Our Team
Katie Beeson, BS, IBCLC
Katie earned her ASN in nursing in 2011 after working for 10 years as a stay at home mom, a nanny, a CNA and volunteering as a doula. After finding her nursing “home” in OB, she realized that she had a passion for helping moms who were struggling with breastfeeding. Not being impressed with the breastfeeding education that the formula reps were offering, she began seeking more education and was lucky enough to be mentored by an extremely experienced IBCLC who taught her what she needed to do to assist these moms as well as encouraged her to become an IBCLC. Katie returned to college to obtain a Bachelor’s degree in Maternal Child Health with a focus in human lactation at Union Institute and University in Ohio and became an IBCLC shortly after. She offers an incredible depth of knowledge related to the physiology, physical act, and emotional aspects of infant feeding, oral restrictions and overall infant care. Katie is a strong advocate for supporting families in reaching their feeding goals and has helped countless women overcome obstacles in achieving breastfeeding success.
Katie is a founding member of MomSense and works to support the patients in our clinic with a very relaxed and “zenlike” approach- making sure that parents are empowered to make choices that work for the overall health and wellness of their family.
In recent years, Katie reunited with her childhood sweetheart, Tim, and the two joined families when they married in August. Together, they have 4 children spanning in ages from 20 to 7 years old. They enjoy spending time at their lake house and with their family and friends. Katie is also working towards becoming a certified yoga instructor and would love to bring prenatal and postnatal classes to MomSense----stay tuned!
Allison Fuerst, MS, RN, FNP-BC
Allison graduated as a Licensed Practical Nurse from Ivy Tech in 2009 and went on for her Associate degree in nursing in 2011. She decided to go back to complete her Bachelors Degree in Nursing at Purdue Calumet in 2015 and ultimately decided to pursue her Masters degree in nursing from Ball State University in 2020.
Allison started her nursing career working with dementia patients in an assisted living facility. As a registered nurse she worked in pediatrics for a year, but soon found her passion in labor and delivery and special care nursery, where she worked for eight years. Allison came to MomSense as a nurse practitioner and has had continued educational training on tethered oral tissue through The Breathe Institute and Dr. Lawrence Kotlow. She is board certified as a family nurse practitioner through the American Nursing Credentialing Center.
Allison is married to her best friend, Jeff and they live in Portage with their 4 children, two dogs, three cats, and rabbit. In her free time, she loves attending White Sox games, watching her oldest son play soccer, and just spending time with her family.
Racquel (Jean) Krause RN, IBCLC
Racquel attended Nursing School at Purdue Calumet in Hammond, IN where she graduated with an Associate Degree in Nursing. She started her career in nursing as a Labor and Delivery Nurse where she continued to provide care to new families for 20 years. During that time she worked as a Labor Nurse, a Postpartum Nurse, a Nursery Nurse, and a Level 2 Nursery Nurse. After having worked with breastfeeding moms and babies her entire career, she decided to become certified as an IBCLC so she could specialize in helping mothers with infant feeding — especially breastfeeding. Her own struggles, failures, and successes with breastfeeding were the driving force behind the decision to become an IBCLC. She realized that the difference between not achieving her breastfeeding goals and surpassing them was a good support system, that was led by an IBCLC, who also became her mentor and friend.
She has continued to educate herself in all areas of infant feeding, including oral restrictions, such as tongue-tie, and the benefits of good supportive care and treatment. She believes strongly in Evidence-Based Care and parent choice.
Racquel has been an IBCLC at MomSense since the day we opened our doors and was passionate about providing better resources in Northwest Indiana for moms, babies, and families. She recently became Co-Chair of the NWI Breastfeeding Coalition with her coworker and friend, Katie Beeson, IBCLC.
Racquel has been married to her husband, Bob, for 30 years and they have four boys (all of whom are very tall and you might even see some of them hard at work at MomSense). When she isn’t taking care of patients at MomSense, she enjoys spending her time hanging out with her family, going to her children’s sporting events (she is definitely a soccer mom, even had the soccer mom car for a while), spending time at the lake and snuggling with her cute little dog.
Karen Mannino, MSN, RN, FNP-BC
You know Karen — even if you have never met her. She has certainly never met a stranger. Her friendly, outgoing personality makes her an instant favorite with friends, family, and patients alike. Add to that the intelligent, practical mind behind those vivid blue eyes, and MomSense has scored another win by adding Karen to our staff. Since finishing nursing school, she has amassed a number of accomplishments, including a Masters Degree in Family Practice Nursing, and an MBA. Karen has spent a large majority of her 22-year nursing career in OB. As an RN, she worked LDRP, helping women through their labors and early postpartum days and all of the struggles that come with each. As an FNP, she has worked in the Women’s DiagnosticCenter, coordinating breast health care, in oncology, and ultimately back to her roots in OB/Gyne, providing gynecological and perinatal care to her lucky patients.
Crystal Morgan, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC
Crystal is a dedicated and passionate Family Nurse Practitioner with over 20 years of experience in women's health. She graduated from Purdue University with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and furthered her education with a Master of Science in Nursing from the same institution. Crystal is board certified by both the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and the American Nurses Credentialing Center.
Crystal's career began in labor and delivery, postpartum, and newborn nursery care, where she spent two decades honing her skills and deepening her commitment to maternal and child health. In labor and delivery, Crystal was responsible for providing comprehensive care to mothers during childbirth, monitoring fetal development, assisting with deliveries, and managing postpartum recovery. Her experience in this field included supporting mothers through labor, ensuring the health and safety of both mother and baby, and providing education on newborn care and breastfeeding.
Her personal experience with breastfeeding challenges and the lack of resources available fueled her interest in becoming an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC).
At MomSense, Crystal's role is diverse. She provides frenectomies for patients of all ages and offers comprehensive women's health and aesthetic medicine services. Her continued education and certification through The Breathe Institute on tethered oral tissues underscores her expertise and dedication to improving patient outcomes.
Crystal is devoted to helping others navigate breastfeeding difficulties and educating families about the impact of tethered oral tissues on overall health. She believes in a holistic approach to health, integrating western medicine with holistic practices to provide personalized and effective care. Her commitment to wellness and prevention is evident in every aspect of her practice, focusing on the well-being of women from the inside out.
Outside of her professional life, Crystal is married and a proud mother of four children, aged 16 to 24. She has a golden retriever named Cooper and a golden doodle grand pup named Charlie. Crystal loves to travel, with the water being her happy place, and she enjoys party planning and spending quality time with close family and friends.