Our Consultants
CREATING CONFIDENT MOMS
WITH HEALTHY BABIES AND HAPPY FAMILIES
OUR LACTATION CONSULTANTS ARE FULLY VACCINATED
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Testimonials
Meet Our Founder
Naiomi Catron, RNC-OB, IBCLC
My Vision for Milk Diva: Pursuit of Passion and Purpose
Naiomi, founder and owner of Milk Diva Lactation Services, uses her expertise to educate and empower parents on their breastfeeding journey. One of her main objectives is to enable parents to feel a sense of reassured confidence as mothers embark upon one of the most significant, bonding experiences they will have with their child. As an award-winning Labor & Delivery Nurse and Board-Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), her dynamic background gives her the ability to navigate through the certainties and uncertainties of the lactation process.
After having children, Naiomi took off a few years from work to focus solely on being a wife and a mother. During this time, she experienced a period of vulnerability like never before. She felt judged and ill-equipped from lack of resources to help prepare her for one of the biggest challenges of her life. This, in turn, fueled her passion to start Milk Diva Lactation Services and provide judgement-free, expert breastfeeding support.
With over 8 years as a Perinatal Nurse, Naiomi knows how anxious families can feel about breastfeeding. Many people try to ‘wing it,’ only to be overwhelmed by frustration, sadness, and self-doubt. All of this can be prevented with accurate and timely education and guidance.
She is greatly encouraged when she has the opportunity to work with pregnant women and mothers who value educating and preparing themselves for what will turn out to be some of their bravest moments. Naiomi approach includes evaluating the whole body as opposed to just working on ‘the latch.’ She takes time to provide education, resources and invites parents into her hands-on evaluation process of mom and baby. Naiomi also invites parents to take pictures and video during her consultations, to help them recall important details, when they are trying to remember things late at night. Milk Diva prides itself in its ability to consider the entire family’s well-being such as energy, finances, goals and emotional health, along with the baby’s long-term wellbeing.
Why Milk Diva?
Naiomi knows breastfeeding isn’t one size fits all. With that understanding in mind, this is one of her foundational principles which continuously sets Milk Diva apart. Feeding the infant can happen in a number of ways and it’s her goal to help find the best method for each family, based on their situation.
Naiomi is one of less than 5 practitioners in Austin, Texas who has completed the IBCLC Masterclass. This masterclass is an international course taught from a holistic perspective and focuses on supporting the habilitation of the breastfeeding dyad in overcoming oral dysfunction such as tongue-tie. With this knowledge, she is able to help parents work through feeding difficulties that are less obvious and often misunderstood. In addition to standard IBCLC education, Naiomi has taken the in-person, TOTS training course aka tongue tie.
As Naiomi continues to expand the Milk Diva team, she is very deliberate with her selection of consultants. Milk Diva Consultants will always place emphasis on the root cause of feeding issues, and are here to inform, guide, and support families by connecting the pieces of the puzzle, as parents experience the amazing journey of breastfeeding.
Naiomi's Perspective and Approach
Wife & Mother
My process of becoming a mom wasn’t easy. Neither of my children came into this world without complication. It was this experience that fueled my desire to do something more for mothers.
Award Winning
Naiomi was awarded the prestigious Daisy Award not once but twice. She also won the Human Care Award, an annual award that is only given to a handful of employees of the Seton Healthcare System.
Mentor & Volunteer
Naiomi has served as a volunteer for Austin Smiles, Heart of Texas Pregnancy Resource Center and is currently volunteering with at-risk women at The Source Women's Health Center. She also supports Saruni International and Every Mother Counts. In addition she mentors new Labor and Delivery nurses.
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Mary Kay Rybiski, BSN, RN, IBCLC
A Wealth of Experience to Share with others
With over 30 years of lactation and perinatal nursing experience, Kay offers simple, flexible, evidence-based care. Since childhood, Kay wanted to be a nurse who worked with moms and babies. Believe or not she started out working as a journalist which would soon prove to be a value add to her future career as an obstetrical (OB) nurse.
