My experience with these ladies, was amazing! First they provided a free consultation phone call, then great informational video and a prenatal appointment in person to go over questions. After delivery I was having extreme pain and long feeds, and I was able to have an AT HOME visit, which was amazing itself. Emily was able to promptly provide feedback on my newborns feeding and issues, which we got a great recommendation listing for pediatric dentist for lip and tongue ties removals. Since the procedures, my newborn has been feeding great and gaining weight, and the several follow up appointments have been just as good, Emily provided techniques on different positions, how to adjust the latch, and queues for when baby is done eating. HIGHLY RECOMMEND Fern Lactation! They are just great people and glad they were apart of my postpartum experience! Furthermore, the scheduling process was great! They were able to text to help set up appointments and made it so streamlined and less stressful! THANK YOU! read more

Emily is incredible! I was referred to her by both my doula as well as a good friend who had used her; my baby had stopped latching on day 6 and I was desperate for support to be able to breastfeed her again. Her office is so clean and cozy, and from the first second, Emily was extremely warm and welcoming. She is so knowledgeable about lactation and put me at ease, she is great about consent before touching and so gentle with my baby. She always includes my partner in the appointment and our results were instant. I am now able to breastfeed the way that I wanted and also in a way that works best for our lifestyle and we have continued to evolve with each appointment. I highly recommend Emily, she is so kind and compassionate and she gets the desired results for your breast/chest feeding journey. read more

I'm so glad to have found this place. I was struggling to find a lactation consultant that was doing in person consultations until I discovered this place. Emily is awesome and super helpful. We had a 2 hour appointment where she addressed my concerns, did a weighted feed with my baby, assessed for ties and assessed his latch. They also sell tons of breastfeeding stuff that can usually only be found online, such as Legendairy Milk supplements and Pumpin Pal flanges. I was also able to rent a Medela scale that's very accurate for a reasonable price, and I know they also rent out pumps. The only downside is they don't accept insurance for lactation consultations but I don't regret paying out of pocket. read more

I found Fern Lactation when I was desperate for support in breastfeeding, unable to get my son to latch well and about to give up, 3 weeks in. Whitney was empathetic (important in my post partum experience), and immediately was able to show us techniques and provided a 180 in our breastfeeding experience to being able to feed my son and push forward. We've had follow up sessions to continue to refine techniques and develop personalized strategies based on our goals. I've been impressed by Whitney's wealth of knowledge, ease of engagement, and warm and thoughtful approach. It has been such a blessing to be able to work with Whitney and I highly recommend Fern Lactation to anyone looking for support! read more

Whitney and Emily are both kind, supportive lactation consultants. I'm so grateful we have them in our community and I recommend them to everyone! read more

Whitney and Emily showed up and showed me support and understanding while walking me through my second baby's journey. 10 years post op from breast reduction surgery and after the whirlwind from my first son I was discouraged and afraid to attempt to feed a second baby and they came in and provided information, resources and a gentle hand, checking in on us and just being the very best. read more

I was at my wits' end when a pediatrician recommended Emily when our latest baby had feeding difficulty. I will be forever grateful because she helped save my breastfeeding experience. Emily is knowledgeable, patient, supremely kind, and supported me through low supply, slow milk transfer, and even breast refusal. With her incredible support, we are still nursing beyond 6 months. I can't recommend her highly enough. We drove out of our way to see her and it was worth every mile. read more

Whitney & Emily have been so helpful in my feeding journey! I met with Whitney for a prenatal consult before baby came to get extra advice on collecting colostrum & preparing for my first birth/feeding experience. The tips she gave me made me feel so prepared those first couple nights with baby feeding. We also came into the office a few times to get extra support with baby with his latch after he had his tongue tie fixed & I was STRUGGLING! They were SO HELPFUL in supporting me with positioning my baby for a good latch & also giving me advice on introducing bottles/pumping. I appreciated Whitney also checking in via text & know that when I have any other questions I can reach out. read more

Working with Whitney at Fern has helped ease breastfeeding woes. I cannot recommend Fern Lactation enough! My daughter struggled with her latch early on and we were looking to transition to full formula feeding. After a few appointments with Whitney we're back to breastfeeding. Wish more people knew about their services. Gives me the peace of mind that my daughter is eating and gaining weight appropriately. 100% recommend. read more

