This is a long overdue review for Farrell. She is an amazing teacher, newborn care specialist, and lactation consultant. She is the best of the best. She helped us on our journey by helping our son recover from weight loss after birth (10%) and helped us navigate through many issues such as undersupply, oversupply, latching, eczema, and swaddling. Whenever we had questions and we certainly had quite a bit as first time parents, she was very responsive and made sure that we felt confident with a plan moving forward and connected us with many resources. We felt very comfortable working with her due to her knowledge but also due to her warm, friendly, and engaging personality that the baby seemed to really enjoy responding towards especially when she did her unique slow swaying which we call the Farrell method! :) read more

We had difficulties latching and breastfeeding from the start with our first and only baby. After seeing different lactation consultants at every visit with Kaiser, we decided to work with Farrell for personalized and consistent support. She visited our home over the course of several visits and provided so much education and support for our feeding challenges. Because of our work together, we were able to improve our child's tongue and mouth mobility and suction and my milk supply, and establish ways for us to feed and comfort him at the breast. I highly recommend working with Farrell if anyone is looking for personalized lactation support! read more

Best postpartum decision ever. Farrell is amazing at what she does and has helped us figure out how to feed our newborn. Couldn't imagine the breastfeeding process without her guidance. Also amazing that she comes to you. read more

We have a 5-week old and, despite COVID-19 calling for isolation, we were in need of customized lactation support which is usually delivered in person. Farrell sprang into action and made it work VIRTUALLY. We had a thorough video session as well as great follow-up where I sent her additional videos and she was able to observe and offer useful info and solutions. She even mailed us a crucial piece of equipment that isn't sold online!! During uncertain times, Farrell was a breath of reassurance. She was able to instruct, troubleshoot, and create a plan that worked for our family. If you are looking for a lactation consultant, IN-PERSON or VIRTUALLY, do not hesitate to hire Farrell, she's an expert, a deep listener, and super adaptable who, to top it all off, is a JOY to work with! read more

Farrell is amazing! I cannot recommend her enough. Her calm energy and incredibly talented at educating on lactation. After our initial appointment, I feel like all the stress of breastfeeding has been removed. Baby eats better, mama sleeps better and baby is gaining weight without formula (we did bridge with formula for a day or two due to supply issues abs pure frustration). Thank you for moving me closer to my goals Farrell. read more

After the birth of my daughter, I had such a challenging time with breastfeeding, and the lactation consultants at the hospital didn't feel like they were hearing my concerns. My midwife recommended that I get in touch with Farrell, and I was able to schedule an appointment 2 days later at my house. I can't express how great my experience working with her was. She never made me feel guilty about supplementing with formula to make sure the baby was fed, and was able to talk through a number of reasons we were having a challenging time. She sent a list of things we were working on every week, and over the span of 3 weeks, we were able to go from exclusively bottle fed to exclusively breast fed. I'm so glad I reached out when I did, and that such a kind, caring professional was there to help. read more

We have had the pleasure of working with Farrell since 2 weeks after birth. She helped us work through the early nursing pain and develop great nursing positions that worked for me post c-section. Most recently we developed an effective nursing/pumping plan for when I go back to work. She has been extremely flexible in finding times that work and coming to our home, and she is very resourceful. We love Farrell and would recommend her to help any parents with nursing and feeding. read more

Farrell Topham, IBCLC Lactation Consultant - Lactation Services Near Me

Thanks for helping my family get through our feeding challenges! Your work has really helped the most important relationship in my life. It has allowed me to me a happier mother and have a happier baby. It will also have so much more important impact on us in the future. I feel so lucky to have worked with you! read more

I am extremely grateful to Farrell for coming to my rescue when I was truly desperate. My pediatrician said I needed a lactation consultant to help stop my infant from losing weight on a Friday afternoon; needless to say, it was a struggle to find someone who was available over the weekend. Farrell came over within minutes on Friday evening and stayed in touch with me over the weekend, adapting the plan every day based on his weight gain. I was very nervous about taking the pediatrician's advice to supplement with formula and Farrell understood this and built a plan for me that restored my confidence in my body and in the process. I highly recommend Farrell as a comforting and reliable guide during what can be a stressful time for a new mom. read more