The delivery of her first-born child carried lots of anxiety and stress. The birth was a difficult emergency Cesarean. People in masks and gowns flew around the room dumping instruments on tables and putting monitors on Kay. All the while, she was continuously sobbing and yet at the same time, scared for her little Claire. Kay’s labor nurse, Pat, grabbed her hand and held on, bringing much comfort in the middle of chaos.
After the C-section , Kay knew she had to be someone’s “Pat” one day. After she had her first baby in 1980, an unsuccessful breastfeeding experience, she did not want to repeat that with her second child. Kay is no stranger to balancing a career with that of being mom. On her quest to be a “Pat”, Kay received her nursing degree from The Ohio State University resulting in a rewarding 35-year career in obstetrical (OB) nursing. This decision finally gave her the opportunity to be “Pat” to many new mothers.
Always yearning for new knowledge, Kay read everything she could get her hands on to stay abreast of the quickly evolving field of lactation science trends. Kay can be considered part of the first generation of lactation consultants. She has been board certified since 1991 within a profession which only starting credentialing in 1985.
Employing her pioneering expertise, Kay spent 6 years at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center developing and running the Outpatient Lactation Department. She would eventually leave Ohio and to reside in Texas where she was the first lactation consultant with the Mothers' Milk Bank of Austin. Kay also worked for Any Baby Can, where she developed The Navigator, a manual to help parents of special needs children learn about area resources for their family. She also maintained a private practice in the San Marcos and surrounding area for 13 years.
Kay is very thoughtful, gentle, calm and soft-spoken. Her approach is based around discovering the short & long-term goals of the parents, then performing an assessment and evaluation of the couplet. After her assessment she adjusts the focus as needed but is careful to get the input of the parents as they prioritize their goals together. After each consultation, she provides a personalized document, with text, images and video, describing the details discussed during the visit.
Why Milk Diva?
Kay feels that she was pre-ordained to work with Milk Diva. She brings decades of diverse expertise and she stays current with the latest research on lactation medicine.
In her lengthy career, she’s worked with families experiencing all kinds of problems: from too much or too little milk; to painful, damaged nipples; babies with special needs; and women wishing to induce lactation or to re-lactate. She has ten years of specialized focus in the area of anklyglossia (aka tongue-ties). Her specialized training and education with infant feeding difficulties helps her to work with parents to bring babies to full, comfortable breastfeeding.
Since joining Milk Diva, Kay is now is one of less than 5 practitioners (including the founder, Naiomi) in Austin, TX who has completed the IBCLC Masterclass, which is an international course that focuses on supporting the habilitation of the breastfeeding dyad in overcoming oral dysfunction such as tongue-tie, from a holistic perspective. In addition, Kay has taken the Tethered Oral Tissue aka tongue tie (TOTS) training course.
Kay has come to truly recognize her calling as she is excited and humbled to play a role in helping families with their blooming breastfeeding progression. As a mother of two lovely daughters and a Grandma, there’s nothing she loves more than working with families and their babies. The beauty of working with Kay is parents get the benefit of her amazing lactation know-how, combined with her journalistic inclinations. You can best believe a mother will receive the guidance that meets the needs of both baby and family.
Kay's Perspective and Approach
Isabel Price, IBCLC
Isabel is a highly skilled lactation consultant who has helped thousands of mothers with breastfeeding. She has had similar experiences, so she can empathize and understand what you're going through. Additionally, being bilingual gives her the ability to support and teach mothers in both Spanish and English.
Isabel is well-known for her gentle and compassionate approach with every family she works with. She understands that every mother and baby is unique, so she tailors her advice and support to meet the individual needs of each family. With her extensive experience, Isabel is skilled at identifying breastfeeding difficulties and helping families find solutions that work for them.
