GOLD Speakers

Allyson Wessells, PT, IBCLC

• Speaker Type: 2024 Main Presentations, Breastfeeding Biomechanics: The Significance of Structure and Function Lecture Pack
• Country: United States

Biography:

Allyson is a physical therapist, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant and co-owner of Nurture Columbus, in Columbus, Ohio. She completed a Bachelor's degree in Biology from Ohio University in 1997, and Master of Physical Therapy degree from Northwestern University in 1999. After having a child in 2007, she volunteered as a La Leche League leader. She discovered a love for supporting new parents but a gap in lactation care, which led her to become an IBCLC in 2014.

Her clinical approach to identifying and overcoming feeding challenges is unique with physical therapy foundations in posture, movement and reflexive function. Through presentations she endeavors to engage IBCLCs to know more about movement as related to human lactation, and physical therapists to learn about breastfeeding as related to human development. As past-president (2019-2021) of the Ohio Lactation Consultant Association, she also advocates for equitable access to and health plan coverage for lactation care. Publications include co-authorship in the Journal of Human Lactation (2022), American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing (2021), and Clinical Lactation (2020).