Without Farrell's knowledge and support, my son wouldn't have received proper nutrition and I would have given up on breastfeeding. She is kind, nonjudgemental, and helps you come up with a plan. Throughout our breastfeeding journey, she helped us address problems and offered suggestions. She answered emails and helped me build my confidence as a new mom. To say that I highly recommend Farrell is an understatement. Our baby was born during the holidays and there were no lactation consultants available. When I asked for a lactation consultant I was told that the nurses/doctors could answer my questions. However, breastfeeding was so painful that I was crying while feeding our son. I expressed my concern regarding painful breastfeeding to 5 nurses and 3 doctors who saw us during our hospital stay and each one said there wasn't a problem... I knew that something wasn't right. I reached out to Farrell while still in the hospital (December 23) and she made an appointment with us on the 26th. By that time our son had lost an entire pound and was continuing to lose weight. He was crying constantly due to not getting enough breastmilk. A nurse had pushed formula on us and I was feeling overwhelmed and scared that our son was in trouble. Farrell met with us and recognized that our baby did not have a good latch and was biting to compensate. She recommended that our little one be evaluated for a lip and tongue tie and put our son on a weight gain plan. After a dentist specializing in infants diagnosed and cut the lip and tongue tie, Farrell continued to help us through our breastfeeding journey. She helped increase my supply (since our little one was not latching correctly he wasn't helping my milk come in). With her support we got back on track to exclusive breastfeeding. Now my baby eats well, has gained weight, and I'm not in pain while breastfeeding. With Farrell's help my son regained all his weight and is now putting on weight on track with his age. I'm forever thankful to have been referred to Farrell and I cannot thank Farrell enough for all her help and support. read more

Our son was born after spending a long time in labor in the occiput anterior position and had resulting alignment issues that affected his ability to breastfeed. It was thanks to Farrell that we were able to identify those issues and find the necessary help to get our son back on track. But it's not just Farrell's exceptional skill that makes her great. She is incredibly supportive, empathetic, and a true caregiver. She is super responsive in communication and always there to provide support by email or in person if necessary. As a father, I often felt helpless in the early days with breastfeeding, but Farrell gave us strategies as a team, not just for mom. As a first time parent it was comforting to have her experience and advice to help us through those first very difficult weeks with our son. I don't know what we would have done without her! read more

Farrell saved me and my baby from the bottle! The day we got discharged from the hospital, I had a hospital lactation consultant visit me. Will spare the details of that visit but I was left insecure about my ability to feed my baby. I got home from the hospital and spend the first hours in tears lost and feeling like an inadequate parent. Thankfully a day and a half after I got home, we met with Farrell. I cannot be more grateful to her! After an hour and a half visit my baby was eating from the breast exclusively. Farrell is knowledgeable, professional, and extremely pleasant. Do yourself a favor and work with Farrell if you want to succeed at breastfeeding. Thank you Farrell! read more

Farrell is extremely knowledgeable, always available to answer any question, does her work with great passion and true care for her clients. Her attitude is respectful and she doesn't push a certain agenda but listens to your needs and abilities. She literally saved me and my baby. I highly recommend you contact Farrell if you need any lactation advise, you will not regret it. read more

