Mercedes Thomas, APRN, CPNP, CLC is a board-certified pediatric nurse practitioner, certified lactation counselor, maternal child health consultant, and author of What in the Baby?!?: The Modern Mama's Guide To Confidently Caring For Your Baby And Surviving The Postpartum Period, which will be released on October 30, 2020. Mercedes also is the owner of Advanced Practice Wellness & Lactation, a private practice based in the Washington, DC area where she provides virtual lactation services, parenting classes and healthcare consulting to organizations serving families. She also serves on several national committees in an effort to improve infant feeding practices, access to primary care, and maternal-infant mortality rates.

Mercedes has over 12 years of nursing experience working in both inpatient and outpatient, neonatal and pediatric settings. Her mission is to combine her nursing expertise with her experiences as a mom to support families with evidence-based education and resources. To learn more visit MercedesThomas.com.

What you'll hear in this episode:

• What in the Baby?!? book
• Birth and postpartum doulas
• Womanly Art of Breastfeeding book
• Mocha Manual book
• Postpartum warning signs
• Association of Women's Health Obstetric & Neonatal Nurses
• Tips to survive the new normal of motherhood in the fourth trimester
• Infant feeding tips (breast and bottle)
• Maternal & infant mortality
• How to rally for each other

Connect with Mercedes:

• Website: AdvancedPracticeWellness.com
• Facebook: Facebook.com/mercedesthenp
• Instagram: Instagram.com/mercedesthenp
• Sneak Peek of Her Book: What in the Baby?!?

Resources:

• NapNap.org/families
• HealthyChildren.org/English/Pages/default.aspx
• LLLI.org
• BlackMaternalHealthCaucus-Underwood.House.gov/Momnibus
• USBreastfeeding.org/about-us