Meet our 2024 - 2025
​BALA Board

Laura Howells,
​IBCLC
President 

Laura Howells, is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant and Postpartum Doula. She works in private practice serving the families within 30 minutes from Berkeley, including San Francisco and parts of the North Bay.

She has been working with families for the past 20 years. She supports families to reach their personal infant feeding goals in their own home. Her desire is to meet parents where they are and give them support that they need. Which is why she enjoys the blend of lactation consulting and doula work as it gives her a broader range of supports to help the families she is working with. 

Laura is the parent of 2 teens, who are so used to hearing about breast, boobs, chests, etc… that they don’t even bat an eye lid. She is also queer and embraces her neurodivergent family. 

Jennifer Kitajima,
​RN, IBCLC​
Secretary

Jennifer Kitajima is an IBCLC and Pediatric RN living and working in the East Bay. 

She currently practices as an outpatient Lactation Consultant at PAMF Fremont. There she supports families after their discharge from the hospital/birthing center to help them meet their feeding goals, whatever that may look like. 

Prior to becoming an IBCLC, Jennifer worked as a Research Nurse at Stanford for many years until taking a hiatus to stay home with her 2 young children. Her first experience with lactation was after the loss of her first baby at birth, where she discovered the many ways to navigate the postpartum changes your body goes through even when the baby is no longer there.

She went on to have 2 living children, and through her own breastfeeding struggles (and the support of an incredible IBCLC), found a passion for lactation and felt a calling to fill the gap in care so many new parents experience after having a baby. 
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Outside of work, Jennifer loves spending time with her kids and family. She grew up in the Bay Area, so feels very fortunate to have her and her husband’s family close by. She loves reading and riding the peloton (often simultaneously), going to music festivals (sans kids), and sleeping in whenever her kids let her. 

Erin Basile,
​IBCLC
Treasurer

Erin is an IBCLC that serves the South Bay area.

She launched her private practice Sears Lactation this year is dedicated to supporting families during this delicate stage of parenthood. She must confess that she had "rose colored" glasses when it came to her own breastfeeding journey, but she is now grateful for her struggles because it led her to her calling as a lactation consultant.

​Her mom, a former IBCLC, was her lactation angel during that first week, and she will never forget the moment of clarity she had at about two months postpartum, when she felt a powerful wave of purpose come over her. A still small voice inside of her whispered, "Erin, you were made for this."

She lives with her husband and 5 year old son in San Jose, California. When she is not wrangling her kiddo or helping families, she enjoys singing, yoga, hiking, and coffee dates.

Kathy Natan,
​RN, IBCLC
Education

Kathy Vuong Natan, is an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant and Registered Nurse specialized in Maternal-Newborn Nursing.

​She provides breastfeeding support to families living in Alameda County.

She currently practices at Alta Bates Hospital where she serves as Co-Chair of the Hospital’s Breastfeeding Coalition; working towards Baby-Friendly Hospital Designation, offering provider training & resources, reviewing breastfeeding rates for equity planning, and empowering healthy families and communities.

She supports the Alameda Breastfeeding Coalition, the California Breastfeeding Coalition, and is an American Women’s Health Obstetrics & Neonatal Nurses Evidence-Based Scholar. In addition to nursing, Kathy studied psychology and heritage language studies.

In her own breastfeeding journey, Kathy has managed oversupply, plugged ducts, mastitis, pumping at work, and weaning.

When not working, you can catch Kathy playing with her son, roller-skating, exploring movement & the outdoors, taking photos, doing yoga, deepening her learning of healing modalities, and enjoying music.

Marlene Ceballo,
RD, IBCLC
Communications

Marlene Ceballo is a Senior Public Health Dietitian and Lactation Consultant with the Contra Costa WIC program.

She is a public health advocate who engages in community education working to remove institutional and environmental barriers to breastfeeding.  

As Regional Breastfeeding Liaison serving Contra Costa County, Marlene promotes WIC breastfeeding support services to healthcare providers, leads local efforts to promote the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative, participates in legislative advocacy and improvement to lactation accommodation for people in the workforce, residential treatment programs and incarcerated within the County.

As Chair of the Contra Costa Breastfeeding Task Force, Marlene provides technical assistance to local hospitals, health clinics, childcare providers and employers in the development and implementation of lactation education and programs.

​Marlene enjoys hiking across the Bay Area with her husband and two children and is a reptile mama to a 4yr old pet bearded dragon named Bunji.  She also loves cooking Caribbean food, dancing to Soca music and gardening. 

Erika Ko,
​RN, IBCLC
​Membership

Erika Ko is a Registered Nurse and IBCLC based in Orinda. She was inspired to become a Lactation Consultant after the birth of her first child. Though the birth and subsequent recovery was difficult, she received incredible care and support from an IBCLC. Breastfeeding proved to be a healing and empowering experience for her. After many years (and two additional children), Erika achieved her goal of becoming an IBCLC in 2024 and is currently working to establish her own private practice. 

Prior to becoming an IBCLC, Erika worked as a pediatric nurse in the specialty areas Cardiothoracic Surgery and Nephrology. She has worked in both the inpatient and ambulatory healthcare settings. She now looks forward to providing lactation services to families in the comfort of their homes. 

Erika spends most of her time trying to keep up with her three young, active children. Her favorite downtime activities include yoga and neighborhood walks. ​