My wife and I can't recommend Farrell enough. tldr; Farrell's an amazing support person to help you figure out how to feed your baby, breastfeeding or not. She's a wonderful communicator, truly cares for you and your baby's well being, and was emotionally supportive through an incredibly tough part of my own journey. If you're a new mom get Farrell's number on speed dial! She was a huge help to us in a few ways: 1) We registered for her prenatal lactation workshop with her a few months before our little one was born. It was incredibly informative and I learned a lot about to expect from my little one when it comes to feeding and the first few weeks of life. In fact, I probably learned more in her class about newborns than in the newborn care class we took a few weeks before. 2) We made an appointment for her to come by 5 days after the birth because I was in a lot of pain and struggling with breastfeeding. She did an incredibly thorough examination of my baby and helped us to troubleshoot and find a better position for us to try based on my breast shape and my baby's mouth position. She also helped find the best position for my wife who also was doing bonding/comfort nursing for our son. What I most appreciated is that she took the time to understand our family, our goals and timeline for feeding, and we never once felt judged. She was truly there to help us meet our goals. 3) About 10 days later, I was in severe pain and so stopped breastfeeding completely. Instead, I moved to my pump. And although that hurt less, my breasts were still very sore, I was experienceing blocked ducts and I wanted Farrell's help to see what else I needed to do to make pumping more manageable. She got in touch super quickly after my "may-day" email and we had some real talk about how I likely wanted to ween my son sooner than initially anticipated. We decided to focus the session on pumping and decided to check in after a week to see if weening was truly what we wanted to do (once the pain of pumping had hopefully subsided). Anyway, during the session, she helped me work through my plugged ducts and helped me troubleshoot the pumping situation to make it much more bearable. She also gave us invaluable tips about how to bottle feed, how much our son should be eating based on weight, and just gave us general advice on burping and such that has served us well ever since. 4) Over the next few weeks, we met three times over the phone to discuss how to ween. It took me about 4 weeks from start to finish, but she helped me figure out how to slowly start removing pumping sessions and I went from pumping 30-40 oz a day to 20 oz, to 12 oz, to 5 oz to 0oz in a relatively painless way. At almost 11 weeks now, my son is completely formula fed, my breasts have healed, and we're all thriving and doing incredibly well. Suffice it to say, I don't know how I would have made these incredibly hard decisions about the best way to feed my baby (and stay sane!) without Farrell's help and support. Whether you just do a prenatal lactation workshop or decide to do post natal consultations, you can't go wrong trusting your family's well-being to Farrell. read more

My daughter and I had a REALLY tough time with breastfeeding at the beginning and Farrell got us to a point where it's pretty easy and pain free. Our main issues: 1) excruciating pain upon latch (I will spare you further description), 2) very gassy baby. Farrell helped reposition us (if you don't use the laid back position, get thee to googling), reinforced my decision to use a nipple shield while I healed, recommended a probiotic, helped us learn how to bottle feed, and ultimately guided us through a tongue tie and lip tie release. This is where Farrell was truly indispensable. She recommended a provider, Dr Marissa Israel, who turned out to be AWFUL. OK, normally that would make me distrust Farrell but the way she handled the aftermath of the situation was so incredible that I ended up trusting her more. Basically when we were having aftercare challenges, Farrell did not get defensive at all - she took our texts, calls, and emails day and night, liaised with our pediatrician so they had the best information about the situation, and consulted her network to get additional opinions when we were hitting a wall. Now that breastfeeding is going well, I share what I learned from Farrell with my friends facing challenges and I have to say when they describe their LC experiences I really feel Farrell is more effective. Very thankful to be where we are with breastfeeding and attribute that very much to her. read more

This review is overdue, but Farrell is AMAZING! Highly, highly recommend working with Farrell for your support with Lactation. I decided to meet with her before my son was born, and I thoroughly enjoyed our visit, I left with a clear understanding of what was ahead. Once we were home from the hospital Farrell came over with in a couple days just before my milk came in. Thanks to her, everything I had been told about your milk coming in was a breeze! I was prepared. Through out my struggles with my sons tongue-tie, she was there to help every step of the way, explaining procedures, offering referrals, etc.! I am now 4 months in breastfeeding and still going strong! I would never have made it this far without her! She not only answered my questions, but always offered an abundance of info to help me understand, I think sometimes just hearing that something you are going through is normal, puts your mind at ease. Having a baby puts your body through a lot, and it can be an emotional time. I am so thankful that Farrell was referred to me, she is THE BEST! read more

