Serena's support was truly a vital blessing in an unbelievably challenging chapter. I had a premature baby who was struggling with feeding and weight gain. Nothing was working. I was triple feeding and burning the candle at both ends on top of the emotional strain of feeling like my body failed. Serena made me feel grounded and whole when everything felt chaotic and out of my control. She normalized some of the challenges that we were experiencing. She gave me really grounded advice that helped me set expectations. Including really thinking about risks and benefits when dealing with a baby who had oral aversion. Rather than focusing on every feed or every ounce on the scale, she helped me focus on the big picture of helping the baby feel safe and in control in his own body and developing a mother and infant bond that would support our long-term journey. Not only did she offer a calming presence, good advice, but she continued to be available and responsive weeks months, and even years down the road. She supported me with my second baby years later, and has continued to be a supportive, trusted person in my life. I call her my Milk Fairy GOdmother. She truly was a blessing. read more

It is no wonder Serena has 5 star ratings. Our 8 wk old baby started showing slow weight gain and as a first time parent, I was so worried and overwhelmed. From our first call, Serena was kind, thorough and asked all the right questions. She made time to come over within days, immediately pinpointed the issue, and created a clear feeding plan that gave me so much relief. She even reached out to our pediatrician right after and they called me the same day to schedule a weight check by end of the week! Serena's care doesn't stop at your session -- she checks in often and is always available by text, making me feel completely supported and never alone. She's warm, friendly, non-judgmental and turned a scary situation into something manageable. We're still working with her but I couldn't wait to share. Even though we're not out of the woods yet, I feel a million times better knowing Serena is by our side. If you're considering working with her, don't hesitate -- she's a gem! read more

Serena is simply an angel, she saved me when I was desperately in pain. She diagnosed my problem and the cause of severe pain in my breast the moment she saw me, she got a call with me with UCSf triage to address the issue . She was just a life saver. Serena is also so much experienced, she's the answer to all my breastfeeding related questions. On top of that her personality is so nice, her voice is comforting, I feel like I'm finally getting the care I needed from the day one my baby was born. read more

Absolute ANGEL! I have talked to approximately 6 IBCLCs since my baby was born. I got soooo many opinions and was basically feeling like everything wrong with my breastfeeding was because of my bad decisions. I was getting so stressed out but then a pediatric dentist and pediatrician both recommend Serena so I just scheduled. She is a Pro- but also hilarious- and also made me feel very good about how I'm patenting and how our baby is cute- I think this is just her demeanor but as someone who is isolating postpartum rn this was all very welcome banter. Most importantly, she was magic with her suggestions and literally baby took a bottle for the first time happily in a LONG time. So many great, science based tips. Very grateful for her experience and compassion in doing this work. read more

Bay Area Breastfeeding Support - Masked up too which I appreciate!! - Lactation Services Near Me - El Sobrante, California

I'd highly recommend Serena. I'm a first-time mom and had a million questions about managing breastfeeding and pumping. My baby also started refusing to latch once I began introducing bottles more frequently. Serena was incredibly supportive and kind, and she helped me understand what I could adjust while giving me the tools and knowledge I needed to improve my breastfeeding journey. I'm so glad I found her and will definitely reach out again for future consultations. read more

Serena has been a godsend for me in my postpartum journey. From helping me with my baby's latch to my transition to exclusive pumping to eventually weaning, she's been there every step of the way to offer support, guidance and comfort. When I started experiencing postpartum anxiety and insomnia, she also met with me last minute and outside of her regular hours to figure out how we could adjust my pumping schedule to improve things. She's deeply knowledgeable and caring. I'd highly recommend her to all parents! read more

