Why I do what I do: About me, history and background
Nikki Lee
RN, BSN, MS, Mother of 2, IBCLC,RLC, CCE, CIMI, CST (cert.appl.), ANLC, RYT500
She/her/hers.
Nikki started her professional life as a licensed practical nurse in the Intensive Care Units of Bellevue Hospital, New York City, in 1971. She went on to complete a BSN (Hunter College-Bellevue School of Nursing) and a MS (University of Maryland School of Nursing). After the birth of her first daughter in 1975, her interest in breastfeeding bloomed. She worked with breastfeeding mothers when she was a public health nurse, and was librarian for her local La Leche League chapter. Her passion for mothers and babies was unleashed in full at Booth Maternity Hospital, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Since 1986, Nikki has made mothers and babies the entire focus of her career. The birth of her second daughter in 1990 only strengthened her dedication.
Her publications include the books Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Breastfeeding Therapy and A Breastfeeding Owner’s Manual; the monographs “Benefits of Breastfeeding and Their Economic Impact”and “Sexuality and Breastfeeding” and the educational pamphlet “How to help yourself through labor”. She is author of the blog, Morning Thoughts, and regularly updates her Facebook page, NikkiLeeHealth.
Since 1997, as a member of the Healthy Children faculty, and then starting in 2006, as the lactation program manager for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, she has taught about breastfeeding, chestfeeding and human lactation to thousands of families and healthcare workers of all backgrounds, professions, and gender identities. She has been a volunteer teacher for CHAMPS, in Louisiana and Mississippi since 2015. What makes her unique as a teacher is her ability to integrate concepts from everything she has experienced and studied into the content of her classes; and, most importantly, to remind students that breastfeeding is a human relationship, and that a thriving breastfed baby is far more than the sum of its feeding frequency, its diaper contents, and its weight gain. Her approach is a holistic one.
Nikki is a nurse, a childbirth educator, a lactation consultant, an infant massage instructor, a cranio-sacral therapist, a researcher, an author, a public speaker. and a registered yoga teacher. She was the lactation program manager for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health from 2006 to 2022 (the last 2 years teaching virtually). At present, she maintains a private practice as a holistic consultant (with a wide range of services offered), and teaches infant massage and TummyTime! classes. Her other interests include back-up rhythm guitar (Cajun and old-time), hiking, yoga, and Integrated positional therapy.
Nikki happily offers her services on a sliding scale to every type of family and lactating person. She proudly endorses the WHO Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes, and has no affiliation nor sponsorship from any corporation or organization.
Nikki imagines clean air, clean water and fresh wholesome food being major international goals. She imagines that the pursuit of armaments and war is dropped, because it isn’t good for babies. She sees everyone, everywhere, caring for and about babies.