Farrell was recommended to us both from someone on the la Lèche League Facebook group and by a friend, and I was so grateful that we got the chance to work with her. My milk didn't come in on day 3 or day 5...and I was freaking out. Farrell was able to quickly find time in her calendar to meet, I think she responded within a couple hours of our outreach (which is so important when you're trying to get breastfeeding set up in those first few days, every day counts!). She was extremely professional and encouraging but what I appreciated most was she wasn't going to promise us any guarantees - she set up a plan with us and promised we'd work together, but also set my expectations that everyone is different and we just had to take each step at a time. This really helped me stay focused and not ride a rollercoaster of emotions from false hope. Three weeks of working together and my milk supply had ramped up that we could stop supplementing via an SNS tube and cut back on pumping. Two months later I'm writing this post and still exclusively breastfeeding my son who is gaining weight well! Those two weeks were some of the toughest parenting moments yet, but Farrell was a wonderful guide to help us achieve our goals. During those three weeks she was quick to answer questions and available to hop on the phone between appointments to ensure we were on the right track. She felt like an incredible coach, rooting for us and giving us all the information we needed to be successful. I'm so grateful to her! read more

Farrell is fantastic. I had a natural childbirth in large part thanks to her support. If you're thinking about hiring a doula, I strongly recommend Farrell to you. I ve began looking for a doula at my last trimester . I knew I wanted to deliver my baby with as few medical interventions as reasonably possible. Was Farrell, I had a wonderful, natural childbirth. She was an integral part of my birth team that gave me a best care before, during, and after labor. Farrell is, all of the things you would demand from a doula: empathetic, calm, experienced, warm, positive, utterly reliable. She has strong working knowledge of helping me through prenatal, birth, and postpartum period. Farrell also takes the time to coordinate in advance how she, and my support team will work together during labor. during my pre-natal visits, she ensured that we trusted one another and worked well together when the time came. Farrell charges a competitive rate. She represents the best value of the services. Without Farrell I don't think I would have had the natural, no meds, and least interference from medical staff labor and delivery that I had. Due to her knowledge and advice I avoided having any chance for C-section. My labor was the experience I was hoping for and thanks very much to her I have an amazing memory of it. read more

I met Farrell at a Kaiser breastfeeding class and was immediately struck by her confident command of the subject, progressive and holistic approach and down to earth vibe. I learned a LOT in the class but was pleased to find out Farrell also offered personal, in-home consultations. Two weeks after my son was born I reached out to her...we were doing pretty well on our own in the breastfeeding department but needed some finessing. Farrell graciously squeezed me in on a Saturday morning before teaching a class as she knows time is of the essence when it comes to getting nursing right. She arrived promptly and got right to work. I think it's also helpful to note here how comfortable I felt with Farrell in my home - she exudes a lovely combination of professionalism and friendliness. Within the hour, she corrected the issues we were facing and we've been breastfeeding like seasoned pros ever since. Her consults also includes two weeks of email and phone support which I happily utilized when I became frustrated by pumping. Farrell received my email and called me to get more details, something I really appreciated. After following her sage advice, my pump production increased and I've literally been able to get 4x the amount of milk I was prior to her call. Thank you Farrell, you've made me a confident and happy nursing mama - that's priceless! I will be recommending you many times over (and already have!) read more

I'm writing another review because Farrell is just that amazing. As seen in my previous review, we saw Farrell after our first son was born in SF in 2017. Here we are less than 2 years later and we found ourselves reaching out to Farrell again for our second son. Farrell came to visit us (this time in Marin) when our son wasn't quite gaining the weight he should at his 2-month appointment. Nothing drastic, but we were confused as he had previously been tracking well on his growth curve. I was in full blown panic mode, so I immediately reached out to Farrell. She is extraordinarily knowledgeable, empathic, up to date on evidence-based practices, etc., etc. Farrell is an active listener who really looks at the big picture and is able to come up a plan that is catered to you and your baby's needs. She is there to support you and help you reach YOUR goals in feeding your child, whatever that may be. Once again, Farrell came to the rescue and helped us figure out how to get back on track with our newest babe. I can't say enough positive things about her! I've sent all of my new mom friends her way and they all agree, she is the best. read more

