Meet Nattie.
The original Bessie’s baby.

About Our Founding Mama…

Once upon a time…. I was a new momma who thought breastfeeding would come easily and naturally. With my first child, I was uneducated and lacked support, but certainly not determination!  My first lasted 11 weeks, which for me was an accomplishment because of my low milk supply.

Two years later with baby #2, I was ready. Equally as determined but FAR more educated.  This time, I did my homework on low milk supply, which is much more common than I had realized. I joined nursing mom support groups. I learned the importance of ‘nursing on demand.’ Lastly, I fully utilized the lactation consultant at the local hospital’s support group to support my breastfeeding goals: latching, tips, and more.  Despite my readiness for breastfeeding with my second baby, I still struggled with low milk supply!  I agonized weekly to my mommy-friends in my group and that was my first introduction to  lactation cookies. 

After my lactation consultant recommended buying cookies, I instead decided to make them myself. Luckily, I had an active and involved two-year-old who loved to help mommy. We started to experiment in the kitchen with our own milk-making cookies. My baking assistant (aka my 2-year-old) was ready to help- dump, mix, stir and bake.  These cookies were not only delicious, but they worked!  Soon my friends wanted some.  And then their friends.  Eventually, someone suggested that I should put it on Facebook to be able to help even more moms and Bessie’s Best was born!

Now, I am a mom of three amazing kids. Our Bessie’s Best team is better than ever. We are moms, grandmoms and future moms that choose to be here for moms every day. We are all passionate about helping you make more milk for breastfeeding your little one. We have built Bessie’s on word of mouth, and we will continue to help as many moms have a successful breastfeeding journey – no matter what that looks like for them. For us, the only feeling in the world better than successfully breastfeeding our babies is helping hundreds of mothers successfully breastfeed theirs.

Thank you, thank you for supporting our small business. From one mom to another… you’ve got this, Mama!

– Jen Acuna, Owner and Founder

Meet the Bessie’s Team

Bessie
Supporting Mama

“I’m the friend that you text when your baby isn’t sleeping, you’re not making milk and you’re at the end of your rope.

I have a toddler and an older kid, I’m an extended breastfeeder and has been through this…twice! I’m on the other side of it now, but it wasn’t so long ago that I forgot. I understand, I can relate. I’ll let you in on all my little secrets of how I survived…and thrived. And yes, that includes my lactation treats born out of my own breastfeeding challenges.”

Linda Mapes
Head Baker

Linda Mapes has been with Bessie’s since the official beginning. She was a co-worker of Jen’s and had professional baking experience. When so many friends wanted Jen to make them cookies, she knew just who to call for help. Since then, Linda has developed recipes for 3 new products and still works in the Bessie’s kitchen two days per week. Linda has 2 children and 3 grandchildren.

Pattie Parsons
Accounting Director

Pattie Parsons is much more than the accounting director. Pattie is Jen’s mom and most trusted advisor. Coming from years as a bookkeeper for other companies, she was a perfect fit to run all financial aspects of the company. Pattie has two children and five grandchildren.

Sierra Martin
Operations Manager

Sierra Martin started off with baking and shipping when extra help was needed and now handles everything from ordering, to shipping to overseeing customer service. We call her “the hands” of the company because she can do it all. She loves spending her free time outdoors or with her family. She is the only member of our team who is not yet a mother but will be the most informed new mom on the block when that day comes!

Julie Friscia
Coordinator

Julie Friscia coordinates pickups with local customers and helps with any other projects Jen throws her way. She is Jen’s little sister, a mother of two and an extended breastfeeder.

Lyn Statler
Certified Lactation Counselor & Customer Care

Lyn Statler is our Certified Lactation Counselor and Customer Care Representative. She has been a Bessie’s customer since day one. Jen and Lyn met while attending the hospital’s breastfeeding support groups. Both mamas were trying to navigate milk supply issues while working full time outside of the home. It was Jen’s delicious and effective products that made breastfeeding during this time successful. (Both of Lyn’s “Bessie’s babies” surpassed the one year mark on breast milk because of Bessie’s!) Lyn’s passion, enthusiasm, and positive attitude to help all mamas reach their nursing goals serves all of our customers well. Lyn has 3 children: Keaira (’94), Chloie (’12), and Waylon (’15).

Peg Bower
Payroll/HR Coordinator

Peg Bower works at Bessie’s as a second job and loves the flexibility because she is the big boss in finance at her day job. She is Jen’s aunt and has 2 children of her own, but has always been like a second mother to Jen.

Brittany Hausmann
Director of Brand Development

Brittany is our support: social media, marketing, partnerships and relationship-building are her most important responsibilities! She’s a busy mom in a big blended family that consists of her five children, Jonas, Moses, Rylan, Penny & Delaney, husband, Kevin, and their rescue dog, Jax. With her two biological daughters, she struggled to breastfeed and pump at work while maintaining her supply. If only she had known about Bessie’s!! In addition to her role at Bessie’s, she continues to do social media work and consulting in her business, beYOU Marketing. She loves to spend good, quality time with her kids and hubby, travel, eat interesting foods, drink great bourbon and wines, and bake.

In Loving Memory

Grammy
Jen’s Grandmother and Best Friend

Grammy is now an honorary member of Bessie’s Best team. When Jen started Bessie’s, Grammy would help pack and ship cookie orders. As the years passed she was no longer able to help, but still attended company meetings and always cared. She has 3 children, 4 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren. She was known as “Grammy” to everyone at Bessie’s. We miss her everyday. We love you Grammy!