GOLD Speakers
Mercedes Thomas, MSN, APRN, CPNP-PC, IBCLC
- Speaker Type: 2024 Main Presentations
- Country: South Africa
Biography:
Mercedes Thomas is an advanced practice nurse, lactation consultant, writer, and health consultant. She is also the author of the best-selling book What in the Baby?!?: The Modern Mama's Guide to Confidently Caring for Your Baby and Surviving the Postpartum Period, written to help expectant mothers and new parents transition into the new normal of parenthood.
She has been in the nursing field for over a decade. Mercedes completed her undergraduate nursing studies at Emory University in Atlanta, GA, and went on to earn her Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner degree from the University of South Alabama.
In 2020, Mercedes was named the Washington Parent Pick in the category of breastfeeding support. She has also been recognized by the founders of Black Breastfeeding Week as a "brave innovator" in her pursuits to support lactation care and education in her community. Her health articles have also been featured in outlets like Medical News Today, Verywell Health, and GoodRx.
As an extension of her immense passion for supporting parents, Mercedes also created the My Global Family app to connect parents to health and education service providers, reliable resources, and other families worldwide.
In Mercedes' downtime, you can find her globetrotting with her family, and advocating for families to have access to equitable, quality healthcare and breastfeeding services.