I meant to post this review a long time ago and am finally getting around to it now! My husband and I were so happy to work with Farrell. Our baby came 5 weeks early and had difficulty drawing the amount of milk he needed from the breast by himself. The hospital was quick to suggest that we use formula and when we pushed back, they suggested we supplement with breast milk using a 1 ml syringe. As new parents, we had no idea how much our little boy was supposed to be eating at a time, so after we fed him on each breast for 15 minutes, we supplemented with five to six 1 ml syringes of pumped breast milk. It seemed like that was all he could take and no one from the hospital (not even the lactation consultant) told us exactly how much to give him. In fact, the lactation consultant at the hospital was very quick to tell us that his latch was quite good for being a premie and pretty much dismissed him as being fine. A couple days later, we were at the pediatrician's office and they asked us how much our baby was eating and when we told them, they said it wasn't enough. The doctor also told us he was losing too much weight. The pediatrician again pushed formula, saying that he should be eating much more (but again, not telling us how much). So I asked why would formula be better than breast milk? I had enough milk (I was pumping after each feeding), so was the issue the type of milk or if it's the amount of milk, how much should he be eating? It was only then that the pediatrician told us he should be eating about 30 ml (1 oz) at each feeding! We were so shocked. The doctor provided zero guidance as to how we were supposed to feed him the 30 ml, so we went home and proceeded with the little we knew, which was to feed him using the 1 ml syringe. As you can imagine, feeding a premie 30 ml using a 1 ml syringe took us about 45 minutes per feeding, and this was after already feeding him for 15 min on each breast (and pumping after each feeding). Since he was about a week old, we were feeding him every 2 hours, which meant we were pretty much constantly feeding him throughout the day and night. My husband and I were absolutely exhausted, so he suggested we hire a lactation consultant because what we were doing just wasn't sustainable. That's when we brought in Farrell and thank goodness we did!!! Farrell came over and immediately swapped out the 1 ml syringe for a big 30 ml syringe used in conjunction with the SNS system and it completely changed our feeding system. She also provided us with a premie bottle and told us it was fine to give him 1 feeding per day using the bottle to give me a much needed break. After Farrell left, my husband and I breathed a sigh of relief and exclaimed how happy we were that we decided to bring Farrell into the picture. We followed her advice and it was a total game changer! I was able to feed our baby in 30 minutes total instead of 1 hour and 15 minutes, which was HUGE because it meant more rest and less stress for everyone. It also meant my baby was eating more each time and with the SNS, he was getting the supplementation while suckling on the breast, rather than feeding him through a syringe. Using the bottle once a day (usually in the evening) also meant I could sleep for longer than an hour at a time. The next week, we had a our 2 week checkup with the doctor and thanks to the new feeding system, our baby gained the threshold weight he needed by the 2 week mark! We had a follow-up appointment with Farrell to ensure our baby was on track and he continued to get stronger with the feedings. We didn't require a third session with Farrell, but she was always happy to answer our questions over the phone and email. When I was stressed or doubtful that our baby would be able to wean off the SNS and be able to breastfeed exclusively on his own, she was very comforting and confident he would be able to, and provided the reasoning as to why, which really helped calm my anxiety. And she was right! Soon after, our baby no longer needed any help with breastfeeding and he was feeding completely on his own, getting all the milk he needed within 30 minutes. It felt like such an accomplishment and we definitely wouldn't have gotten there without the expert advice of Farrell! Farrell was great to work with because she is very knowledgable, warm, and responsive. What I loved best about Farrell was her demeanor -- she's positive and encouraging (which is really important when you're learning to breastfeed) and she really takes the time to listen to your question fully before she answers. Her answers are also based on reason and she fully explains the facts supporting her answer so you feel confident in what she's telling you. We truly loved working with Farrell and would recommend her to everyone!! If you're struggling with breastfeeding and on the fence about whether to hire a lactation consultant, do it! Farrell will help tremendously!!! read more

