Our in-person lactation consultant, Nurse Michelle Franz, was excellent. She showed an outstanding level of care, expert hands on advice and plenty aloha to mamá and our first born in our breastfeeding journey. While the other telehealth appts from Mahinaona were informative and convenient, they didn't really connect on the personal and intimate level we needed. And for that, we highly recommend Nurse Michelle. read more

I reached out to Mahinaona to work on latching my little one. As a first time mom, breastfeeding can be so overwhelming but Dr. Kahikina and her staff are so encouraging and helpful. They provided me with a nipple shied and a case to use and scheduled me for check ins every week. They made my breastfeeding journey so much more enjoyable and realistic. I no longer need to go in for sessions but can still message via their messaging system if I have questions. Overall, a wonderful experience! read more

While the doctor here is OK and their breast massage person is amazing I really don't recommend this office. I feel like they just gave up on me and my baby. Tara their lactation consultant could definitely be better. The first time I came in I saw the doctor and she gave me a treatment plan that was just too overwhelming for me (I have twins). So I went back and this time they scheduled me with Tara. She gave me a new treatment plan which was more manageable plus exercises for me to do with my babies to improve their milk transfer. After that the appointments with her just got worse and worse. I would tell her everytime my main concern is breastfeeding and making sure that my babies are extracting enough. And at the last few appointments I confessed to her that I was overwhelmed with pumping, ect. And what should I do? And she basically told me "tough cookies" and instead of focusing on breastfeeding she found it more important to show me body excercises for them. The final straw that led me to writing this review was the follow up phone call I received from their front desk/medical assistant. She called to see how everything was going. I said I was doing fine with the new treatment plan the Dr had just written for me. And she then said "well you can always reach out if you need us". And I said "Oh we're not going to be doing any more appointments?" And the MA said "No not at this time" I told her "wow they don't think it's necessary for me to have any more appointments even though one of my babies still isn't transferring enough milk?" And again she said "not at this time" but she would be forwarding this information to the doctor....this was back in July. And I have yet to here back from them. So I guess if you are a tough case they'll just drop you like a sack of potatoes. One last thing, because I believe Tara should come with a trigger warning: She would often mention to me that she has been breastfeeding her own daughter for 3 years. It seems benign but when your sitting there struggling to feed your own kid while she goes on and on about breastfeeding her child...it makes you feel kinda small. read more

I love Dr Kahikina and staff. I'm just disappointed they do not take UHA at this time. When I had my first daughter, I struggled with latching her properly. Ali helped us through telemed- she was a godsend. When I had my 2nd daughter I was sure it would be much easier since I had experience breastfeeding for 18 months. But, my 2nd girl had tension in her neck and poor suck swallow coordination. Ali worked with us- multiple session- trying different positions and techniques and giving us great information. In adjunct, we were going to an osteopath and chiropractor for cranial work and to help with her stiffness and suck coordination. After a few sessions at Mahinaona, we were told that UHA wasn't approving the visits. So thankful for the Mahinaona staff and all their help during the first month of my daughter's life. Though it's been extremely challenging without their guidance, we are managing ok and hope they'll accept UHA in the near future. read more

I always thought breastfeeding would be easy and would come naturally, so when my newborn didn't regain her birthweight fast enough, I was really lost about what to do. I had attended all the classes at the hospital and read all the generic pamphlets, but nothing seemed to address my unique situation. My pediatrician recommended and referred me to Dr. Kahikina and I was able to get an appointment right away. She was able to diagnose a tongue tie that both my ped and the nurses at Kapiolani had missed (it was very deep). It had been affecting my baby's latch and causing me pain. I LOVED my sessions with Dr. Kahikina, because, although there was no immediate "fix" for our issues, she was able to walk us through the process of getting the tongue tie surgery through a pediatric dentist, and exercises to help build the correct latching after the surgery. I think, even more importantly, she was able to reassure and comfort me through a very emotional and vulnerable time. I had about 6 weekly sessions. My husband (and baby) joined us and she helped us figure out this nursing thing. I really looked forward to our appointments because I knew I would feel a little more confident every time I left. The rooms are very comfortable, with nice soft pillows. She also has an amazing lavender diffuser, that I loved so much my husband got me one for mother's day! The staff at the office is also very friendly and helpful. Dr. Kahikina is also available through a secure messaging app, so I could text her questions that came up in the middle of the night (as questions do when you have a 6-week old baby). I was worried about costs because I had read online that lactation consultants can be expensive although most moms said it was worth the price. But, at least in my case, insurance covered my costs, which was a huge relief. If you're having any bf issues at all, ask your ped for a referral, or just give their office a call. I'm so, so glad I was referred here. read more

Dr Lisa Kahikina was a godsend when I was a new Mom experiencing nursing challenges with my newborn. She is a knowledgeable and compassionate pediatrician who genuinely cares about new Moms. She is consultative in educating her patients thoroughly, empowering her patients to make informed decisions without feeling pressured. I had nursing consultation sessions with Dr Kahikina at her Kapiolani Hospital location, and had a few virtual sessions using the online Spruce video conferencing app. The office is clean and spacious, and every nursing room mimics the comforts of your home with sofas and cushions. I'm so grateful for Dr Kahikina's help during a challenging and vulnerable time I had as a new a Mom, and cannot recommend Dr Kahikina's services enough to new Moms. read more

