Meet Our team of IBCLCs:
The employees at Nurture Omaha are dedicated, compassionate professionals who value empathy, inclusivity, and evidence-based care. Each team member is committed to meeting families where they are, offering nonjudgmental support, cultural sensitivity, and respect for every parenting journey. Collaboration and continuous learning are at the heart of their work, ensuring that every client receives evidence-based, personalized care. Guided by these values, the Nurture Omaha team strives to create a welcoming environment where families feel seen, supported, and empowered.
Melanie Horstman
BS-MCH, IBCLC, RLC, CPST
She/her/hers
Hello! My name is Melanie Horstman and I am an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, owner and co-founder of Nurture Omaha, LLC. I am married to my husband Drew and we have 2 children, our son Ezra who was born in 2013 and our daughter Holland who was born in 2016.
My whole life I knew I wanted to work with children in some way - I bounced around from wanting to be a counselor, teacher, and Child Life Specialist. In 2012 when I was signed up to go to school to become a Child Life Specialist I found out I was pregnant with my first child. Something didn't feel right about me going to school at that time so I decided to take a break and just work to save money. Little did I know that when my son was born in 2013 that it would be the best decision I've made.
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I had many issues breastfeeding my son even though I had taken a birthing class that covered breastfeeding. I thought I was prepared - but boy was I surprised! My son didn't latch well in the hospital so the lactation help gave me a nipple shield. While I am thankful that the shield allowed me to breastfeed my son, it was not always a pleasant thing to have around. My son was very colicky and hard to console - he was gassy, had abnormal bowel movements, and didn't sleep much. After struggling for 6 weeks by myself I finally sought out help from an IBCLC. She reassured me that I was doing a great job and that my baby loved me. Even that small bit of reassurance was all I needed to continue breastfeeding. After meeting with my son's pediatrician (and a few others), we thought my son may have a food intolerance (MSPI - or Milk Soy Protein Intolerance to be exact) so I cut dairy and soy from my diet. As a new mother with little time to cook or meal plan AND having it be the winter holiday season, this diet was HARD! I felt I couldn't eat anything, and much of my family refused to adapt recipes to reflect my new diet. I felt alone and I felt like it wasn't working - my son was still colicky. After months of this diet not working I went back to the IBCLC and she suspected I had oversupply and that lowering my supply would help fix the problem. I immediately started block feeding under her instruction and within a week my son was a completely different baby.
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I've taken a real interest in helping families with food intolerance and suspected oversupply. For my graduation school I wrote a research paper on this subject and found some interesting correlations between the symptoms of both problems. My theory is: if you want to do the diet and it won't deter you from breastfeeding then do it (it's a really healthy diet!). But if the diet may be hard for you to follow, then lets explore other options that may be easier to resolve than a diet. Either way, I'm here to support you and your choices and help you meet your breastfeeding goals whatever they may be.
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I also have a passion for supporting the LGBTQ+ community, being a part of it myself. I believe that feeding your baby should be called what you want to call it, and that words matter. I am committed to helping everyone feed their children regardless of their gender or if the child is biologically theirs. Human milk is a powerful and necessary tool in nutrition, health, and development.
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I've also taken an interest in car seat safety. I thought I knew a lot about car seat safety and then I decided to take a 4 day course to become a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST - aka. Car Seat Tech) - and WOW there was so much I didn't know! I'm passionate about keeping your children safe in the car and am developing a class to teach to parents and caregivers of children on car seat safety. I've been certified since 2015 as a technician, and became a CPST-I (instructor) in 2023. I have a passion for teaching others, so becoming an instructor has allowed me to help train new car seat techs to better serve our community.
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I have an Associates degree in Psychology from Iowa Western Community College and a Bachelors degree in Maternal Child Health: Lactation Consulting from Union Institute & University. During my schooling at Union I obtained my certifications as a Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC) and an Advanced Lactation Consultant (ALC). After finishing my degree and 300 hours of internship at Elite Lactation Professionals, I took my boards for lactation and became an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) in 2017.
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In my downtime I like to do DIY home projects, buy house plants, and binge watch TV. I am passionate about keeping our environment clean and protecting the Earth. I like to go green by recycling, planting native plants (save the bees!), and by shopping at local food markets and supporting our local farmer. I keep my family healthy by eating well, taking probiotics and vitamins, and visiting the chiropractor regularly.
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I look forward to meeting your family and helping to support you on your journey into parenthood!
Angie Lasheen
IBCLC
She/her/hers
Hi! I’m Angie Lasheen, an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC)
based in Omaha, Nebraska. I was born and raised in Cairo, Egypt, and later moved to
the U.S. with my husband as he pursued his medical career. My background is actually
in Public Relations and Graphic Design, but after the birth of my daughter, Lily, my
career path took a turn I could never have predicted. Like many new parents, I thought I
had done all the research and that breastfeeding would be easy peasy, lemon squeezy.
Plot twist: it was more like climbing Mount Everest barefoot. After weeks of pain,
mastitis, tears, and late-night Googling, I finally met with a lactation consultant. In just a
one-hour appointment, nearly everything turned around. With that support (and a metric
ton of help from my husband), I went on to breastfeed Lily for 13 months. Two years
later, when my son Adam was born, I had the tools and confidence to enjoy a much
smoother journey. That one LC had changed my entire parenting experience — and I
knew I wanted to do the same for other families.
I completed my LC education and training in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where I was
lucky enough to learn from some of the most kind and knowledgeable IBCLCs around
(shoutout to the Breastfeeding Center of Pittsburgh!). During my training, I supported
families through a wide variety of challenges, from latch difficulties and milk supply
concerns to navigating tongue ties and NICU stays. My approach is simple: listen first,
understand each parent’s personal feeding goals, and then support them with evidence-
based care (plus a little humor when it helps).
My philosophy is that there’s no one “right” way to feed a baby — every family’s journey
is unique. My job is to help you feel supported, confident, and empowered in whichever
feeding path you choose. As a wise person once said (actually, it was a Facebook post
I’ve read while breastfeeding at 4 in the morning): “just because breastfeeding is natural
doesn’t mean it comes naturally”. There can be hurdles, pit stops, and moments of
doubt — but you don’t have to go through them alone. I’d be honored to walk alongside
you as you navigate your own journey.