Specifically, a parakeet - that my 10-year-old self absolutely begged for.

And that “yes” to one parakeet turned into…ten (yep, 1-0) parakeets in my very own aviary by the time I was 16, and no regrets.

Flash forward to college, where my parakeet obsession was not only going strong, but led to a job offer working on a study about parakeet mating - the job that started it all.

It led to more animal reproduction research. Then human milk research. A pile of credentials (IBCLC, PhD, RD). A faculty position, a lactation and nutrition private practice, several speaking events later, and Feeding Families Education was born in 2023.

It all started with a bird.

About Hope Lima

We provide education opportunities to lactation & nutrition professionals, so they can support their clients in feeding themselves & their families in a way that supports total health and bonding.

True learning needs a safe environment with a facilitator that provides encouragement and opportunities to get it right, no matter how many times it takes. I'm here to provide that safe space, by breaking down concepts in a way you can understand and giving you actual opportunities to apply what you've learned - so you can confidently provide the best care possible.

True learning isn't measured by your ability to guess multiple choice answers.

The education system is failing us - and you deserve much, much better.

We’ve oversold the value of sitting in a classroom for the goal of earning a piece of paper. While a degree can be helpful and is sometimes required,

I'm a nutrition and lactation educator and clinician who wants to help raise the bar for how we care for clients in the field of maternal and child health. I'm trained as a nutrition researcher, an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), and a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN).

In addition to owning and operating Hope Feeds Families and Feeding Families Education and Consulting, I teach full time at Winthrop University as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Human Nutrition. My work includes running research lab that focuses on helping mothers to reach their infant feeding goals, improving access to human milk, and analyzing the nutritional content of human milk.

Hope Lima (She/her), PHD, RDN, IBCLC

Here's the footnotes:

...and while I don't believe that your value stems from your degrees, and certificates, you're probably wondering about mine - and why I have such strong opinions on education.

Hi! I'm Hope.