Serena truly is a gem of an IBCLC! Not only is she kind, patient, and understanding but she is also someone who guides gently and uses positive language which is immensely helpful for someone like me who is dealing with a low milk supply. She helped me with my first baby 8 years ago and I knew I had to reach out to her asap when I found out that I was pregnant with my 2nd. I knew my breastfeeding journey needed to be established right away and it required Serena and her knowledge of low milk supply. She did a house call about a week postpartum and did a weighted feed and assessed baby for ties which he does have. She was able to ease my mind and helped guide me on what to do and how to get my supply up. I've been able to message her with my many questions and she has been so responsive and so kind. She has made the journey great so far despite me not making a full supply (I make about half of baby's needs). If you want an amazing ibclc who wants to see you and baby succeed then look no further! read more

So much love for Serena who has helped me successfully breastfeed with my second baby. Where do I start? With my first baby, I came home with painful burning nipple thrush after a harsh dose of IV antibiotics during labor. I didn't have the right lactation support and after 2 weeks of painful pumping with no latch, I quit, which was the right decision. I beat myself up about it and went through all the motions, depression and then... the pandemic. It was a rough time but I'm grateful I went through it to come out stronger. I always told myself if I got pregnant again, I would give breastfeeding another shot, but that I wouldn't beat myself up about it if it wasn't in the cards. FED is best and formula is awesome. Period. I reached out to Serena while I was pregnant with my second baby to make sure she had room for me around my due date, and as soon as I knew I was getting induced we booked an appointment for when I returned home. Luckily my labor was fairly easy compared to the last. My doctor switched up my antibiotics and lowered the dosage and luckily I had no reactions. I was in good spirits and ready to give breastfeeding another shot, but I wad also prepared with all the necessities to make warm yummy formula bottles for my baby; which I recommend! Serena is so down to earth and approachable. I laid out my goals and expectations and she was all for it. No pressure what so ever! She hooked me up with a nipple shield and that ended up working for us. One thing that she said that stuck with me is that your nipples are still in pregnancy mode for a little while, so it's normal in the beginning to be extra sensitive, but after a few days, the sensitivity diminished. Over the last few weeks we have been working up to latching without the nipple shield and we're doing great. I've had a few set backs a long the way (eczema on nipples, minor thrush, pumping issues) and Serena has been available over email, text and in person to help work through all of it. She is extremely skilled, knowledgeable and tenured in her practice and has seen it all. I'm grateful I had the chance to try breastfeeding again and it's working out and coming "easy" this time, but I'm even more grateful having gone through the experience of not being able to breastfeed and doing what was right for my body and my family. Breastfeeding is a privilege, especially in today's world where we need to seek out support to create our own "village". To all the first time moms out there, please know that there are other options to feed your baby other than breastfeeding. Whether you've been through a traumatic pregnancy or labor, have medical issues, or you just don't want to and you're too damn tired, that's OK! Give yourself some grace. Serena will help you find the best way to feed your baby and keep mom happy! read more

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Serena is amazing! She has been supporting me with pumping and beginning the latching process for my first child that ended up coming prematurely. From the moment I met with her, she made me feel at ease, seen and valued. I highly recommend working with her. read more

I had all the problems in the beginning- baby with a tongue, tie, got mastitis cause he wasn't removing milk, thrush because of antibiotics from the mastitis. I had seen a bunch of Kaiser LCs (who were helpful) but I had so many back to back challenges, I just felt defeated. Serena was able to help diagnose, set realistic goals and take the pressure off. At around 5 weeks my baby started latching and I had a successful BF journey for a year. Don't give up ladies, just get help. Worth the $ a thousand times over! read more

Serena helped me and my baby work through a tough start. I am so happy I was able to have her support me. She is a blessing!