After coming home from the hospital with a 10 day old newborn, who had jaundice, I was eager to talk to an expert to figure out the adequate feeding schedule, how much formula do I need to use, how much weight is my baby gaining, and best practices around breast feeding. My doula suggested that I reach out to Farrell, and she was very responsive and flexible. I found her to be a great resource, she is very personable, attentive and thorough. She follows up after every appointment with additional resources & information, and I learned a lot from her about how to best accommodate my baby's needs. I would highly recommend her to any new mom! read more

When my son was born, I had a lot of issues with breastfeeding, including sore/cracked nipples, low milk supply (such that we had to supplement with formula), etc etc. We didn't find the nurses at Kaiser to be all that helpful and some of them even tried to tell us that "this is just how it is at the beginning." So I really thought that I just needed to buck up and power through the pain or stop breastfeeding altogether. I remember talking to my doula about this and on her recommendation, we decided to check out the group lactation clinic that Farrell and Katie Howser offered at Community Well on Tuesday mornings before giving up on nursing. These two ladies changed our lives!! My son and I (and even my husband) literally became regulars at their clinic for our first few weeks postpartum. Farrell and Katie helped me troubleshoot every breastfeeding issue I had and they were able to solve every single one of them. They taught me alternate nursing positions for different situations, how to use a pump properly (that was apparently the cause of my bruised nipple and not my son!), etc etc. I'm SO proud to say that all thanks to them, my son and I are now a happy breastfeeding pair!! And even now, I still go back to the clinic every once in a while when I run into a question, such as when my son decided to stage a "bottle boycott" a few weeks ago and when I needed their advice on how to prepare for going back to work. Or when I just need a sanity check about how many ounces my son is actually drinking during a nursing session or whether he's still gaining weight, because they always have their high-resolution scale with them at the clinic. In addition to breastfeeding help, Farrell and Katie also taught us a bunch more stuff about being new parents. Farrell showed us how to use a Moby, a ring sling, and an Ergo properly and now, we LOVE wearing our baby! They also gave us lots of advice about our upcoming international trip with our three-month-old (eeek!). Thank you Farrell and Katie!!! read more

I can't say enough good things about Farrell. Farrell was interning as an IBCLC at the hospital I gave birth at. After a tough delivery and a hard time establishing breastfeeding, Farrell was there to give me some incredible support and knowledge. She was compassionate, kind, patient, and knowledgeable/understanding of my queer and genderqueer identities. Farrell reached out to me in the first few weeks at home when she knew i was struggling to find routine for breastfeeding. She came to my home to help troubleshoot (and offer some post-postpartum doula-ing) and was available via messenger for my (many) questions. Four months later, and she still answers my questions and gives me support! And I've been lucky to continue seeing her at Kaiser. Farrell is an amazing lactation consultant and would be a great asset to any family! read more

My birth doula suggested finding a lactation consultant before our daughter was born and I am so happy that I listened and that we found Farrell. We met for a prenatal consultation and Farrell offered many suggestions on how to be prepared and establish my milk supply once our daughter was born. She sat with my husband and I and answered all of our questions so that we felt prepared for the big day. Because everyone says that breastfeeding is "natural", I assumed that this prenatal would be all that I needed. As it turned out, our daughter was born early which created a slow start to establishing a solid milk supply. My instincts were that something wasn't completely right so I called Farrell and she came over the next day. When she weighed our daughter and found that she had lost a bit of weight Farrell made a plan for us and set a follow up appointment to make sure that our plan was working. Thankfully, because of Farrell, I was able to establish my milk supply and now have a happy, healthy, growing little girl. I would recommend her services to anyone. read more

Farrell to come save the day! I was at a complete lost at this whole breastfeeding thing (I did not realize it would be so physically/emotionally difficult and painful) and was ready to give up. Our pediatrician recommended Farrell and thank the heavens, she had an opening the following day after I called (she's great about communicating via email + phone/text). Her down-to-earth kindness and knowledge put me at ease right away and by the time she left, we had a plan and solution and for the first time, I felt confident as a mama. She truly listened thoughtfully and addressed all my concerns. If you are in a lactation funk, Farrell is the woman to the rescue! read more

