DIANNA CASTILLO, RN, IBCLC

This week’s CHAMPion is spearheading the CHAMPS National initiative at Helen Keller Hospital in Alabama. Dianna Castillo, RN, IBCLC, is a nurse educator and lactation consultant at the hospital, dedicated to promoting breastfeeding, increasing skin-to-skin contact, and providing education in her community.

Dianna has long been interested in helping new parents nurse their newborns because she breastfed her own babies. When she became a grandmother, she struggled to help her daughter breastfeed and became committed to learning more. Dianna began her journey to become an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant® (IBCLC®), and was able to successfully support her daughter with breastfeeding her second baby.

Dianna has worked as an Registered Nurse (RN) in Labor and Delivery for 27 years. After becoming an IBCLC, she made it her mission to get into every room to help any new breast/chest-feeding parent that she could find. Five years ago, she renewed her IBCLC and accepted a full-time position in lactation at Helen Keller Hospital.

Over the past decade, Dianna has been involved with implementing clear drape delivery and skin-to-skin contact in the Operating Room, supporting outpatients with breastfeeding difficulties after discharge, and organizing the hospital’s breastfeeding support group that is open to the community. She also teaches monthly childbirth and breastfeeding classes.

“I enjoy all aspects of what I do from childbirth through extended breastfeeding,” shares Dianna. “But the thing that I love the most is when the light bulb comes on for a first-time breastfeeding mother! I feel so much joy when I know that I had a small part in empowering a new mother to reach her goals. I will continue to strive to improve our breast/chest-feeding support here at Helen Keller and also in our community.”

Dianna’s dedication to supporting families in her community is inspiring. We are excited to work with Dianna and Helen Keller as an enrolled hospital in CHAMPS National!