"Bliss Lactation rocks! I am a new momma-to-be and knew nothing about breastfeeding, except for the fact that I wanted to do it. I met with Chelsea for a consultation and was impressed with her depth of knowledge and professionalism. She was also very warm and conversational, and that made me feel at ease. I loved how she shared techniques to try at home. I am due in 3 weeks and feel very confident that I have the support I need to care for my baby. I highly recommend them!"
-Rachel
-Rachel
Chelsea DeSorbo, IBCLC
Chelsea is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, licensed in Oregon with over a decade of experience serving local families through the transition into parenthood. She has been providing lactation and infant feeding support and education to Oregon and Washington communities since 2013. Originally from the East Coast, Chelsea moved to Portland in 2010, where her journey in maternal child health and wellness began. Her passion for nurturing healthy beginnings was sparked by her own experience as a new parent, inspiring her to shift from a career path in dietetics to human lactation. Chelsea’s early work in lactation began as a volunteer with Nursing Mothers Counsel of Oregon and the Northwest Mothers Milk Bank. She found her calling in providing empathetic, evidence-based support to breastfeeding families, leading her to earn her degree in human lactation from Birthingway College of Midwifery and IBCLC certification in 2016. Chelsea opened Bliss Lactation in 2016 and has thoroughly enjoyed growing into a small group practice, supporting hundreds of families each year. Chelsea was trained under the midwifery model of care and highly values a relationship - based and holistic approach to healthcare. Chelsea’s approach with her patients is centered on empowerment, compassion, and respect. She values creating personalized care plans that are effective, sustainable, and judgment-free, while prioritizing your family’s mental health and well-being. Her gentle, nurturing energy and open-minded perspective help clients feel reassured and supported through every challenge. Chelsea also spent 5 years as a staff IBCLC at Legacy Good Samaritan Hospital’s award-winning birth center. There, she gained valuable expertise working with medically complex cases and honing her skills for helping parents establish breastfeeding during the crucial early days postpartum. Chelsea takes pride in building meaningful relationships, especially repeat clients she has helped with more than one baby, and tailoring her care to meet the unique needs of each family she serves. When not working with families, Chelsea enjoys cooking for her family, traveling, gardening, and pursuing continuing education to deepen her expertise. |
Jill Charno, IBCLC, MSc
Jill is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and Neurodiverse Lactation Specialist. She has an undergraduate degree in Psychology and an MSc in Mental Health Nursing. Jill is originally from England and moved to Portland with her husband and 2 young sons 6 years ago. Her passion for breastfeeding began with her own children and she became a breastfeeding peer supporter so that she could support other families to reach their own infant feeding goals. After moving to the states, Jill went on to complete a Certification in Human Lactation at Portland State University and achieved her dream of becoming an IBCLC. She currently works in private practice, supporting families in their homes. Jill loves providing evidence based care plans that are practical and achievable. She has developed a special interest in extended and tandem nursing and loves working with older babies as well as newborns! Before coming to Portland, Jill worked as a Registered Mental Health Nurse for 10 years, specializing in drug and alcohol addiction. Although no longer a practicing nurse, Jill remains passionate about mental health and is keen to utilize her knowledge and expertise when working with new families in the postpartum period. She is currently pursuing certification in Perinatal Mental Health Conditions so that she can combine two of her biggest passions - lactation and mental health. Over the past few years, Jill has developed a further interest in neurodiversity and has recently completed a certification to become a Neurodiverse Lactation Specialist. She can’t wait to support families to create a sensory conscious lactation space and provide neurodivergent affirming care plans. Outside the world of lactation, Jill homeschools her eldest son and serves on the Board at her youngest son’s school. She also serves on the Board for Baby Blues Connection, a non profit organization that provides free and confidential support to parents coping with postpartum depression and anxiety. |
Hear more about how Chelsea supports clients as she discusses sustainable breastfeeding with Charli of Hearth and Home Midwifery on the Home Birth Midwife Podcast, episode 20.
Kind Words From Clients:
"Chelsea was absolutely amazing and I can hands-down say she is the reason I am still breastfeeding today!
I struggled with 4 rounds of mastitis in my baby’s first 7 weeks of life. As a first time mom, I wanted desperately to breastfeed but I followed all of the “textbook” rules and it still wasn’t working. I met with the lactation clinic at the hospital (side note, they are NOT the same level of certification as Chelsea and are not helpful at all!), talked to a La Leche League leader and all of my mama friends, and countless hours of trial and error... yet still nothing got better. I finally called Chelsea in tears during my 4th round of mastitis (bilateral).
She was so comforting yet confident and professional in her support and recommendations. She came to our house that SAME day - while we got lucky with scheduling lining up, it really shows you how dedicated she was to helping us find a solution right away. I felt comfortable pouring my soul out to her at my most vulnerable moment, and she helped lead us out of our challenges through a variety of solutions to make sure everything was addressed. She even went as far as speaking on the phone with my OB to help resolve my infections. She also caught an undiagnosed tongue tie in my daughter. After she set us up with a specialist to fix the tie, she went above and beyond and advocated with the doctor to have them see us as an emergency right before they shut down their practice due to the Covid pandemic.
