Meet the Fellow: Jess Woon BSN, RN, IBCLC

Jess & Ellen

"Jess came to Teaching Babies to Nurse at the end of her time working on an inpatient unit as a Lactation Consultant, and from the start, her presence has been energetic. As an experienced nurse, Jess brings the steady hands and clinical discernment that come from years in the Labor & Delivery unit and Postpartum unit, and weaves that medical expertise into the awareness and intuition that support the Body-Led Breastfeeding approach. Her work in the community and her dedication to equity bring even greater depth to her work. Her baby will be lucky to have her as a mom, as we are lucky to have her as a fellow!" -- Ellen

Jess, an L&D nurse, helping her sister deliver her nephew, Jack.

Jess grew up in Williamsburg, Virginia, where healthcare was always part of her world—both of her siblings are also nurses. Her own interest in maternal and infant health developed early and deepened during her nursing school studies at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, where she quickly felt drawn to supporting families through the birth and postpartum periods. Richmond became a home she loved, full of good food, great coffee, and plenty of outdoor adventures. In 2018, she began working on the Labor & Delivery unit at VCU Health, where she had the immense honor of supporting birthing parents. She especially enjoyed collaborating with the midwifery team and community doulas, whose holistic and compassionate care continues to shape how she approaches families to this day.

Jess and her husband, Jesse.

In 2022, Jess moved to Durham, North Carolina, when her husband began a residency in Periodontology at UNC. She joined the team at Duke University Hospital, working on Labor and Delivery, high-risk antepartum, and high-risk postpartum units. During this time, she completed specialized lactation training through the UNC Gillings MRT-TI program and served as a Lactation Intern on UNC’s high-risk antepartum unit, providing prenatal education. Up until this past March, Jess worked as an inpatient Lactation Consultant at Duke Regional Hospital, where she had the privilege of walking alongside families as they navigated the early days of feeding their newborns.

Leading the Lactation Collaborative

Today, Jess’s focus has shifted to outpatient lactation support. She serves as the Coordinator of the Breastfeed Durham Lactation Collaborative, a community-based initiative that provides free, high-quality lactation care to uninsured and underinsured families in Durham. In this role, she oversees clinic operations, scheduling, volunteer management, and Pathway 3 mentorship for future IBCLCs. She also manages program infrastructure and strengthens referral pathways with local clinics, hospitals, and community partners. Her goal is to ensure every family, regardless of background or circumstance, has access to the lactation support they need.

Fellowship at Teaching Babies To Nurse

Alongside this work, Jess is honored to be a Fellow at Teaching Babies To Nurse. Under the mentorship of Ellen Chetwynd, she is learning a truly holistic approach to lactation care—an approach that considers both the parent’s and the infant’s whole body and how they interact during feeding. Ellen’s style of practice inspires her daily, and Jess feels deeply grateful to grow under her guidance while bringing those insights back into her own care with families.

Bringing it All Together: A Powerful Partnership

This year, Jess has helped to orchestrate an exciting new partnership between Breastfeed Durham’s Lactation Collaborative and Teaching Babies To Nurse—a collaboration that feels like the beautiful collision of all her worlds.

Through this partnership, families in Durham will benefit from the combined strengths of both organizations: accessible community-based care and deeply integrative, infant-centered feeding support. Jess sees this as an opportunity to bridge gaps in the current system—creating a space where uninsured families can receive not only free lactation care, but care rooted in clinical excellence, curiosity, and respect for each family’s unique feeding journey.

“Helping bring these two incredible organizations together is one of the most meaningful things I’ve had the chance to do,” Jess shares. “It feels like everything I’ve learned—working in hospitals, studying public health, learning under Ellen’s mentorship—is converging in a way that can really change the experience of care for families in our community.”

By combining resources, knowledge, and mentorship pathways, the Lactation Collaborative also strengthens the pipeline of future lactation professionals, expanding access to clinical training that centers on equity, skill-building, and compassion.

What inspires Jess most is helping families feel seen, heard, and supported—no matter what their feeding journey looks like. She wishes every parent knew that while breastfeeding and chestfeeding rarely follow a “perfect” plan, they don’t have to navigate it alone. Having skilled, compassionate, and early support can make all the difference.

Outside of work, Jess enjoys exploring Durham’s parks and trails with her husband and their two rescue dogs, Millie and Mabel. Life is about to get even more exciting—she is currently pregnant with their first baby, a little girl.

Jess feels incredibly grateful to be part of such a vibrant community of perinatal health professionals in Durham and looks forward to continuing this work to ensure every family has access to the support they deserve.