We found Dina when we were struggling with breastfeeding our firstborn. She answered our inquiry…read morethe same afternoon and set up an in-home consultation quickly. From our first meeting, we knew she was exactly the help we needed. With over 10 years of experience in neonatal and pediatric care, Dina quickly identified our issue and adjusted our positions so our baby began latching and feeding smoothly. We experimented with different positions and times of day, and within a few weeks, thanks to Dina's help, we went from supplementing with formula to 100% breastfeeding. I highly recommend Dina to any new mom facing latching or positioning challenges. Thank you Dina!!

Jennifer Greenberg was incredible. She was the 4th lactation consultant I saw, but the only one who…read morewas finally able to figure out our nursing issues. She obtained a history of my pregnancy, delivery and post partum course and then did a very thorough assessment of me and my daughter's mouth, latch, suck and diagnosed multiple barriers to our feeding situation. The previous lactation consultants and nurses that we met with did not do such a detailed assessment, which prevented me from ultimately saving my milk supply. Jen is incredibly approachable, thorough, realistic and skilled. I also found her to be really compassionate and understanding of how difficult and frustrating my personal situation was and my breastfeeding intentions. I have recommended her a few times already and will continue to refer her to anyone. I just wish I called her first!

Jennifer Greenberg is just excellent. We have a newborn and I am a first time parent and I was…read moreconcerned about latching, pumping and other things. Jennifer communicated very well with us before the appointment and during it. She has a background in education, so she explains things in a fantastic way that made me and my husband comfortable. She taught me how to latch, how to check for hunger cues and other things. She is patient, knows a lot and very organized. I am SO HAPPY with her. At the hospital I saw couple IBCLC (lactation consultant) and they were not as helpful as Jennifer - not even close. If you need her service, please do. She is an amazing human being and an excellent professional!

Let me start off by saying Sarah is amazing and knows her stuff…read more I had a lot of girlfriends that had postpartum so I wanted to do anything I could to not get it with my first baby and this was one of those things to help. It might sound a little crazy but my placenta pills gave me energy when I was exhausted made me a happy mommy and I knew 100% that I was going to do it again with my second baby. I'll never forget coming home with my first baby and waking up in the morning and thinking that my dogs were so dirty ( and they are inside very clean dogs) I thought to myself -now I know why people get rid of their pets when they bring home newborns then my husband gave me a placenta pill and right away I was back to my old self nursing my baby on one side and holding my little puppy on the other side...lol!! I don't know what that was about..... maybe my hormones and my brain adjusting to a brand-new baby, nevertheless I never got baby blues postpartum or anything AND my milk came in with both kids pretty much the same day as I got my pills. Sarah makes it such an easy beautiful process I highly suggest using her and everything she provides I believe deep down in my soul and my brain that this works. Happy baby happy mama

Sarah is one of the most passionate and knowledgeable professionals that I have encountered…read moreregarding natural birth and related services. My husband and I attended her Bradley Method course along with five other couples. Her presentations were consistently filled with invaluable educational content and a delivery that was very easy to understand. She presented research based approaches and information, and recommendations that enhanced our pregnancy and ensured a healthy delivery. As each topic was discussed, she demonstrated such eagerness to share in our journey. In fact, she was always available to assist in answering questions and to help us make informed decisions prior to and after baby. In addition to her superb Bradley instruction, I utilized her services to encapsulate my placenta. Though I do not have a comparison, I was happy with my postpartum results as I attributed my smooth recovery to her services. I highly recommend Sarah to all expecting families! If you have the opportunity to attend sessions in a group that is what I recommend, as we have established lifelong friends along the process. Most importantly, we have a VERY happy and healthy beautiful baby boy!!! Congratulations to all of you in search of services related to your growing families.

Wonderful experience with Christine Fischer-Rothman, who taught the Birthing from Within class. She…read morewas incredibly supportive and realistic about childbirth. I felt much better prepared having taken the class as it forced me to think through the entire process. Christine also has an independent business offering lactation support. I really don't know what I would have done without her. She came on Memorial Day when I was having trouble getting my baby to eat and made herself available to come back as other breastfeeding challenges arose. She went above and beyond to offer support and guidance.

Jodi does God's work!…read more She was recommended by someone at church. We are so grateful that we found someone who shared and respected our values, as the birthing journey was beyond anything we expected. It was amazing and life-changing!! We first had a call with her about 2 months into the pregnancy. She changed the way I thought about pregnancy in the first call already, I felt a sense of peace and even though she encouraged that we interview other doulas as well, we decided to go with her without interviewing others! As a first time parent, I had so many questions! Both my husband and I tend to overprepare for things, and Jodi patiently walked us through all the questions we had. We took all 3 courses she offered, and they were so thorough! Highly recommend these 1:1 courses over other bigger classes/zoom sessions for any other parents that have many questions - these are so good for anyone who wants undivided attention from their instructors! Also we're glad we did them because if might be hard to stay focused through these lengthy courses otherwise, and why wouldn't you want to pay full attention for these course? Your baby's life might depend on it!! She also answered any questions we had about pregnancy or prepping for baby's arrival over the course of the pregnancy. After all the prep work, finally the day came when our little one was ready to leave mama's belly! She really knew how to guide me through the contractions! She knew just the right words. I just followed whatever breathing she told me to do (I didn't practice any breathing before btw!!). I just simply listened to her voice and constantly prayed to God during contraction/pushing. She met us in our home during contraction, then when water broke, we finally drove to the hospital. Once we were at the hospital, I was already at 9 cm!! The baby came out a few hours later, and it was so magical. The baby was perfect. It went as we have hoped, unmedicated, natural birth . She knew just how to guide us through this very important journey. I'm so grateful for her...