Even if you do not have as severe of challenges as I faced, Chelsea’s depth of knowledge and dedication to her clients will shine through in any situation! Breastfeeding is not easy, and Chelsea helps piece together your puzzle to create a confident and successful set up to feed your little one!" -Alison
"Chelsea DeSorbo is a saint. My wife and I are brand new parents and our little guy was not only very chompy, but wasn’t being satisfied, which was a demoralizing and exhusting ordeal for all three of us.
Chelsea was recommended to us and she turned everything around. She is disturbingly insightful and knowledgeable. She assessed our situation and with a few techniques and simple changes, we were successfully feeding our little guy with ease.
If you’re a new parent, talk to a lactation consultant. If you talk to a lactation consultant, talk to Chelsea." -Travis
Chelsea was recommended to us and she turned everything around. She is disturbingly insightful and knowledgeable. She assessed our situation and with a few techniques and simple changes, we were successfully feeding our little guy with ease.
If you’re a new parent, talk to a lactation consultant. If you talk to a lactation consultant, talk to Chelsea." -Travis
"Chelsea has been an absolute invaluable resource for me as a first time mom. She is kind, patient, a wealth of knowledge and genuinely cares about her clients. She has gone beyond my expectations time and time again for me and my family. I had a pretty easy time breastfeeding but Chelsea was helpful those first few weeks and always was there to answer my questions - from the important to the silly ‘can i eat this?’ questions. She was a tremendous angel in helping us deal with some bottle issues and just always has our best interest at heart. The energy changes when Chelsea is around and I couldn’t be happier that I had her on my team! I could seriously write a book....so, if you even have a thought to work with an LC...or your pediatrician or midwife recommend it - look no further than Chelsea at Bliss!" -Kori
"10/10 recommend!!
Chelsea came to my house to see me and my 2 week old when he was not latching well and not gaining weight (scary!). She made me a priority, didn't rush, and explained things to me that I didn't know.
I have 6 children and have had a lot of experience with breastfeeding, I've seen many lactation consultants over the years, and I think she was the most knowledgeable and helpful LC I've met. Within a few days he was latching well and gaining weight! I am so grateful." -Sara
Chelsea came to my house to see me and my 2 week old when he was not latching well and not gaining weight (scary!). She made me a priority, didn't rush, and explained things to me that I didn't know.
I have 6 children and have had a lot of experience with breastfeeding, I've seen many lactation consultants over the years, and I think she was the most knowledgeable and helpful LC I've met. Within a few days he was latching well and gaining weight! I am so grateful." -Sara
"We are so grateful for Chelsea at Bliss Lactation! Like many families, we were struggling with nursing our newborn and she gracefully guided us through these challenges and we couldn’t have done it without her.
What we love about Chelsea:
- Her expertise. She has so much knowledge and we knew we were in great hands. She also shares really valuable resources that you can refer back to later (as a sleep deprived new mom, this was imperative since I was often overwhelmed with all the information I was digesting on a daily basis related to my baby).
- Her friendliness and authenticity. We were in a very vulnerable place with big concerns that our baby wasn’t getting enough to eat, and she was so kind and thoughtful and affirming. When you are struggling feeling like you are inadequate, having a professional like Chelsea show you so much kindness goes a long way, not only for your mental well being, but to help you build strength. She also always made me feel super comfortable.
- Her ability to guide us through a lip and tongue tie procedure, and the somewhat intense recovery schedule that follows. We seriously could not have done this without her support!
- Her flexibility. When you’re concerned about your baby it feels like a 9-1-1 emergency all the time, and she was always there for us! And our appointments never ever felt rushed.
- She referred us to amazing providers. Having such a wonderful network of care was huge.
I can’t say enough great things about Chelsea. We are so grateful for her support and guidance throughout our breastfeeding journey, and will no doubt call on her again in the future if we face additional challenges. We ended our care with her in such a better, stronger place and it feels so good to have a healthy, happy baby now <3". -Kelsey
What we love about Chelsea:
- Her expertise. She has so much knowledge and we knew we were in great hands. She also shares really valuable resources that you can refer back to later (as a sleep deprived new mom, this was imperative since I was often overwhelmed with all the information I was digesting on a daily basis related to my baby).
- Her friendliness and authenticity. We were in a very vulnerable place with big concerns that our baby wasn’t getting enough to eat, and she was so kind and thoughtful and affirming. When you are struggling feeling like you are inadequate, having a professional like Chelsea show you so much kindness goes a long way, not only for your mental well being, but to help you build strength. She also always made me feel super comfortable.
- Her ability to guide us through a lip and tongue tie procedure, and the somewhat intense recovery schedule that follows. We seriously could not have done this without her support!
- Her flexibility. When you’re concerned about your baby it feels like a 9-1-1 emergency all the time, and she was always there for us! And our appointments never ever felt rushed.
- She referred us to amazing providers. Having such a wonderful network of care was huge.
