Our Lactation Consultants
Emily Manassero (formerly Ager)
Founder, midwife, lactation consultant
Hi! I'm Emily.
I am a licensed midwife and lactation consultant working with birthing and growing families since 2011, 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.
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I know the rules and sometimes break them, because text book solutions aren't always realistic for your life. 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.
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I have no agenda other than you walking away feeling confident feeding your baby with a sustainable plan that most closely aligns with your goals.
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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, and horseback riding.
She/her pronouns
Photo Credit: Moore Holistic Photography
Photo Credit: Moore Holistic Photography
Whitney Boyle (formerly Scott)
lactation consultant
Hi, I am Whitney.
I am a Lactation Consultant with 7 years experience in breastfeeding support, as well as a Childbirth Educator.
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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.
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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
She/her pronouns
our Administrator
Kenzie Choates
Administrator
Kenzie Choates is a mother of two and is happily married to Michael Choates. When she isn’t homeschooling her active kiddo or nursing her 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.
She/her pronouns
educators & facilitaors
Moriah Kamau
Sleep consultant & educator
I’m a Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant, Certified Newborn Care Specialist, Breastfeeding Counselor, and K–5 Certified Educator specializing in baby sleep training, newborn sleep support, and gentle sleep solutions for infants and toddlers. I’m passionate about helping families establish healthy sleep habits so everyone can get the rest they need.
I’m also a proud mom to a baby girl and toddler son, which gives me firsthand experience with the challenges of newborn sleep struggles, night wakings, sleep regressions, and early parenthood.
My journey into sleep consulting began during my own sleepless postpartum months while searching for answers to how to get my baby to sleep through the night. Through my certification program and hands-on experience, I discovered a true calling: helping exhausted parents find realistic, effective sleep training solutions that bring more rest and peace into their homes.
With a background in education and early childhood development, I use evidence-based sleep training methods combined with empathy and flexibility. I specialize in gentle, responsive approaches to baby & toddler sleep.
Jin ì‹ ì§€ Moon
Queer families group facilitator
Jin ì‹ ì§€ Moon is a queer and genderfluid full spectrum doula, student midwife, herbalist, and writer living on un-ceded Puyallup lands (Tacoma, WA). You can find more information about them at their website: groundedheartsapothecary.com.
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They/them pronouns
Resident Practioners
We are honored to be the home of multiple independent practitioners and educators who work closely and collaboratively with our Fern Team.
Brittany Hageman
MA, CCC-SLP,QOM, CST, CLC
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. 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.
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, 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.
She/her pronouns
Paige Carness
Childbirth Educator
My name is Paige Carness ,MS, AACCH Bradley Instructor / Doula. My experience teaching Bradley classes across the United States and beyond, gives me a unique perspective to empower couples with the tools they need to birth their baby – no matter the location!
With a strong science background including both a Bachelor and Master of Science in Biology, I worked for many years conducting high containment research and then worked to improve the institutional and safety policies affecting pregnant and nursing mothers. I have been teaching Bradley classes for 12 years now and deeply enjoy watching families grow and strengthen their bonds. I have prepared couples and attended hospital births, home births, VBAC and VBA2C births.
My family and I are now located in Tacoma, WA. I have four great kids and an amazing husband. My reputation for offering the best childbirth education has followed me around the country. I am committed to ensuring that you and your partner get the all the tools you need for this journey.
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Paige teachers her Bradley series classes on Sundays at the Fern office classroom.
