Meet Our Team
We are a team of mothers and professionals who are passionate about what we do.
Our Story
Owning a business that supports women on their breastfeeding and health journeys has been a dream of Heather's for years. When she moved to Eastern North Carolina, she saw an incredible need for more breastfeeding support and Functional Medicine health coaching. Mother Nurture was established to fill that need. It is truly an honor and privilege to support so many amazing women and their families!
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We can support you in-person throughout Eastern NC, or wherever you live through virtual consults.
WELCOME
The name "Mother Nurture" comes from so many things that bring me joy - a mother nurturing and nourishing her children, a mother taking the time to nurture herself on her own journey to health, and Mother Nature (where I love spending my free time). At Mother Nurture, we are here to support and guide you through some of life's difficult challenges. Whether you need breastfeeding support or simply want guidance on getting your health on track, we look forward to helping you on your journey!
-Heather Bazemore, owner
Heather
Heather is passionate about supporting mothers through breastfeeding and health challenges. Whether you need breastfeeding support or simply want guidance on getting your health on track, she looks forward to helping you on your journey!
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Her passion for lactation support and health coaching come from her own personal journeys. After having her son, she struggled with breastfeeding and felt so alone without professional support locally available. After her own breastfeeding experience, she felt the call to become an IBCLC so that other mothers would not have to experience the same struggles. Her journey to become a Functional Medicine Health Coach is very similar. After struggling with chronic symptoms for years with little relieve using traditional medical care, she dove back into research and found that there are ways to get to the actual cause of the problem, helping her body heal instead of just continuing to mask symptoms with medications. She feels so much better after addressing the "root cause" of her symptoms and wants to help other women on their own quest to wellness as a part of their healthcare team.
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Heather is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and a registered nurse. She has been helping new mothers feed their babies since 2015. She is a previous NICU RN and has experience as a hospital lactation nurse before starting her own private practice. She has a BSN from UNC-Chapel Hill (Go Heels!) and M.S. in Environmental Health from Colorado State University (Go Rams!). She has completed the IBCLC Masterclass to further her education and be able to better support families with tethered oral tissues. She is also a Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach and Restorative Wellness Practitioner (Level 1), focusing on helping mothers and their families find root cause healing solutions so they can live life to the fullest!
Anna
Anna Lilley is a dual certified speech-language pathologist (SLP) and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication from N.C. State University. She then graduated Summa Cum Laude with her Master’s of Science degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from North Carolina Central University.
Anna has worked with infants and children in a variety of settings including in-patient, out-patient, private practice, feeding clinics, and breastfeeding support groups. She has extensive training in therapeutic breast massage, baby-led weaning (bottle, straw cup, open cup, puree, and solid food acceptance), sensory integration, tethered oral tissues (such as tongue, lip, and buccal-ties), cleft lip and palate, and other feeding disorders. Her passion for lactation support extends outside of the hospital and private practice settings; she breastfed her own child, and has helped countless family members and friends with their feeding journeys.
Her goal is to help empower families to feed their babies while providing a holistic approach to support each family’s individualized lactation goals. Anna knows the importance of collaborating with pediatricians, OBs, ENTs, dentists, body workers, and additional health professionals while helping families reach their personal feeding goals. She looks forward to meeting and supporting you and your growing family.
Anna lives in little Washington with her husband, baby boy, and two dogs. During her free time Anna loves spending time outdoors, cooking, gardening, and taking trips to the beach.
Mrika
Mrika is excited to be joining our team here at Mother Nurture to offer virtual lactation support! She brings with her both personal experience as a breastfeeding mom, as well as her educational and professional experience as a certified health education specialist and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC).
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Mrika’s journey to become a lactation supporter began after the birth of her first child. Even though she took the hospital classes and thought she was prepared for breastfeeding, she experienced many challenges with her son in the early days and weeks of breastfeeding due to an undiagnosed tongue tie. During that time, there was a lack of breastfeeding support in her area, and it took several months for her to find the support that she needed to address these feeding issues.
While facing those challenges, she decided that she wanted to help provide others with the support that she didn’t have. She especially loves serving fellow military families like hers, who often are far from their support systems and don’t always have access to lactation support. She has worked hard to bridge the gap in care in her local community and will continue to do so here at Mother Nurture!
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Mrika has a B.S. in Community Health/Health Education from George Mason University and is certified as a health education specialist, CLC, and personal trainer/women’s fitness instructor in addition to her IBCLC. She has experience working as a breast pump educator and has a wealth of knowledge about the various breast pumps on the market. She is passionate about making sure everyone is using their correct flange size while pumping, feels supported, and has the information and resources that they need to have an infant feeding journey that they feel confident about. Mrika is a strong believer that every parent knows their baby best and she strives to equip and encourage parents to follow their instincts and their baby’s cues as they navigate their feeding and parenting journey!