I can’t say enough great things about Chelsea. We are so grateful for her support and guidance throughout our breastfeeding journey, and will no doubt call on her again in the future if we face additional challenges. We ended our care with her in such a better, stronger place and it feels so good to have a healthy, happy baby now <3". -Kelsey
"Sooooo thankful I found Chelsea to help me with my transition back to work. She is above and beyond and truly cares about you and your baby and was so friendly. She came all the way to our home and spent 2 hours of quality time with us. She was so educated and we learned sooo much! As new parents it was so nice to have her as a support and ask her several questions beyond what my original issue was of my baby stopping nursing due to liking the bottle better after I went back to work. She left us too with so many useful resources." -Sarah
"Chelsea is SO invaluable to me. I am a first time mom, and had some nursing questions and concerns after my little one's tongue tie was fixed at 2 weeks old. I dealt with a few problems, and Chelsea helped me IMMENSELY with all of them. I felt comfortable, listened to, and welcomed. She was patient, kind, easy to understand, flexible, and overall just amazing to work with. I have since sent her countless questions I had, and she always responds thoroughly, promptly, and thoughtfully. After our initial visit, she has never tried to charge me for additional contact. I have had financial concerns and she has been MORE than understanding and gracious about that. I cannot recommend Bliss Lactation and Chelsea enough - she has changed me and my son's nursing relationship for the better." -Courtney
"As a first time parent-to-be, my husband and I had a great deal of questions and unknowns about pregnancy and breastfeeding. Chelsea at Bliss Lactation was very helpful and provided us with great information beyond what we were expecting to hear. They were genuinely caring about our specific questions and needs and focused on our concerns while providing excellent resources for after the consultation. Chelsea was warm and easy to talk with. We would be happy to recommend Bliss Lactation to any expecting or new mothers." -Kristi
"Chelsea came to my home to observe me and my baby nursing. My 5 week old suddenly started crying at the breast with difficulties latching and I was concerned of a lip or tongue tie. Chelsea performed a very respectful mouth exam which relieved concern of a physical issue. Chelsea pointed out that the holding position I had grown accustomed to was not ideal both for mine and baby's comfort and showed me a more effective hold. Her evaluation of our breastfeeding relationship was so thorough she inquired as to how well I am sleeping which brought to light another issue I wasn't aware of. She showed me how to adjust while side laying which has proved monumental in providing a much better nights rest for me and baby. I highly recommend Chelsea for lactation support if you are experiencing challenges or if you simply want to learn how to improve your breastfeeding relationship." -Barbara
"Chelsea came to my crazy home when my 2-3 week old wasn't nursing consistently, and couldn't come off the nipple shield. My older girls were running rampant, my husband was back at work, I was recovering from a scary pregnancy, disappointing birth experience, a NICU baby, mastitis, and PPD, and here comes Bliss Lactation into my mess. She entered my home with a calm, caring attitude, showed me so much respect, gave me permission to grieve, while not only gently guiding my baby to nurse better, but also embracing my daughters and showing them the same respect.
So many things had gone crazy during this time period, but Bliss Lactation helped me more than I can describe. The support and encouragement they gave me that day, along with follow up emails to check on me, made me feel so valued while I was in a vulnerable state. They definitely made a lasting impression on me! I'm happy to report my son is over a year old and we are still enjoying our nursing relationship, nipple-shield-free, and I feel that Bliss Lactation played a huge role in getting us over those initial hurdles. Thank you so very much!!!! ♥" -Michelle
So many things had gone crazy during this time period, but Bliss Lactation helped me more than I can describe. The support and encouragement they gave me that day, along with follow up emails to check on me, made me feel so valued while I was in a vulnerable state. They definitely made a lasting impression on me! I'm happy to report my son is over a year old and we are still enjoying our nursing relationship, nipple-shield-free, and I feel that Bliss Lactation played a huge role in getting us over those initial hurdles. Thank you so very much!!!! ♥" -Michelle
“I started looking for breastfeeding support prior to the birth of my second baby and the best thing ever happened - I stumbled upon Chelsea's name via the Aetna website. Chelsea was AMAZING from the moment I reached out. Everyone's breastfeeding experience is different so I won't go into my ordeal, but I needed a lot of help right away. Here is why I point every mama to-be Chelsea's way: Trained and knowledgeable - board certified lactation consultant who knows the ins and outs of breastfeeding for mama and baby. She also has a strong network of other lactation consultants, naturopaths, acupuncturists, etc. who are all experts in women's health. Caring - it's obvious Chelsea is in it to help you succeed and she understands what it means to be a new mom so she's going to create a plan that's reasonable for your situation.
Accessible - easy to setup appointments and available via text, email and phone for questions afterwards. She also does home visits which are great when you're just out of the hospital and not in any condition to shlep a newborn around town.” -Alexis
Accessible - easy to setup appointments and available via text, email and phone for questions afterwards. She also does home visits which are great when you're just out of the hospital and not in any condition to shlep a newborn around town.” -Alexis
"Chelsea was absolutely amazing. I was in town from Brooklyn for a visit with my 3 month old son who had just had tongue tie revision and she was able to schedule me quickly, and she made an incredibly helpful house visit and follow up. She was very informative, very clear, very encouraging, and she really empowered me to take excellent care of my son! I highly recommend her to all." -Megan