She-Tara was truly an integral part of my birthing experience. She educated my husband & I in the…read moreweeks leading up to my delivery and made us feel comfortable asking any question we could think of (at literally any time we had a question). She let us know what all of our options were and empowered us to feel in control of our own experience right down to the 'adjusting at home' stage. When I went into labor, she came to the hospital immediately and supported us as much (or as little) as we needed her to and contributed to the safe and healthy delivery of my baby girl. We are grateful for her and highly recommend hiring her.

I'm going to talk results. I love what the other reviewers before me have said - it definitely…read morereflects my husband's and my great experience with Zina's classes (we opted for the one that spans several weekends). Informative, empowering, respectful, approachable, individual, caring, encouraging. But, at this point I've had my baby. I had a natural (no epi, no pitosin, etc..) birth at a major hospital. It was an amazing experience (seriously) and I owe that in large part to Zina's teaching and guidance. This is how Zina's classes helped: 1. My husband and I had learned what was happening at different stages of the birth process, and could make informed decisions once we got to the hospital, we didn't feel like we were being told what to do and instead were an active part of the decision-making process. 2. I felt confident and excited, instead of apprehensive and scared (if left to my own devices, I'd just feel scared). This made such a difference. 3. Probably the biggest difference was that when the time came, my husband and I were a team. It's natural for a partner to want to help, but oftentimes it's hard to know how, especially with how birth is portrayed in movies. Zina's class gave us a 'toolkit,' and having those options and ideas at the ready for when you don't really have time to think was key.

I can't say enough to picture how this class helped me feel more confident, secure and overall…read moresuper excited about my baby's birth! These 5 classes just flew by and I did not expect to learn this much. I feel prepared and empowered to help my baby come to this world. And this is not just me, my husband absolutely loved this class and feels like he can really help and that we can do this as a team- all three of us I highly recommend this class, Zina is a great teacher and overall an amazing person. I feel so lucky to have found this class and if I have any issues with breastfeeding I'll know who to call!

CHA staff here provide expecting moms and early post partum moms with general support and advice…read morearound breastfeeding, pumping, and bottle feeding. The support group on Tue and Thu is specifically for moms who have questions or concerns or just want a comfortable place to feed baby for a little while. It's an open door and you don't need to call ahead. 8 Camelia is a house across from the entrance of the Cambridge hospital and the front door is unlocked, but you have to buzz in the next door. There are stairs outside so if you have a stroller, just be prepared to carry it up. There's a place to store it in the unlocked entry. Car seats can be brought into the first floor support room but if it's busy, expect to leave it in the hall. Staff are prepared to help you hold baby while you use the bathroom or gather yourself. The room has a changing table, a handful of nursing pillows gliders, a couch, and foot stools. Think of the room as your college apartment tightly set up with a current of chairs and a changing table in the corner. A window AC keeps the space cool enough on hot days. Parking is available in the hospital garage but I'm not sure about validation/cost. If you're a Cambridge resident, of course you can street park, but not on Camelia. If you're wondering if it's right for you, stop asking questions and just try it. Come in when it's convenient for free advice and support from breastfeeding moms who are more than likely going through similar things. Of course every mom and baby is different, so you may hear advice that doesn't apply... And you may need to be a little patient on a busy day. The only thing you need to bring is baby and maybe some diapers. Don't worry about covering up! Okay, should I go? Some questions you might be asking yourself: + are my boobs working? + should it hurt this much? + what's happening to my nipples/breasts/etc?? + am I feeding too much/too little? + will the constant feeding every slow down? ...these are just some questions (emphasis on some) Maybe you just want a small bit of advice to get you started. Here are my tips (thanks to experience, friends, support groups, and the internet): 1. Use lanolin on your nipples after feeding baby. It's safe for baby. No need to wash off. 2. Trust your maternal instincts and feed the baby! 3. Unless you feel pain even a minute after starting a feeding... In this case, call the lactation consultant (Newton) 4. When milk comes in (48-72 hrs after baby comes), it reeeeeally comes in. Expect your boobs to feel tight, hard, and just plain full. It will not be like this forever but it will be uncomfortable for at least 24 hrs 5. A great resource while you're feeding through the night: Kellymom.com; type some key words of concern and include Kelly in search to find a great resource for when no one will want to take your calls! Good luck! You and baby are going to make it. :-)