We had an extraordinary experience with Serena! Our son lost a lot of weight post birth, reaching 14th percentile. Serena was recommended by our beloved doula and our pediatrician had heard wonderful reviews. We had an in-home consultation and Serena was stellar - punctual, professional, knowledgeable, supportive, and reliable! She gave us gentle, but direct instructions during our consultation and via follow-up text was precise, but detailed, helping us also troubleshoot an unsustainable hourly feeding routine and low breast milk production. Within a few weeks our son gained significant weight, reaching 50th percentile weight due to Serena's support. We recommend Serena without reservations. read more

Serena is WONDERFUL. She is quick to respond and always able to meet in person or virtually to find a solution to whatever problem we're facing. I have had multiple things come up in the past year of feeding my baby, and I truly credit our success with breastfeeding to her. I cannot recommend her enough. read more

Serena is one of the best IBCLCS around. I do cranial Sacral Therapy with new to pre-crawling babies. Every mama that I have worked with has nothing but great words to say about their experience with Serena. She not only advocates for new mamas and babies, but she also champions her co workers, and those families that are in need; and not just on the holidays. I've never met someone who so tirelessly works for the benefit of others and still is a great mama herself. Serena is cross trained and comes with a full complement of services to offer. In addition she supports and trains others in the professional world of baby's health. She is my hero. If you need support for breastfeeding, she is your go to professional...all day every day. read more

Serena is amazing and I highly recommend her! I was having issues with over supply and pain while feeding, she helped me so much and my baby who was struggling with her latch. I am super grateful for the tips she provided but also for making everything feel super digestible and easy to tackle. When I had to go back to work she also helped me with navigating pumping and introducing a bottle to baby. read more

Serena was a godsend when Jenbert was preparing to go back to work and two-month-old Jenbert Jr. wouldn't take a bottle. I offered to meet in her office, but instead she did two house visits: one initial consultation and then a follow-up. After the initial demonstration, Mr. Jenbert and Grandma and Grandpa Jenbert became pros at feeding Jenbert Jr. using the tips and tricks provided by Serena. It has been about a month since Serena's first visit and bottle feeding has become a lot more successful as I have returned to work. And to think, I stumbled upon BABS by accident! Thank you, Serena! read more

Serena is wonderful--really experienced and gives great advice. She's just the type of person that you want coming to your home to support.

I just knew something was not right with my breastfeeding journey. Baby's weight percentile was dropping, and he couldn't stay latched for long. I went to other lactation consultants and they were no help. FINALLY, I found Serena. She quickly found a serve tongue tie, and got baby on a triple feed regiment that helped baby gain weight. I told her my desire was to continue breastfeeding, and she kept that in the forefront of every move we made. Serena is immensely educated in this area, and I would recommend her to everyone in need. Not only is she educated, she is so kind, and thoughtful. She also gives you her number text/call if any questions come up between appointments. We truly hit the jackpot with Serena. Thank you Serena! read more

Serena is one of the rare practitioners whose presence magnifies their knowledge. She is warm, confident, and natural. I had been working with another well respected consultant and tried Serena for a second opinion. In a time that was extremely painful and stressful, she inspired hope and confidence. She also gave completely different advice from the other consultant which led to a quick increase in my supply. read more

I don't know how to write this review without sounding like a crazy cult follower but I'm going to do this: SERENA SAVED MY BREASTS AND IS THE BEST LACTATION CONSULTANT EVER. My breasts were pretty beat up from my baby's shallow latch and on Serena's first visit she noticed right away that my baby had a tongue tie! We saw a couple of lactation consultants while in the hospital and they both missed it. This could have saved me a painful few days but thankfully Serena caught it. She gave me sound advice on what to do for the next week until our baby got it cut and with the follow up appointment it was super fortunate timing because I ended up getting mastitis! She confirmed it for me and quickly gave me action on talking to my doctor to get medication sent in asap. Serena is so knowledgeable and having her with you just gives you such a peace of mind during a crazy season. Serena was also available through text to answer all my questions and calmly guided me through my third mastitis chaos. She is empathetic, kind, and absolutely the best! read more