Isabel's Perspective and Approach
The pressure of feeling like you should have all the answers and do everything right can quickly become overwhelming. You don’t have to carry this burden on your own—get support you need and guidance in the form of compassionate care and feedback.
Isabel is a mother herself and has experienced some of the common challenges many new mothers face. She has dedicated her career to helping other mothers overcome those challenges and find success in breastfeeding.
Isabel is here to make you both feel loved on your feeding journey. With personalized, step-by-step guidance, she’ll guide you through each stage, from breastfeeding to bottle feeding, so you can enjoy every moment with your baby. Get all the support you need with Isabel!
Why Milk Diva?
Isabel was drawn to Milk Diva because of the team of ladies who are so passionate and enthusiastic about elevating the lactation profession and helping moms find their way through their lactation journey.
She was drawn to this group of professionals who are eager to elevate the lactation profession and create lasting change in their community. The chance of continually learning from industry leading experts who share the same passion for maternal child health, is a dream come true.
Isabel was looking for a company that shared her values and found that Milk Diva was exactly what she was looking for. She was inspired by the company's commitment to giving back to the community and decided to join them. With her experience and enthusiasm, Isabel is sure to be an asset to Milk Diva as she works towards making a positive impact in future generations.
From one-on-one in-home consultations to virtual consultation, Isabel offers flexible and judgment-free care for breastfeeding families. She provides personalized advice that takes into account the individual needs of each family.
Isabel isn’t just an expert; she’s also a mom! With two teens, she knows firsthand how challenging breastfeeding can be. That’s why she provides compassionate and understanding support that helps make breastfeeding easier for mothers like you.
In her free time, Isabel enjoys spending time with her blended family including her husband and 4 children ranging from 9-17 years old. And she especially enjoys cooking!
Katie Tims, M.A, IBCLC
Creating a Customized and Compassionate Experience with Education and Expertise
Through her trained expertise, personal breastfeeding experiences, and passion for education, Katie offers a customized and flexible experience for parents as they navigate their infant feeding journey. Her interest in becoming a lactation consultant was sparked when she was able to thoughtfully and successfully advise her breastfeeding peers who were struggling with their own babies.
Katie's Perspective and Approach
Katie helps parents sift through the sea of sometimes confusing and conflicting, and at worst, misleading, infant feeding information. Her goal is to educate and equip parents with breastfeeding plans that include customized feeding techniques, up-to-date education, recommendations, and tools to meet the unique needs of each family. The result is parents who have confidence and feel well-equipped to meet their infant feeding goals.
She is a firm believer in the importance of prenatal preparation and welcomes the opportunity to begin prenatal relationships with mothers to help prepare for any changes or challenges that may impact their feeding plan.
Katie promises a compassionate and judgment-free lactation consultation experience and families are encouraged to participate in creating a customized infant feeding plan. Her flexible schedule also offers convenience and accessibility.
Why Milk Diva?
Katie discovered Milk Diva’s founder, Naiomi, during her International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) training at the University of California in San Diego. She was initially impressed by Naiomi’s vast professional experience, training, knowledge, and commitment to elevating the standard of lactation care for not only her patients, but also her team.
During her six months of clinical, hands-on training with Naiomi and the Milk Diva team, Katie witnessed firsthand that “individualized lactation care” is not just a tagline. It is the core of Milk Diva’s approach to patient care and education. Katie also noticed the way Milk Diva comes alongside families as healthcare allies, empowering parents to advocate for themselves, if needed. Milk Diva's compassion and love extends beyond the families they serve to the community-at-large. At the end of her training, Katie knew she had found her “home.”
Katie enjoys the opportunity to meet with clients in their own home where she has a chance to observe parents and infants in their environment. In-home consultations are convenient for parents and provide parents a sense of comfort and creates a safe space for meaningful conversations.
Katie lives just outside of Dripping Springs with her husband, Matt, and two daughters, Nella and Joleigh. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, traveling, skiing, spending time with her family, and staying involved with her church community.
