West is the granddaughter of Clyde T. Ellis (1908–1980), congressman of Arkansas (1939–1943) and the first general manager (CEO) of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (1943–1967).

West attended the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, from which she obtained a bachelor of arts degree in industrial psychology.

[6] She was a member of the review board of the United States Lactation Consultant Association (USLCA)[7] professional journal Clinical Lactationfrom May 2014 until October 2016.

[18] In her 2010 book with Diane Wiessinger and Teresa Pitman for La Leche League International, The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, 8th edition, Wiessinger, West, and Pitman re-wrote La Leche League International's landmark book about breastfeeding for the new millennial generation.

[20] In 2014, West was instrumental in revising La Leche League's leadership eligibility criteria to allow leaders to serve no matter their gender,[21] following their initial rejection of Trevor MacDonald, a transgender father.