I'm a new mom and I met with Serena after I had developed mastitis 3 weeks postpartum. I cannot begin to tell you how informative and helpful our session was, I had had no idea how little I knew about lactation, breastfeeding, pumping, and feeding my baby. Serena showed me how to offer my breasts so that my baby can latch on properly, taught me more about my baby's feeding cues, evaluated my baby's sucking ability, showed me how to use all the settings on my breast pump, explained that I had been using the wrong sized flanges (which was a probable cause of my mastitis) and sized my nipples for the proper fit, helped me figure out what bottles are best for my baby's feeding style, helped me come up with a plan to build my baby's sucking strength so we can transition to incorporating breastfeeding more into our regular feeding strategy, and so much more. She talked to me about strategies for improving my mental health (I have ppa) and how I can change up my pumping/feeding frequency so that I can get in more sleep. I loved how Serena was non-judgmental and was happy to help support me whether I want to breastfeed, or bottle feed, incorporate formula, etc. If you're a new parent struggling postpartum, know that you are not alone, and I urge you to reach out to Serena, you will be so glad you did. read more

It is clear that Serena not only has the expertise, but she also has the passion and a deep mission to ensure babies and mothers feel and are successful. As first-time parents, my wife and I had a lot of questions about how to support our twins Selena and Mateo. With a horrible experience at Kaiser with very limited and sporadic support, education, and coaching on breastfeeding, Serena stepped in to help us. Not only did she share "the why" behind her recommendations, but she also did hands-on coaching and even modeling so we can truly understand what excellence looks like. Through her support and guidance, my wife's milk supply has increased, babies are latching, and babies are gaining weight. Our premature babies are now 10 lbs. after 8 weeks. Side note: As a new father, I was nervous about changing diapers - especially for boys. Serena not only modeled for me how to change a diaper, she also walked me through it step by step. Her expertise goes beyond lactation; her expertise is truly around how to prepare parents for success and to make sure parents know what they're doing well and how they can take their skills to the next level. What we most loved about Serena is her compassion and how she is always looking to make the lives of parents easier, without wavering on the needs and experiences of the babies. Everyone wins with Serena. read more

Serena is extraordinary and I can't recommend her enough! Her assistance with my newborns (both when I was a first-time mom and with my second) was invaluable. She brought extensive experience, compassion, humor, and joy to her work with us which made me feel relaxed, confident, and hopeful during those challenging first few days with a newborn. Her recommendations and practical tips put us on a path to successful exclusive breastfeeding for both my babies despite initial challenges like a NICU-stay, tongue ties, and latching issues. With Serena, you will be in the most fabulous hands and I strongly encourage you to seek her support. read more

Serena is the absolute best. She is warm and caring, while also being highly educated. I have had visits with her when both my babies were born due to low supply. She was able to help me continue breastfeeding and showed me the emotional support I needed to keep going. Without a doubt worth the visit!! read more

Immediate response, incredibly detailed and helpful. Serena is a true angel on this earth. Best IBCLC services in the Bay Area

Serena will support you in whatever path you choose. After multiple visits with LCs and lots of difficulty, I ended up exclusively pumping with my first baby. It wasn't terrible, just very inconvenient. With my second baby, we had a bit of a rocky start due to rising bilirubin levels. But finding Serena was the best thing I've done for our breastfeeding relationship. Serena immediately told us we were doing the right thing with bottle feeding and formula because of her bilirubin levels. In our session together, she gave me the confidence that I could breastfeed my baby and gave me so much helpful advice regarding latch, engorgement, and pumping. She is so incredibly knowledgable and backs all of her advice with evidence based data. Saying again, she will support you in whatever path you choose. Her BABS FB group is also SO helpful for advice. Even if you don't work with her directly, join her support group! read more

