Hi, I'm Ann Schuchardt (pronounced shoe-heart)
Registered Nurse (RN, BSN) and
International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC)
- With over 25 years of experience supporting breastfeeding families throughout Omaha and West Nebraska communities including Ashland, Bennington, Elkhorn, Gretna, La Vista, Valley and surrounding areas.Â
- I co-founded Ideal Lactation Solutions to offer families a more personalized, concierge-level approach to lactation care-one that follows you from pregnancy all the way through your feeding journey. Â
Where It All Began—Labor & Delivery Registered Nurse (RN)
My journey into lactation support began at the bedside as a Labor and Delivery Registered Nurse. It was an incredible privilege to care for families during such a life-changing moment—but I quickly realized something important.
While birth is a major milestone, what comes after can feel overwhelming—especially when it comes to feeding.
I saw so many new moms struggling with breastfeeding in those early hours and days. Questions, uncertainty, pain, and a lack of consistent guidance were far too common. That experience sparked something in me. I knew I wanted to do more.
That’s what led me to pursue advanced education in lactation—so I could better support moms not just during delivery, but through the critical early stages of feeding and beyond.
Becoming an IBCLC—Where Skill Meets Passion
Becoming an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) completely transformed my career.
Working both in the hospital setting and in a pediatric clinic allowed me to develop a well-rounded, deeply practical approach to lactation care. In the hospital, I supported families in those fragile first days. In the pediatric setting, I followed their journey—helping troubleshoot ongoing challenges, monitor growth, and adjust feeding plans over time.
This combination sharpened my clinical skills and gave me a deeper understanding of what families truly need: not just quick fixes, but consistent, thoughtful support.
It was during this time that my passion for teaching really took off. I began to see a clear pattern—so many moms weren’t failing at breastfeeding… they simply hadn’t been given the education they deserved.
That realization is what led me to begin teaching breastfeeding classes—giving moms the knowledge and confidence before challenges arise.
Ideal Lactation Solutions LLC—A More Personal Approach
After 25 years of working within traditional healthcare settings, I felt called to create something different.
That’s when Nicole and I came together, sharing a common vision for more personalized, supportive, and accessible lactation care-and "Ideal Lactation Solutions" was born.
Together, we set out to reimagine the way families are supported. Instead of rushed visits and one-size-fits-all advice, we focus on providing thorough, individualized, and in-depth care.
This is where the concierge-style approach comes in.
We're able to spend the time truly getting to know each family—their goals, their concerns, and their unique situation. This allows us to offer support that is not only evidence-based, but also realistic and tailored to their lives.
The result? Stronger relationships, better outcomes, and moms who feel genuinely supported—not just during a visit, but throughout their entire feeding journey.
What Omaha families are saying:
Recognition & heart behind the work
Being recognized with the DAISY Award as a Lactation Consultant was an incredibly meaningful moment in my career.
This award is especially special because it comes from patients and families—it reflects the impact of compassionate, personalized care during such a vulnerable time.
While I’m deeply honored by this recognition, what means the most to me is the trust families place in me every day. Supporting moms through challenges, celebrating their wins, and helping them feel confident in their feeding journey—that’s truly why I do this work.
One of the most meaningful parts of this award is hearing directly from the family I supported:
"My wife had been struggling with breast feeding and it was a struggle determining the cause-a bad latch, or lack of milk production, or both. We met with a few people, including two pediatricians, trying to get and keep his birth weight up and a regimen for pumping, etc. Ann noticed that the Baby's frenulum might not have been clipped enough, perhaps causing him to nurse poorly and causing his mother pain and discomfort leading to her being upset, the baby being upset, and of course me, the dad, because they are all grumpy, in pain, and hungry. Ann recommended that we go and see a specialist pediatrician who also specializes in lactation, to look at his frenulum, and determine if that needed further clipping. It indeed did, and the difference was night and day. He latched immediately and my wife thought that he wasn't even feeding which he actually was. He ate over 2oz. of milk in only a matter of minutes.
Without Ann's recommendations, care, and assistance we would not have likely sought the opinion of another pediatrician; he still would have had limited movement of his tongue due to his frenulum, and we would have been kind of rough around the edges as a family at this point, and might have had to ultimately use formula as a means of nourishment, which we really did not want to do. Ann was instrumental in helping our new family and we are extremely grateful!"
