Your Community for Perinatal Wellness
We started Philadelphia Nurture Collaborative to create a unified space where providers can collaborate and families can access holistic support through childbearing and postpartum. We make it easy for you to find trustworthy tips and practical guidance—all in one welcoming place. Our team of lactation consultants, occupational therapists, and nurse practitioners are dedicated to supporting you through every stage of parenthood, offering evidence-based guidance, personalized care plans, and compassionate education to help you and your baby thrive.
We believe small changes add up and having a team of practitioners on your side will set you up for success. Wherever you’re starting from, we’re here to help you.
Meet our current providers below!
Current Providers
Emily Scott (She/Her)
Occupational Therapist & International Board Certified Lactation Consultant
Specialty: Infant Development & Feeding Support
Emily is an Occupational Therapist (OT) and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) specializing in infant development and feeding. With a clear vision for building meaningful, family-centered relationships, Emily brings a practical, hands-on approach with a collaborative and evidence-based response to each family’s unique needs.
Emily offers comprehensive, clinically focused feeding support that includes assessments for breast-, bottle-, and mixed-fed infants and targeted interventions for latch, positioning, flow management, and milk transfer. Her services evaluate and address oral-motor tone, sensory feeding differences, and feeding aversions, integrating lactation expertise with occupational therapy strategies to build caregiver confidence and improve infant function. This support benefits new and expanding families seeking breastfeeding or bottle-feeding help, infants with low weight gain, poor latch, or inefficient milk transfer, babies with oral-motor delays, sensory-based feeding challenges, or feeding refusal, and caregivers seeking guidance on feeding positions, pacing, or integrating feeding into daily routines.
Emily’s combined expertise as an occupational therapist and IBCLC ensures holistic, practical care that nurtures infant development and strengthens feeding relationships.
Founder of Mama and Me OT
Cara Puff (She/Her)
International Board Certified Lactation Consultant
Specialty: Feeding Support, Pump Personalization & Flange Fitting
Cara Puff is a dedicated International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (BCLC) at Philadelphia Nurture Collaborative who specializes in pump flange fitting and tailored return-to-work planning, helping individuals maintain milk supply and confidence as they transition back to employment. With a foundation in comprehensive breastfeeding support, Cara offers evidence-based guidance on latch and positioning, supply management, and troubleshooting common feeding concerns, and creates individualized plans that integrate workplace needs, pumping schedules, and legal rights. Known for her practical, compassionate approach, Cara empowers families with hands-on demonstrations, clear equipment recommendations, and strategies for partner and caregiver involvement, ensuring sustainable feeding relationships that fit each family's goals and lifestyle.
Cara practices inclusive, trauma-informed care: honoring each person’s identity, culture, and family structure; using gentle, nonjudgmental communication; providing choices and collaborating on care plans; screening for past trauma with sensitivity; and connecting clients to appropriate resources and supports while maintaining confidentiality and respect.
In addition to one-on-one consultations, Cara leads supportive workshops and group sessions that foster peer connection and shared learning, staying current with research and community resources to provide up-to-date care.
IBCLC at Forth
Founder of ForthAlison Ahern (She/Her)
Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner & International Board Certified Lactation Consultant
Specialty: Complex Breastfeeding Issues (Breastfeeding Medicine) & Feeding Support
Alison is a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner (WHNP) and International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant with over 8 years of clinical experience supporting birthing people across the perinatal continuum. She specializes in complex breastfeeding challenges that intersect with medical conditions, providing comprehensive assessment, medically informed treatment, and coordinated referral when care beyond lactation support is required.
Alison’s expertise includes management of complex lactation issues such as nipple and breast infections, mammary abscesses, persistent or recurrent mastitis, painful latch related to anatomic causes (tongue/tight frenulum, lip ties), delayed onset of lactation, low milk supply with endocrine or structural contributors, and dyad feeding challenges following medical or birth complications. She possess diagnostic and therapeutic skills for conditions requiring medical intervention, including ordering and interpreting labs and imaging, initiating or coordinating antibiotic or antifungal therapy, managing breast pain syndromes and infection, and collaborating with surgeons, OB/GYNs, endocrinologists, and pediatricians for multidisciplinary care. Alison combines proven medical care with compassionate, family-focused lactation support by recognizing urgent problems and making personalized plans that balance the parent’s health, feeding goals, and the baby’s needs.
Have a question? Ask Away!
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