After the birth of our daughter, I was really struggling with breastfeeding. Everyone is focusing on the labor pain and problems however everyone forgets to mention the breastfeeding issues. My labor took three days but it was nothing in comparison with my breastfeeding struggles. My breast were too big for my daughter's small mouth, she wasn't able to latch, she wasn't able to handle the milk flow (choking, gagging, etc.) ... I was hopeless and felt like a failure not being able to offer my baby a nice and relaxing breastfeeding experience. But I didn't want to give up so I decided to ask for help. I gave birth during the COVID-19 where all the lactation support was offered virtually however that didn't work for us. Farrell was highly recommended to us by another lactation consultant and we were lucky enough that she was doing home visits. Farrell was just amazing. Our breastfeeding improved already after first session with her. She was super knowledgeable, gave us customized plan and advice how to overcome all our breastfeeding issues. She was also supper supportive and made me feel like I'm doing a great job as a first time mum. I was a mess however she never judged me or made me fell bad. She answered also all our questions that weren't even related to breastfeeding. My husband and I are super thankful for everything she did for us - I'm quite sure my daughter would be on a formula if it weren't for Farrell. Our daughter is now almost 6 months old and we are mastering the breastfeeding. All thanks to Farrell! read more

Farrell was god sent. I worked with her over multiple sessions across two months, and she was always knowledgeable, thoughtful, and reassuring. I was in a complete panic about baby loosing weight the first time Farrell came to us, and she gave me so much support and confidence. She was always responsive over text/email. She gave me and my baby the gift of breastfeeding and for that I am eternally grateful. read more

Farrell saved me and my little one! It was my first day home from the hospital and I was struggling so much, my little one hadn't shown signs of poop or pee for 24 hours, my nipples were destroyed, I was frustrated and tired and no book could help me. Farrell was able to schedule a home appointment for the very next day. She had amazingly calm energy and gave me the confidence that I could do this. My little one had lost about 10oz since coming home, but after showing me a better hold and latch by the end of our time together she had consumed 4oz. At the end of our visit she even taught me a better swaddle than I had learned at the hospital! Farrell was available for all my questions over the next week. She was a complete game changer in my breast feeding journey! Even a my husband, who thought I was crazy for "needing" a Lactation consultant is a firm believer, he tells all his friends and colleagues about Farrell and how much he is now a huge believer in Lactation consultants. I highly recommend Farrell not only does she offer great expertise, she is a pleasant and friendly person to work with and has fantastic energy! read more

It simply does not get ANY better than Farrell! I was referred to Farrell, and I am SO thankful that I was. I would never have made it 14 months of breastfeeding without her. She is calm, supportive, a wealth of knowledge, and provides reassurance during a time of concern and uncertainty. HIGHLY recommend Farrell. read more

Farrell's holistic approach upholds all aspects of a mama's needs including psychological, physical and social. Farrell made herself emotionally available to connect with the expecting momma and daddy by meeting in person five times before birth and in between through email, phone and text. In doing so she established the most important ingredient in a successful doula/client relationship which is that of psychological trust. Farrell offered physical support through comprehensive prenatal, and postpartum information in a beautifully compiled binder. Materials included come from good sources of information which support natural childbirth and well being of mother and baby in case of hospital birth. Farrell also addressed social stereotypes of fear and birthing by speaking to spiritual doubts and afflictions through use of affirmations, suggested empowered reading as well as audio meditation guides. Finally, during birth Farrell was an essential part of birthing team. She came during first stage labor to help relieve my husband who had already been up all night. Allowing him periodic rest periods, she came in and tirelessly worked her magical fingers through essential oil massage. In doing so, she provided both mama and daddy much needed support and relief! I highly recommend Farrell to you as your doula! We will use her again, God willing! read more