Emily and Danielle have been so supportive as I have transitioned into parenting. This is a comfortable welcoming space where I found not only knowledge and answers to my questions but also solidarity and friendship from other parents who just get it. This is an inclusive and kind space for all families. After years of infertility and loss I knew I needed people who understood, and that's what I found here. read more

See all

Emily provided midwifery services to me while she lived in San Diego. I knew her for years as a birth colleague in our area, so when I had some gynecological needs come up she was the first on my list to contact- she's thorough, accommodating and kind. Emily has the perfect balance of being transparent about her clinical assessment, but with the tenderness that her sweet personality provides. She is a skilled and thoughtful care provider. I also admire the emphasis on family that I see modeled in her personal life. I realize not everyone would expect that in a professional review, but when you are searching for someone to care for you in the most intimate time of your womanhood- pick a midwife who demonstrates compassion, and can help you become the best mama possible- because that is what her values are for herself. Fern & Foster is a beautiful collaboration, chalked full of community and education- something that all intentional families need more of. If I lived in the area I would be lining up at the door to get in on what they are offering! read more

My first week of breastfeeding was miserable and painful.  Whitney came to the rescue so quickly and got us on track for breastfeeding success. She eased my mind by offering encouragement and knowledge. She eased my pain with techniques and tips for latching. Those first five weeks were a blur and Whitney was literally the only person we had over during a big covid wave. She visited weekly until we were confident on our own.  She was our hero and we tell everyone how much lactation support meant for us as a family and for our breastfeeding success!! read more

After the stillbirth of my son, I wanted support around how to manage my milk supply. I asked my local midwife if she knew of a good lactation consultant in the area and she recommended Emily. I called Emily and she offered to come out the next day to do a free home visit with me. She showed me how to manage my engorgement and proceed with ease, and I felt comfortable and respected in her presence. I will never forget Emily's kindness, generosity, and excellent support to me in this time. read more

Whitney is AMAZING! She helped me with both of my babies. Her help makes moms feel more relaxed and confident breastfeeding. She has helped so many of my friends as well. read more

Whitney came over for a home lactation visit just hours after I brought my son home. She was so helpful, gave me practical instruction I could implement right away, and truly got my breastfeeding journey off to a solid start. I'm so grateful for her care! read more

I had Emily come to my home for a lactation consult. She was great! First, she was on time, (little things matter). She immediately asked to wash her hands, she was very professional and polite. She actually read what I had filled out for my lactation concern and was able to discuss that with me. She was friendly and listened to my issue and then watched me nurse. She identified what she thought the problem was and gave me suggestions to alleviate my symptoms. Within 3 days my nursing pain went from a 9 to a 5 and is still improving. She followed up with me and sent me additional information I asked for. I would recommend her to my best friends! read more

Emily at Fern Lactation is highly knowledge, extremely professional, and very personable. She made each session so comfortable and productive from prenatal consult to home or office sessions. My first born and I did not have a picture perfect start to breast feeding, but by our third session, we were off the nipple shield and I understood my milk supply and my daughters unique features. She was a pleasure to work with, and I will definitely go to her again! read more

My partner and I were introduced to Fern + Foster by signing up for a whole body childbirth prep class facilitated by Erika Davis and it was the greatest decision we made. The mental, emotional, spiritual aspects of birth were shared about and I am so grateful! My partner and I feel stronger having the tools to prepare for our family identity to change and how we're going to deal with challenges once in postpartum, I appreciated the mantra writings to mentally prepare me for the journey, the coping techniques, educational knowledge, pelvic floor health and lactation consultant session, hearing multiple birth stories, meditation, resources and EVERYTHING in between that I didn't even know existed! I could go on forever! As a woman of color I also deeply appreciated the representation in the work books, illustrations, breast/nipple props, babies used as examples-- everything! This is the first childbirth space I've been a part of that didn't whitewash the experience. Erika made us feel safe to be vulnerable and ask the questions we didn't feel comfortable asking anyone else. I've done the prenatal yoga classes with Erika, at 29 weeks switched midwives to find one that was a better fit and now my midwife is Brittany, I made a prenatal massage appointment next and plan to go to them for doula support soon too! I can't say enough how grateful my partner and I are for this space!! read more

