Today we’d like to introduce you to Julie Oberholzer.
Hi Julie, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
During my time in graduate school studying public health, I kept this little book on me where I would write down potential job ideas or public health problems that interested me. One day during a maternal and child health course we had a class focused on breastfeeding statistics and challenges, and I learned there was a whole profession dedicated to lactation. I don’t recall every hearing about breastfeeding at any other point during my schooling, but that day left an impact on me. I walked out of class and confidently told a classmate, “I’m going to do something with breastfeeding for my career.” It sounds cliche, but during that three-hour class, I found my life’s passion. I just loved how breastfeeding was a preventative healthcare measure that had lasting health impacts for both parent and baby. It is biologically normal, but complex at the same time with parents often requiring support in various forms and that was where I wanted to find my career path. After finishing graduate school, I began my education and training to become an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant and was certified in 2009. I’ve worked in hospital settings, NICUs, outpatient, and finally where I am today in private practice providing in-home lactation consultations. In 2018, my business partner, Allyson Wessells, and I created Nurture Columbus. We were both working individually in private practice and after chatting over many cups of coffee we realized we could better serve Columbus families by combining our efforts. In those early days, we would each see a couple of families a week. Now we serve over 350 families a year, accept several major insurance plans, and have added eight counties to our travel area and two additional IBCLC consultants to our team.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Insurance coverage has been our consistent challenge. At Nurture, we strive for every family to be able to access quality, affordable lactation care. The Affordable Healthcare Act paved the way for women to access lactation care as preventative healthcare, however, not all insurance plans cover access to International Board-Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLC). We have made huge strides in being able to offer insurance coverage, but still have a long way to go, especially for our most vulnerable families.
We’ve been impressed with Nurture Columbus, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Nurture specializes in prenatal and postpartum lactation and developmental support and education. Our staff includes experienced International Board-Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLC) and Physical Therapists. What makes us unique is we provide all services in our client’s homes. This allows us to see families in their environment and create a CarePlan that is sustainable for their specific situation.
Nurture supports families on all things infant feeding, including breastfeeding, chest feeding, bottle feeding, pumping, and weaning. Our team brings a unique multidisciplinary approach with expertise in both advanced lactation care and infant development. We help infants optimize their movement and ability to feed by incorporating Tummy Time!™ Method and gentle exercises into our consultations.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
Nurture Columbus focuses on “nurturing” families through their feeding journeys for the first year of life. We have also been incredibly lucky to have been nurtured by some amazing IBCLCs who helped us become the consultants we are today. Allyson would love to give a shout-out to Milk and Honey in Tucson, Arizona. I will forever be grateful to Virgie Hughes with Lactation Education Resources, who took a chance on me as an unconventional candidate for her intern program. We are fortunate to be supported and encouraged by local physicians, allied health professionals, fellow IBCLCs, and our friends and family. Running a small business truly takes a village!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.nurturecolumbus.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nurturecolumbus/
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/nurturecolumbus/