I hired Serena after a few weeks of desperation in July 2019. I was feeling like a horrible mommy because I had to supplement with formula. She came to my home and interviewed me personally. She then sent me a write up of what she recommended (which did look a whole lot like a copy and paste document). In her "plan" she suggested I get several tests done to determine different things in my body. When I asked my obgyn for the tests, she told me that those results wouldn't prove/disprove why I wasn't producing enough milk, but she still ordered them at my insistence for peace of mind. I did everything she suggested and she still wasn't able to tell me why I was having low production. I invested my time, money and energy only for the end result to be "who knows". I've attached a screenshot of our last conversation, in which I knew she just would never be able to help me and it was all a big waste, additionally she was just regurgitating what I myself read about milk production online. Serena gets 2 stars because she's friendly. Otherwise, you'll learn everything about lactation just by doing a Google search or by joining a FB breastfeeding support group. Hiring her is a hefty financial decision to make, so if you have further questions about my experience please reach out! read more

Bay Area Breastfeeding Support - Email exchange of our conversation - Lactation Services Near Me - El Sobrante, California

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What an amazing support group this has been for my breastfeeding journey. I wish i had joined before having my baby girl. I had a painful and traumatic beginning as a new mom. I had my baby girl via c section and wasn't prepared for the pain and trauma since i always wanted a natural and non medicated birth. After birth, breastfeeding was painful and on top of everything else that was paining already and taking care of a newborn i felt overwhelmed. I met Serena at Kaiser, Oakland where i had my baby and she mentioned the BABS group on facebook which i immediately joined. Connecting on BABS gave me the opportunity to read many daily posts about other moms on the same boat struggling with painful breastfeeding. It was helpful to see how with patience, perseverance and giving things its own time, no doubts breastfeeding became a beautiful journey. BABS is a welcoming, safe place for sharing concerns, questions, needs, fears as well as achieved milestones. Wonderful for any new mother who needs support. The group has many admins who are warm, friendly, informative and professional women in their field. Hats off for always finding time to answer queries to every single member. I was lucky to be able to help couple mamas with donating my extra milk. What a blessing. Such a helpful network. Highly recommend for any pregnant woman and new mother! read more

I'm a part of this group's online support group on Facebook and it is by far my favorite breastfeeding support group. Serena and her team are so knowledgeable and responsive. It's been such a great community to be a part of during my breastfeeding journey! read more

I could not recommend Serena more! She's the best. Gentle, thoughtful, and ready to jump in and help with any breastfeeding issues you might have. Serena came to my home; immediately relaxed me and came up with a plan for my terrible nursing position but amazingly robust baby. Serena and her community are priceless and talented and everything new mothers need. If you have a breastfeeding issue, please just call Serena. She will work with your insurance and make your boobs feel better!!! read more

Met with Serena when my baby was 1 month old. She was incredibly knowledgeable, easy to talk to and so supportive. She is worth every penny and the travel. She deserves 10 stars on yelp. She helped me immensely and connected me with great providers. I am forever grateful! read more

I've worked with Serena since 2017. I was so lucky to find her when I had my 2nd because she was able to diagnose a tongue tie and lip tie. After we had it addressed, we successfully nursed for more than a year. This year, I also had Serena's help with my 3rd and we have been successfully nursing for 6 months so far! Serena has a wealth of knowledge about all things breastfeeding, is easy to work with, and is super responsive anytime I've texted her with follow up questions. Even though the hospital I delivered at has lactation consultants come by, none of them were as helpful as Serena's home visits. Not every LC is willing or able to diagnose a tongue tie, but for my 2nd and 3rd babies, this was critical to our success. I only wish I had found Serena earlier! I could not recommend her more highly. She's truly the best LC I've ever worked with. read more

