmental milestones, but as a public health imperative.

I live in Camas, WA, with my beloved wife, our sweet rabbit Paloma, and our twenty-two (at last count) mostly-thriving houseplants. My wife and I are both born-and-raised Pacific Northwesterners, originally from the Seattle area. In my free time, I love to make music, write poetry, listen to podcasts while crafting, spend time with my nieces and nephews, and go to the water whenever I can. I laugh a lot, I cry a lot, I sing a lot, and I love going to bed at a reasonable hour. Anything else you want to know about me… please ask!

With gratitude and joy, I cannot wait to meet your family!

Lumi the Lactation Llama joins me at every visit to model feeding positions (and distract siblings)

Baby Cecelia feeding the “babies!”

My wife and I spend as much time outside as possible, especially on the rare PNW sunny days

Qualifications

  • Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP) from the American Speech-Language Hearing Association

    Licensed Speech-Language Pathologist in the state of Washington

    Licensed Speech-Language Pathologist in the state of Oregon

    International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC)

    Hospital-to-Home™ Certified - Hospital-to-Home™ is an interdisciplinary training on the specific mental health and medical needs of infants transitioning from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) to home.

    Promoting First Relationships® Certified - Promoting First Relationships® is a training for healthcare providers to support parents and other caregivers to nurture young children’s social and emotional development.

    SOFFI® (Supporting Oral Feeding in Fragile Infants) - SOFFI® is an integrated approach to supporting feeding skills in preterm and medically complex infants.

  • Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) from University of San Francisco

    Master of Science (M.S.) from Portland State University

    Lactation Education Counselor 45-hour course through University of California - San Diego

    Lactation Consultant 120-hour program through University of California - San Diego

  • American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA) member

    Washington Speech-Language Hearing Association (WSLHA) member

    Oregon-Washington Lactation Association (OWLA) member

    Institute for the Advancement of Breastfeeding & Lactation Education (IABLE) member

  • "Working with Cecelia for breastfeeding support has been such a gift! We really appreciate her warmth and that she is always more than willing to answer any and all questions we have. Sessions with her not only help us in the moment but also educate us for the future. We couldn’t recommend her enough!” (M+H)

  • “Cecelia is child-centered and patient. Any time I voice concerns around my daughter’s development she has shared evidence-based information in a way that made me feel supported as a parent and normalized the phases we’re going through. I value her knowledge and kindness as we navigate this parenting adventure!” (K+D)

  • “I have always felt like my son was just another number to his doctors, but Cecelia really cares about him. More than that, I feel how much she cares for my whole family. Her visits every week are the highlight of our week and always make me feel more at ease.” (S+N)

  • “It is such a relief to have someone come to your home, get to know you, and actually listen to what you’re going through with your baby. Things that the hospital hurried through with us, Cecelia took the time to explain it all and answer every question. This has been so helpful to have someone to help me figure this out!” (M+B)

All are welcome

I value supporting families living outside the dominant cultural paradigm, either by choice or by innate identity, to feel a sense of empowerment and sovereignty in their healthcare experiences.

Allowing me into your home and asking for guidance for your child’s health requires tremendous courage on your part, and I understand that it takes time and mutual effort to build a trusting relationship.

From a place of humility as a lifelong learner, I welcome feedback from all clients about the role of identity, equity, and belonging within our professional relationship.