Ever wonder what your breastfeeding professional's credentials mean? Find out with the United States Lactation Consultant Association's (USLCA) IBCLC’s Make the Difference Brochure or the Center for Breastfeeding’s What is a Certified Lactation Counselor Brochure?
Our Team
Kathleen Moren RN BSN IBCLC
Founder, President and Administrator
Kathleen is a graduate of Marquette University’s Nursing School and became an IBCLC in 1995. She has enjoyed a 37 year career that has included work in the Neonatal ICU, home healthcare, and the corporate setting. She founded Healthy Babies, Happy Moms Inc. in 1999 to help mothers achieve success in their breastfeeding goals by providing them with the information and support they need to confidently breastfeed and care for their children.
Kathy is passionate about making sure access to breastfeeding support is available to all who need it. She has worked as a member of the Physicians Committee for Breastfeeding in Rhode Island (PCBRI) and the Rhode Island Breastfeeding Coalition (RIBC) to help ensure that access for all mothers in Rhode Island. She served a two year term as Chair of RIBC and continues to serve as the Workplace Initiative Leader. In this role she manages the distribution of the Business Case for Breastfeeding Toolkit in RI and the Breastfeeding Friendly Workplace Awards. She also was the RI coordinator for the project: National Worksite Breastfeeding Support for Employers of Overtime Eligible Employees: Innovative Strategies for Success. Kathleen is a contributor to the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine Statement: Breastfeeding Support for Working Mothers, which was published in the ABM Journal 2013. She also published “State-Wide Support for Physician-Mothers Who Are Breastfeeding,” in the Journal of the Rhode Island Medical Society, which was a collaboration with some wonderfuls MDs from the group MomDocFamily. She has been on the Board for the Rhode Island Partnership for Home Care since January of 2022.
Most importantly, Kathy has been happily married to Mike Moren for 35 years and is the mother of four terrific sons. Her two oldest sons are actively involved in the success of HBHM. She enjoys the beach, walking with her sisters, reading, listening to live music, and going to good restaurants while hanging out with her guys.
Doris RN IBCLC
Doris has worked as a Registered Nurse for more than 25 years. All of her experience is with mothers and babies, with 20 years in the hospital and 6 in home health care with HBHM Inc. She obtained her IBCLC board certification in 2008 and has been working with breastfeeding mothers ever since. She started working with us when she moved to Westerly, RI in 2014 and has been a tremendous asset to our staff! In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her grandsons, husband and four grown children. She also volunteers with her local church , dabbles in painting, stained glass, and pottery. She loves exploring New England while hiking, kayaking and skiing.
Melanie RN IBCLC
Melanie is a registered nurse and a Board Certified Lactation Consultant. She was inspired to become a Lactation Consult after she experienced some of her own breastfeeding challenges. She has worked in the pediatric field for 15 years and is committed to helping parents achieve their personal feeding goals. She believes success looks different to every family and enjoys working with clients to help them develop an individual and realistic plan to feed (and enjoy) their babies. Melanie enjoys spending time with her husband and 2 children an in her spare time she plays golf, works out and relaxes.
Julia RN IBCLC
Julia graduated with a BSN from Sacred Heart University in 2016 and has been working with moms and babies ever since. She came to Healthy Babies, Happy Moms, Inc. from Women and Infants Hospital where she worked as a registered nurse on their busy Mother-Baby Unit, working in both postpartum care and the newborn nursery. In her five years there, she worked with thousands of parents and their newborns, helping them to navigate breastfeeding struggles, postpartum recovery, sleepless nights and much more. She believes that all new parents deserve compassionate, gentle, and judgement-free care as they begin their journey into parenthood. She provides care to all our phototherapy families and recently became board certified as an IBCLC and she is now seeing families that need breastfeeding support. Julia lives in Narragansett and when she is not at the beach, she can be found spending time with her large family (including her two golden retrievers), baking, or visiting the Farmers Market.
Olivia, Operations/Marketing Associate
Olivia recently graduated summa cum laude from Providence College, earning dual degrees in Health Policy and Management and Political Science. Her previous work experience includes legal research and administration at a law office, as well as health policy research and advocacy work with the Rhode Island Oral Health Coalition and the Rhode Island Public Health Association. Since joining the team at HBHM, Olivia hopes to further her professional career by gaining valuable administrative and operations experience, as well as insights into the clinical atmosphere and knowledge of lactation consulting. Most importantly, she is excited to be a part of an organization that provides services and care to so many patients and clients under a wonderful mission that emphasizes compassion, comfort, and support for newborns and their mothers.
Kim, Operations Associate
Kim has spent 25 years in healthcare having been a Registered Dental Hygienist in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Kim's hygiene specialty was in pediatrics, caring for patients in private practice and public health environments. She currently serves as a mentor to at-risk children in North Kingstown and Warwick. In her free time she loves to stay active, especially power walking with her family's two rescue pups. Kim enjoys spending time with her family, residing in Wickford with her husband and three children.
Dana, Operations Manager
Dana holds a BS in Marketing and Advertising from Syracuse University and an MBA in Marketing from Boston University. She has a wealth of corporate experience including Marketing and Brand Management roles in organizations such as Hasbro and The First Years, among others. In her free time, she enjoys playing tennis, exercising and spending time with her 3 boys. You can also find her volunteering and supporting organizations like Special Olympics and The Autism Project. Dana will be piloting our new job share role in the front office on Mondays & Wednesdays.
Rebecca, Director of Finance & HR
Rebecca holds an MBA from Tulane University with a concentration in Finance and Human Resources, and a BA from Colgate University with a concentration in Russian Studies and International Relations. She moved to Rhode Island from New York in 2008 to raise her family. Prior to relocating to Rhode Island, she was a Vice President in Human Capital Management at Goldman Sachs where she worked for nine years. Previous work experience includes Ford Motor Company, Downey Savings & Loan and StockCross. Rebecca is also a registered Teaching Artist with the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA) and sits on the Board of Directors for the Warwick Center for the Arts.
Kayla, Claims Processor & Program Manager for MT Medicaid
Kayla completed a comprehensive hands-on program at MTTI and received her Medical Billing & Coding Office Administration certification in June 2021. She completed an internship at Advanced Eye Care while in the program. In September 2021, she got her first job in this field here at Healthy Babies Happy Moms, Inc. Kayla loves working with a team dedicated to the well-being of new moms and their babies. Being a mom herself, Kayla appreciates our mission here knowing we positively impact so many families. In her free time, she enjoy spending time outdoors with her two children: going on nature walks, to the park, and the beach. Kayla also enjoy volunteering at local animal shelters and her kid's schools for things like field trips.
Cynthia, Accounts Receivable / Finance Associate
Cyn graduated from Roger Williams University in 2021 with a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice. She has a background in professional office roles in various industries, including project management, customer service, and accounting. She has lived and worked in Rhode Island and always felt the call to help others. She found few opportunities to have a direct positive impact on the community, like those who helped her and other community members around her. While she enjoyed hiking, kayaking, and spending time with her family in her free time, she looked for an organization aligned with her call to service. HBHM encompasses those values that Cyn holds dear with compassion and support at the forefront. Cyn will be working to ensure that HBHM continues to thrive financially so that we can continue to offer our much-needed services and support to the community. In this way, she feels she is fulfilling her call.