MEET OUR TEAM
Emily Ager, lm, IBCLC
Founder, Midwife, Lactation Consultant
Hi! I'm Emily. I am a licensed midwife and lactation consultant with 13 years of experience working with birthing and growing families, and founder of Fern Lactation. My background in physiological birth, clinical lactation services and years of personal breastfeeding experience have given me a unique, holistic approach when it comes to providing lactation support. I am not a purist. I know the rules and sometimes break them. My clinical knowledge and background allow me to provide great informed care, but it also includes a lot of humor, real talk, a TON of encouragement and solutions that make sense for YOU My care is not a one-size-fits all.  Sometimes what you need is a rigid pumping plan and sometimes you need to process your birth experience because your mental health is just as important as your milk supply. Let's do both. I am on your team. I am not here to tell you what to do, fit you into a text-book shaped box or make you feel like you aren't trying hard enough. I have no agenda, your goals are my goals, you are the boss here.  I am also a mother. Sleep deprivation, exhaustion, frustration, fear, elation, grief, physical pain, joy - are no strangers to me. I am also on this crazy journey of motherhood, I get how unpredictable and frustrating those cute little squishy babies can be. We are in this together my friend.  In other news... When I'm not sitting there crying or laughing with you, I love playing in the forest with my 2 wilding kids, making my family's secret marinara sauce, hunting for sunshine or a good fireplace, horseback riding, and martial arts. She/her pronouns
whitney boyle, ibclc
Lactation Consultant
Hi, I am Whitney. I am a Lactation Consultant with 7 years experience in breastfeeding support, as well as a Childbirth Educator. I love to encourage and uplift people. I value integrity, truth and cultivating authentic relationships. In my lactation practice it is important to me to empower parents to trust their guts and advocate for themselves and their children. When I am not helping families feed their littles, you can usually find me with my family in the woods or tending to our little Hilltop homestead. I have a wonderful 18 year old bonus son and an outgoing 6 year old daughter and a partner who spends a lot of his free time building and bringing all the projects in my head to life. I have 11 chickens and one long little Wiener dog. I also watch way too much TV. I am beyond blessed and live to love on people She/her pronouns
Kenzie Choates
Administrator
Kenzie Choates is a mother of two and has been happily married for seven years to Michael Choates. When she isn’t homeschooling her active kiddo or nursing her new baby Kenzie provides scheduling and client service support for Fern Lactation. Kenzie’s journey to lactation work began with her oldest child. After encountering latch difficulty, needing to exclusively pump at a demanding job, and not receiving the support she needed, Kenzie became that support and resource for others dedicating herself to every family she has worked with. Always leading with compassion, empathy, and integrity, Kenzie continues her work by supporting families feeding their infants and empowering others to have the experience they deserve.
Resident Practitioner
Brittany Hageman, MA, CCC-SLP,QOM
Speech Language Pathologist, Orofacial Myologist
Brittany Hageman is a licensed speech-language pathologist (SLP), a qualified orofacial myologist (QOM), and a myofunctional therapist with a passion for helping infants and young children overcome feeding challenges related to potential tongue, lip, and buccal ties. As the owner of Coastal Myofunctional and Speech Therapy, Brittany specializes in providing oral motor and craniosacral therapy that is focused on improving the function, strength, and coordination of the oral structures of the tongue, lips, cheeks, and jaw. Oral motor exercises are essential for re-training the muscles of the tongue and orofacial muscles and to normalize the gag reflex and other oral reflexes that are needed for optimal feeding and swallowing. Improving the function of the tongue may promote proper orofacial and airway development for your baby in the future. With over 14 years of experience, Brittany brings extensive clinical knowledge to each family she serves. She is also trained in Infant Craniosacral Therapy (CST), which she integrates into treatment to gently unwind the fascia, to encourage babies’ body tension to release, to promote proper oral function for feeding, and to help normalize the suck-swallow-breathe pattern needed for efficient and comfortable feedings. Her expertise is especially valuable before and after tongue- or lip-tie releases, where coordinated care is critical for successful outcomes! As a mom of two boys—both of whom had tethered oral tissues (TOTs)—and having gone through her own adult release, Brittany brings a deeply personal and empathetic understanding to her work. She strives to educate and empower families, helping them feel heard and supported through what can often be an emotional and confusing journey. Brittany is excited to now offer in-person services at Fern Lactation in Tacoma, WA, where she collaborates with lactation consultants and other professionals to provide holistic, co-treated care for infants and their families. Virtual and one-on-one sessions are also available for flexible and accessible support. When she’s not working, Brittany enjoys time with her husband and two children, co-leading the TOTs club, gardening, traveling, studying herbalism, being part of her church community, and teaching at a local co-op for kids.