Summary: I could not be more grateful that I was referred to Serena, she is a huge reason why I am able to breastfeed my son. Save yourself the potential wasted money, time and your sanity and call her for your lactation needs, she is extremely knowledgeable, skilled, caring, sincere and empathetic. The long story: My son was born with a severe tongue tie and moderate lip tie. He took a few days to latch after being born and when he did my nipples were instantly bleeding and I was crying through every nursing session. I went to lactation services provided by the hospital and saw someone who was decent there (but limited knowledge compared to Serena), she checked for the tongue tie (which I asked the hospital to do but everyone refused). A couple days later I went to a great practice that lasered his ties off. I thought once his tongue was free that was it, it would be over and he would nurse well, but man was I wrong. He had no idea how to move his tongue correctly and would not breastfeed at all. I went back to lactation services at the hospital and saw a new lactation consultant who was AWFUL, she was extremely rude and made me feel hopeless. I spoke to my accupuncurist who referred me to Serena saying that she was "the" lactation consultant in the area. I cannot begin to tell you how grateful I am that I was referred to her. After the terrible appointment that left me feeling like all hope was lost I figured it was time to call in the big guns and spend the money. Serena came over and it was a complete game changer. First off she comes to your home, which for me helped me figure out how to feed him on my couch, using my pillows, and allowed her to see him in his element. She has such a calm presence about her, I immediately felt at ease, that she cared and I was in good hands. She had him latching so quickly it was incredible. Honestly, even if he didn't latch quickly the thing that sets her apart is she gives you hope and empowers you to keep going and gives you tools to do so. Every time after she left I felt like I had a clear plan on how to move forward and trust that things would indeed get better (they did). She gave me a referral for an occupational therapist who was also a very big part of our journey and why we are so successful. I saw Serena a couple more times for various issues and never felt rushed, always felt like she genuinly cares, and felt like my money was never better spent. read more

I have worked with Serena on multiple occasions. All appointments coincided with the most difficult parts of my lactation journey. Both times, I wanted to quit and felt completely demoralized. After every appointment, I was given an invaluable gift. I was given hope and confidence. She is tremendously knowledgeable, kind and supportive. She will give you an action plan. Some of the information will be general knowledge that is applicable to everyone and some of it individualized. I found both helpful. In addition, she made herself available to me via email and text ad hoc. I am past 12 months into my lactation journey and she has been by my side through most of it. I imagine I will still turn to her in some form or another until the end. I think that speaks volumes. When you find someone you can trust, you stick with them. She is someone who can be trusted wholeheartedly. I've seen some negative reviews of her. I think that can be chalked up to unrealistic expectations. Breastfeeding is a very complicated process and some of the factors are not necessarily within Serena's purview. She will give education and help provide avenues to pursue to help clarify if a medical condition or anatomical issue is at play. It is up to feeding parents to decide what to pursue. But, we have to know full well that it might not provide us an answer or the answer we would like to hear. I would encourage anyone reading through these reviews to take the negative ones with a grain of salt. So many emotions go into breastfeeding and perhaps it is easier to blame someone than to accept an outcome we don't prefer. It is a natural and understandable reaction. Those parents are not at fault for feeling what they feel but I don't think Serena should be punished for it. read more

Serena may have very well saved our breastfeeding relationship. Our baby boy was losing weight quickly and by day 3 the Dr pretty much demanded we start formula. I was devastated. Luckily we had a consult with Serena the same day and she changed everything. She set us up with a clear feeding, pumping and supplementing plan and really helped me understand what could cause delays in my milk coming in (I lost a lot of blood during labor) it took commitment to the plan and within DAYS my milk came in with a roar, out went the formula supplement and we started supplementing with pumped milk.. A week later after consulting with Serena we stopped supplementing at all and began exclusively breastfeeding A few days later, We exceeded birth weight by 7oz A week later my freezer stash doubled due to oversupply..Again I called Serena who helped me gain the confidence I needed to trust my body and learn a few tricks along the way. We adjusted my pumping schedule and now I kind of know my body cues and pump according to fullness and my baby schedule We're going strong now with breastfeeding and I adore it. Her Facebook group is also an amazing resource and such a loving community. Don't let anyone say you can't do it or you won't be able to do it. Call Serena, she will make a difference in your journey. read more