Fern Lactation - Coping techniques with Danielle and Erika on day 3 of the childbirth prep class - Lactation Services Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

I cannot say enough about Fern and Foster and how important Danielle and Emily have been to me since the birth of my twins.  Without Emily's lactation help I might have given up breastfeeding one of my twins, as he was a NICU baby and really struggled initially.  But with her help we're having lots of success even with tandem breastfeeding, and she's helped me keep my supply up so I'm feeding them both breast milk exclusively.  The lactation lounge is also amazing, and gives me a chance to chat with other moms and get Emily's help regularly.  Danielle has helped us tremendously as our postpartum doula.  She is so intuitive about what we need, and is probably the reason I've maintained my sanity in my fourth trimester.  I hear a lot about people feeling that doulas and LCs can be judgemental, but I have received nothing but genuine kindness, encouragement, and educated guidance from Emily and Danielle.  100% would recommend Fern and Foster for any new family read more

I attend the weekly Life With Baby class and it helps keep me going as a first time mom. So much support from the staff and other moms. I'm so glad I found this place and would love to get to know other moms through the various support groups! read more

We had Olivia out to our home for our son's tongue tie. We were very pleased with the care, follow-up, and personal attention to detail. It's a scary thing to have your new baby's tongue cut, and we really felt like Olivia was able to comfort us through the process. read more

I was freaking out due to a sudden nursing strike from my 8 month old. I got on a (free!) intro call with Emily the next morning and she helped calm me down and talk through ideas to help end the strike... We made progress on our very next feeding the strike was over by that night! read more

My husband and I are so fortunate to have met and hired Danielle as our doula for our first pregnancy. From our very first meeting with Danielle, I felt totally comfortable with her and trusted her completely. Her experience with many different birth paths made me feel like she would be ready to support us through whatever came our way and whatever decisions we would need to make. She was always available to answer questions, provide resources, and reassure us that we were doing great as expectant and new parents (something I needed to hear frequently). Through my long induction she helped me stay calm and open to the drastic deviations from my birth preferences. Her words of encouragement made me feel strong, like I could accomplish anything. Her support and reassurance empowered me to make the decisions I needed to make to reach our ultimate goal of bringing a healthy baby into the world. She is absolutely devoted to the mommas in her care, is incredibly thoughtful, and develops relationships that go beyond the job you've hired her for. Her commitment to postpartum care means you will always have a lifeline to call on if you find yourself struggling or a friend to celebrate milestones with. Danielle is an excellent doula for all stages of your birth journey, and anyone would be lucky to have her company and support along the way. We also experienced Olivia's care and compassion through the Centering group she led. Olivia is extremely knowledgeable, kind, and comforting. She has a very calm demeanor and handled any worry thrown at her with reassurance and professionalism. Even in a busy Centering group, she always made time to answer questions and concerns along the way. While Olivia wasn't the midwife present for the birth of our daughter her presence would have been so welcomed. We would recommend her to anyone! read more

I have had the privilege of knowing Emily Ager for several years, both as a student midwife and as a provider. Emily is intelligent, caring, and remarkably attentive to mothers' and babies' needs. She is exemplary. read more

I had the wonderful privilege of having Emily as my midwife for my second and third child. It was an absolutely wonderful experience! Emily is so caring and compassionate and very professional. Ever appointment was so relaxed and I always felt that she was so thorough in checking both me and the baby, not only physically but also making sure we were doing well emotionally. She was also really wonderful and welcoming to my two little ones during each appointment and would talk to them and explain all about the baby growing and let them listen to his heartbeat. She was always accessible and returned all my calls/texts/emails very promptly. I had my second very fast so when I went into labor with my third she came right away just to make sure she didn't miss the birth. It was so reassuring to have here there and I really appreciated that she was willing to be there extra time just in case. She was so sensitive to me and the way I like to labor, and also sensitive to my husband and very supportive of his role in helping me. My husband and I think the world of Emily and just can't recommend her enough! read more