Lactation Support
Our team of Lactation Consultants is comprised of Family Physicians and Registered Nurses. We have developed an innovative postpartum group program to support you in your infant feeding journey, providing education and advice to support addressing:
latch difficulties and sore nipples
low or high milk supply
bottle or breast preference
pumping and supplementing, and
anxiety, depression, and stress associated with infant feeding
Our Lactation Support Partners
Nicole Ahmed
RN, BN, MSN, IBCLC
Registered Nurse & Lactation Consultant
Nicole Ahmed (she/her) has been a registered nurse for 20 years and an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) for 14 years.
Nicole completed a Master of Science in Nursing Degree in 2016 with a focus on breastfeeding education. From 2014-2022 she was the director of Calgary Breastfeeding Centre where she provided breastfeeding education courses for health care professionals, breastfeeding workshops for parents, and one-on one lactation support services to families. Nicole is passionate about supporting, promoting, and protecting breastfeeding families. Her clinical background spans both acute care settings, including NICUs and postpartum units, as well as community-based environments. She also has several years’ experience teaching nursing students in their postpartum clinical rotations.
Alongside her balance of clinical & leadership roles, she loves to keep busy with her family, which includes her husband and their two children. Nicole enjoys being active whether that is participating in gym fitness classes or going for a brisk walk to breath in the fresh air. Her response to the often asked question “how do you do it all?”, is “I don’t! I have a great supportive network, and it takes a village to raise our children.”
Dr. Katy Anderson
MD, CCFP, IBCLC
Family Physician & Lactation Consultant
Dr. Anderson (she/her) is a family physician practicing breastfeeding medicine, general family medicine, and providing contraception consultations. She completed her medical degree and family medicine residency training at the University of Calgary. She was introduced to breastfeeding medicine during residency through her mentor and preceptor at Circle Medical Breastfeeding clinic, and she received her IBCLC certification in 2019. She has a passion for infant feeding, teaching new families how to breastfeed, as well as following infants through their feeding journey.
She is currently the Medical Director of the Breastfeeding Clinic at Circle Medical in Copperfield in SE Calgary. Dr. Anderson is the President of the South Anderson Primary Care Association, and is also on the Board of Directors for the South Calgary Primary Care Network. She has a passion for preventative medicine and continues to strive to have an accessible medical home for her family practice patients. Through her leadership positions she advocates for accessible primary health care.
In her spare time Dr. Anderson spends time with her two young boys and husband - biking around Calgary and sneaking away to BC to bike and ski. You will also occasionally find her on the Peloton leaderboard, cycling or doing strength when she can fit it in.
Dr. Shawna Lamond
MD, CCFP, NABBLM-C, IBCLC
Family Physician & Lactation Consultant
Dr. Lamond (she/her) supports babies and their parents through their breastfeeding and lactation journey. She specializes in infant feeding, lactation, induction of lactation and mental health challenges around the postpartum period. She is the founder of the WellFed Clinic in Calgary, leading a group of Family Physician Lactation Specialists in providing unparalleled support to patients in their infant feeding journey.
On top of her time caring for patients, she uses her skills and expertise to teach physicians and nurses in both academic and clinical settings. She is a board member of the North American Board of Breastfeeding and Lactation Medicine, a breastfeeding education consultant for Alberta Health Services, and a lecturer with the University of Calgary Department of Family Medicine.
Outside of work you’ll find her traveling and skiing with her husband and two sons, or snuggling at home with her cats.
Shannon Viczko
RN, IBCLC
Registered Nurse & Lactation Consultant
Shannon (she/her) has over 15 years experience as a registered nurse and lactation consultant in Calgary.
As a birth and postpartum doula in 2001, Shannon was inspired by the universality and uniqueness of families’ experiences to found the Womb’s Cradle, offering facilitated holistic solution-focus prenatal classes, birth-trauma workshops and community-building postpartum series. Shannon continues to cultivate that same passion for mothering the mother and co-creating non-judgmental spaces. Her role as a Lactation Consultant, focused on feeding challenges, has taught her that there is a mystery and inherent rhythm to each mother & baby. It’s not always something we can control, but rather learn from. It’s Shannon’s greatest privilege to share the knowledge families have taught her with other nurses, providers and families.
She loves hanging out with her husband, kids and their dog. You can find them watching movies, playing cards, camping, gardening, and out on random adventure day-trips.
FAQs
Your Guide to Lactation Support at Ensemble Healthcare
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There are many professionals who can support you in your infant feeding journey. The list includes:
nurses and lactation consultants working on the postpartum unit at the hospital,
public health nurses and lactation consultants who will see you after you take your baby home, and
physicians who manage lactation issues.
At Ensemble, our Postpartum Group Support Programs offers educational sessions led by our team of Family Physician and Nurse Lactation Consultants - learn more here.
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No, our Postpartum Group Support Programs are open to all families, and no referral is required.