As a Lactation consultant myself, you wouldn't think I would need help breastfeeding. Guess again! My daughter and I struggled at the beginning and it turns out it's pretty impossible to provide quality healthcare to YOURSELF. I knew immediately who to call: the most detail oriented, skilled, knowledgeable IBCLC around... Serena! So essentially you should know that when Lactation consultants themselves struggle with breastfeeding, they call Serena, which is a pretty high vote of confidence! Serena examined my baby in a loving and detailed way, helping educate my partner and me on the issues in an approachable and non-alarming way. Her experience level, education and knowledge base on infant assessment for breastfeeding is really unmatched! Another really fantastic part of her care is how connected she is to every other care provider you might need. She takes the time to cultivate relationships with everyone in the breastfeeding care world, so if you need a referral for tongue tie, bodywork, a GI Doctor, etc she knows exactly who to send you to. She also listened with kindness and no judgement when I told her how emotional I was feeling and empowered me to get the care I needed for myself. When Serena left my home, we felt relieved, hopeful, and prepared with a plan to turn things around! I'm confident you'll have the same experience with her. read more

Bay Area Breastfeeding Support - Loving support and acceptance! - Lactation Services Near Me - El Sobrante, California

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Serena helped my baby latch for a full feeding on our first session, and he continued to latch after she left. I stopped pumping and nursed him for days before feeling pain. She then identified my baby's oral thrush, when two pediatricians had said the white patch on his tongue was milk build-up, and helped me get prescriptions for his thrush and mine (as he had passed it on to me). read more

Don't respond to calls and voicemails. How disappointed we were after multiple attempts.

Having a lactation consultant come to the house was a lifesaver when I was having trouble nursing my second son. Serena is Knowledgeable and comforting. She was able to give me her option on my sons possible tongue tie and Even helped me get an appointment to have my son evaluated by a specialist after being told by multiple providers that my son was fine and just needed more time. When I was struggling with a supplemental nursing system she gave me many pointers and help ease my anxieties. Although my son continues to struggle due to oral motor issues and possibly Motivation I'm at peace knowing that I tried everything to nurse my son. Every mother should have a lactation consultant who cares as much as Serena. read more

This review is for all of the fathers out there with first born children and first-time mothers. You've got your A-game face on for YOUR paternity leave. As a new dad you've focused on what is within your control; dishes are done, meals have been prepped, you're changing diapers like you've been doing it your whole life. You're a modern day 21st century dad & partner aren't you? Well then your little bundle of joy starts having difficulty breast feeding. You don't have breasts (or you do but they're dry) and so you go about your role... meals... dishes... fluff the pillow... do the laundry. Then your little one goes on a breast strike and it throws your whole world into a spin. Breast feeding is a raw deal for first time new moms. If I do say so myself I've never seen a person go through something in this manner. You spend the better part of a year preparing for the big event, it happens and then immediately after a huge trauma you're supposed to be an expert at keeping the little human alive? NO pressure!? Then to top it all off, you're sent home with a partner who either a) can't relate and/or b) isn't prepared for this type of support. As a partner you're torn between the, "do I try to read up and encourage her to try different positions, techniques etc... and risk coming off as critical of her motherly skills" or "do I sit back and watch her struggle hoping she'll find her way." Well neither of these work and so none of you should think a moment more. What you need is a coach, a leader and a mentor. Serena is all of these things. I'd suggest you book Serena even if you're NOT having troubles. We had a care free first 10 days of breastfeeding in our household and then BAM the union strike on that shifty right breast. We were recommended to Serena by our pediatrician, the local mommy group on FB as well as a few close friends (who knew they were going through the same thing!) I'd think of our time with Serena as sitting down with a pro coach. Think Belichick. Do you think Tom Brady just showed up as good as he is? No, of course not. He had a coach that recognized his flaws, build on his strengths and pushed him every day to be his G-D best. Well thats Serena. She's the Belichick of lactation consultants. And let's just admit that our partners & wives are as close to the raw talent of Tom Brady coming out of undergrad. All they need is the right chemistry with the coach and the game will change. read more