About Melinda

 I enjoy working with families to help them meet their goals for pregnancy, birth, and nursing. I have served growing families for the last eleven years in a variety of roles - community breastfeeding counselor, birth discussion group facilitator, childbirth educator, doula, and birth assistant. 

My current certifications and trainings:
  • IBCLC, 2019(​International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, renewal every five years)
  • ​Bradley Method® trained and affiliated instructor and doula, 2014-19 (yearly re-certification)
  • Spinning Babies workshop, 2020
  • American Heart Association Basic Life Support, 2020 (infant, child, and adult, renewal every two years)
  • Neonatal Resuscitation Program, 2019 (renewal every two years)
  • Peanut Ball Trained, Basic and Advanced Levels, 2018-2019
  • Rebozo techniques, 2018
  • community breastfeeding counselor, 2011-present ​
Picture
photo of Brittany by Shalom Photography used with permissions
Professional and volunteer experience:
  • natural birth - home and hospital
  • medicated vaginal birth
  • cesarean birth, including VBAC
  • breastfeeding/chestfeeding from birth through the toddler years - nursing at the breast, pumping, and feeding via supplementer, bottle feeding, low supply, post-augmentation and reduction, twins, pumping after loss, premature babies
  • LGBTQ+ family support
  • pregnancy after loss
  • pregnancy through assisted fertility
  • pre-term birth
  • medically complex birth

I am pleased to support all families to reach their own pregnancy, birth, and feeding goals. I am here to give you the tools to choose and the support you need. For those families who find it comforting to know that a support person has personal experience in certain areas, my own experience includes : 
  • infertility and miscarriage
  • homebirth 
  • full-term breastfeeding
  • cloth diapering
  • traditional foods
  • babywearing
  • Fertility Awareness Method for avoiding and achieving pregnancy
  • safe co-sleeping
My four sons, ages 4 to 13 years, were all born naturally at home and breastfed full-term. They have ranged from "easy" to "high needs," and I am continuing to learn my best life lessons from them daily. I enjoy gardening and cooking as well as knitting, hiking, sewing, and reading. 
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Contact me with questions about services, to schedule a lactation appointment, or to register for a class: 
T. Melinda Ring IBCLC, AAHCC 931.308.9817 
nest.n.nurture.nashville@gmail.com      
​​Nashville, Franklin, Spring Hill, Williamson County, Davidson, Cheatham, Dickson, Maury, Marshall, Rutherford, Wilson, Bedford, Sylvan Park, Green Hills, Belle Meade, Bellevue, Brentwood, Goodlettsville, Hendersonville, Millersville, Greenbrier, White House, Gallatin, Mt. Juliet, Lebanon, LaVergne, Smyrna, Murfreesboro, Lascassas, Bradyville, Beechgrove, Christiana, Bell Buckle, Wartrace, Shelbyville, Chapel Hill, Columbia, Leiper's Fork, Fairview, Bon Aqua, Burns, Pegram, Kingston Springs, Ashland City