About Me

Candace St. John, MPH, CLC

Founder, Your Weaning Pal & Public Health for Parents

Public Health Professional, Pediatric Sleep Specialist, & Certified Lactation Counselor

Helping others has been a lifelong passion of mine.

Growing up in a chaotic & unstable home, I have been drawn to professions that seek to address the root causes of trauma & illness to prevent it altogether.

This is how I landed in public health. For five & a half years, I served as an Epidemiologist for a community health department in New Hampshire - analyzing trends in chronic health based on social determinants of health, equity, & trauma. Using data and facilitation skills to work with community to solve complex social & health issues has been a humbling experience.

After becoming a mother & struggling with postpartum depression & anxiety, I recognized the gap in education & support for parents in the United States. Much of the parenting advice is based on research with heavy limitations; &, most of it relies on behavior modification of the infant or child instead of shifting focus to parental healing, typical infant development, & unreasonable societal expectations.

I felt drawn to fill this gap.

Parents deserve all of the information available to make the best decisions for their families. Parents need to understand the interaction between social factors, equity, & trauma on their parenting options.

In the United States, we have pathologized typical infant behavior, yet don’t know much about things we should actually be paying attention to. So, I continued learning as an attachment-based sleep & well-being specialist to help folks consider the developmental appropriateness of sleep interventions. I also became a Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC) in order to ensure infant health is at the forefront of pediatric feeding advice. And, of course, I am still passionate about all things public health.

Check out the Offers & Services sections to find education & support opportunities available to parents & healthcare providers.

Thank you for being here. Let’s shift some societal norms together!

  • Stonehill College 2013

    Bachelor of Arts: Psychology & Spanish Language

  • Boston University School of Public Health 2016

    Master of Public Health

  • Academy of Lactation Policy & Practice (ALPP)

    Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC) June 2023

    ALPP ID#: 340444

  • Training in Pediatric Sleep

    Infant Sleep & Well-Being Specialist 2021

    Holistic Sleep Coaching Program (HPSC) Mini Course 2022