Our daughter was born at 36 1/2 weeks. She was healthy and didn't require any NICU support at the hospital, but the biggest challenge was her size (left the hospital at 4lbs 14oz) and as a result she lacked the feeding stamina to get good, full feeds without some assistance. Our doula had referred us to Farrell, so we immediately gave her a call and she was an absolute saint for us! She was so helpful with feeding techniques and pro-tips for keeping our daughter alert and active on the breast when she was tiring out. Ultimately, she gave us some supplies for an SNS (supplemental nursing system), which we 100% believe made the difference. With all of Farrell's help, our daughter only lost a few % of her body weight after birth and then she was able to put on weight at greater than 1 ounce/day for the next couple weeks. We couldn't recommend her more after all of her help--thanks! read more

Farrell is wonderful. We met with her before and after our son was born preemptively. She is knowledgeable and up to date on current studies (the breastfeeding consultants at the hospital had given me some outdated information that was causing pain and Farrell corrected it), respectful (after every nurse at the hospital felt comfortable just grabbing at my breasts, it was refreshing when she actually asked if she could!), kind, and accessible. I wouldn't wait until you're having issues - I'd have her come and help you as soon as you start breastfeeding so you can get ahead of them. You won't regret it! read more

Farrell helped us when we need it the most! My daughter is a late preterm baby (born 37w2d). She had to spend 48 h in an intensive care unit right after she was born. As a result she was bottle fed and refused to take breast when we took her home. As a first time parent it was frustrating to watch and deal with. Farrell promptly accommodated us on her busy schedule and worked with us on a transition plan from bottle feeding to breastfeeding. As a result, my daughter was 100% breast feeding in less than a week after our session with Farrell. We can't thank Farrell enough for helping us out in such a challenging for us situation. Thank you, Farrell! read more

Farrell was an absolute lifesaver!! I can't imagine getting through my first few weeks post partum without her. She was unbelievably professional, prompt and sent out the BEST recap email after every appointment. read more

My little guy had latch issues which led to decreased production for me. Farrell helped us work through both in a supportive and educational way. She was never judge mental or pushy and helped balance both mama and babies needs. She sends wonderful post care instructions and is always available via text/email for all those new-mom questions I have. The best part was how gentle and sweet she was with our little love. Couldn't recommend Farrell enough!! read more

There is a reason why Farrell has five stars across the board: she is fantastic! Farrell is not only compassionate and nonjudgmental; she is also a great problem solver and takes into account the needs of the entire family when giving advice. For example, she stressed strategies that maximized efficiency so that I could have more time to rest, recover, and enjoy my newborn. She also helped identify a tongue tie and referred me to a pediatric dentist (Dr. Yazdi) to correct it. At the end of the day I decided to exclusively pump because nursing was too stressful and challenging for me and my baby. Farrell not only backed my decision but she also gave me advice on how to best exclusively pump. Hiring her was one of the best decisions I made in my pregnancy. I credit her for not only helping me navigate the best path forward for nourishing my baby but also helping me build my confidence as a parent. read more

We hired Farrell to be our doula for the birth of our first baby girl. Farrell was professional and informative from the onset. She provided us with extensive resources and support in the months preceding our birth. She went over so much information with us and really exceeded our expectations in terms of the knowledge she passed on to us. She helped us so much. During the actual birth she couldn't have been more helpful. Afterwards, we hired her to do our placenta pill encapsulation and she did it so quickly that we had the pills almost immediately, which was super helpful for me. Overall, we are grateful for the services of Urban Mother Doula Care and we highly recommend the services. read more

I am a birth doula and just had the pleasure of sitting in on Farrell's breastfeeding class at Natural Resources and was super impressed. I have sat in on many parenting preparation classes and this was my favorite! She is super engaging, hones in on all the information parents truly need to hear in preparation for breastfeeding and is funny on top of it all! I can't recommend her class highly enough. I have also referred my clients to her for lactation preparation and postpartum support and have heard nothing but rave reviews! read more

Farrell is amazing. Don't hesitate to hire her. We called her on day 3 postpartum which was a Sunday at 7am and she came over that afternoon to help us. Farrell is very professional and I felt super comfortable with her immediately even though I was at my worst (so sleep deprived and stressed and in pain right after birth). Her help is the reason I stuck with breastfeeding and can say now at 6 weeks that it's pain free and so much easier. We'd highly recommend Farrell! read more