If I could give this place 10 stars I totally would.... With my first child breastfeeding was short lived. I was uneducated and literally gave up after getting mastitis. Now with my second little one I was lucky enough to be referred to Mahinaona Pediatrics. With my first visit I completely messed up and went to the wrong place BUT they still were so kind enough to still take me and my baby, ridiculously late and all. I learned so much on what could affect things such as latching, how my let down could be too fast for my baby, and not even realizing my babies tongue strength and development could affect BF. From the front desk, to the nursing staff to the lactation specialist.... everyone was so kind and so empathetic. My baby and I are completely bonding, her latch is great and I have little to no pain BF. Thank you Dr Kahikina and Dr Aly for all your help. I'm so blessed! read more

I was referred to Dr. Kahikina and her entire staff are such a pleasure to work with. I was referred to her by our pediatrician for lactation issues. Her team contacted me and got me scheduled right away because they were just as concerned as I was. They were very willing to work with my schedule and accommodate me. Dr. Kahikina and Tara are both very knowledgeable and helped me very thoroughly with my questions and concerns. We were able to practice actual positions and feedings so I could show them the issues I was having. They use an app that allows me to text any questions at any time and someone will respond during office hours. Also the app that they use allows me to fill out and sign forms from the comfort of my own home way before I go to the appointment which helps save a ton of time sitting in the waiting room. The office is very comfortable and they provide pillows and stools to comfortably allow the moms to try and nurse. They all wore gloves and changed the bedding or pillow cases once they were used. I am very glad I found this group of people they were wonderful and continue to follow up with me to ensure no other issues arose. Highly recommended!! read more

Dr. Kahikina is amazing! As a first time mother. I was worried about breast feeding and had tons of questions. I knew I wanted to breastfeed, but I was afraid that I might be that lady whose milk supply did not come in in time or that baby would have a very hard time latching on. So happy to say that I did not have any of those issues. I gave birth 5 days ago (2 1/2 weeks earlier than expected) and Dr. Kahikina was recommended to me by my sons pediatrician. I first met her and had my first consultation when we were still admitted in the hospital. She has AMAZING bedside manners. Super sweet and friendly. She answered all my questions and gave me amazing tips that i would not have thought about. I just had our second meet up at her own office which is SUPER easy to find. Let me say her office is amazing. The rooms are SUPER spacious, clean, and relaxing. She has the room filled with aromatherapy which made me, my husband, and niece feel so relaxed. Once again I had questions and she answered them without confusing me. She was very patient with us and did not make us feel rushed. I definitely recommend her. If you have HMSA and are thinking to breastfeed. Please check her out! You definitely won't feel like it's a waste of time. Her office is amazing and Dr. Kahikina is awesome! read more

I cannot express the rave I have for Mahinaona! Such an AMAZING place to seek help for moms needing support for breast feeding. Dr.Kahikina and her staff have been such amazing support and awesome resources for me and my baby. The staff is genuine and is willing to go the extra mile to help me and my baby. I am so thankful I was able to see them. I have seen Dr.Kahikina who has been an amazing source for me. I have also seen the various nurses on telehealth who have also been so knowledgeable and helpful. I know I'm in good hands. They are efficient, great communicators, and just all in all awesome staff. I can't stop raving about them to all the mamas I meet! Mahalo Mahinaona for all that you have done for me and my baby! read more

I was referred to Dr. Kahikina by my daughter's pediatrician. Also a couple of my gfs have seen her and had nothing to say but good things about her. She has two locations: one in the physician's building at Kapiolani Medical Center and the other in Kaimuki (there's Central Pacific Bank on the bottom). We went to both but I believe most of the time she's at the Kap location. The rooms in the Kaimuki location are huge compare to the one we were in at Kap. The Kap office she shares with Dr Shelly Louie (pediatrician). Dr. Kahikina is a great doctor and was able to help me feel more comfortable and confident with breastfeeding my daughter. She gave me recommendations on which bottles can help decrease my baby's gassiness and how to increase my milk supply. She has a very calming demeanor and during those early weeks of being a mother who is sleep deprived and anxiety ridden, she helped me to just relax. Her rooms have lavender diffusers that make the atmosphere very calming. I love how she remembers what you tell her and what your concerns are. This makes me feel like we are not just another name on a chart. I feel like she genuinely cares and wants our babies to thrive. Even her staff is awesome. Our first appointment they were able to move things around so we could be seen that week. They call a couple of days prior to your appointment so you can tell them your concerns and don't make you feel rushed when you speak to them. Dr also uses a special app that you can use to chat with her so you can reach her if you have any questions or concerns. If you have any reservations about seeing Dr Kahikina, just do yourself a favor and go. She's great! read more

If I could give Dr Kahikina 10 stars I would. I'm now 9 months out from having my first son. Breastfeeding was initially so painful for me, and thankfully my pediatrician pointed me to Dr Kahikina. She diagnosed my son with tongue tie, referred me to Dr Derek Tom (peds dentist in Aiea... also very awesome), we got his tongue tie lasered, and I'm so happy to say that I am breastfeeding way longer than I had ever expected. Her staff is always so friendly. Reaching Dr Kahikina via her app was so easy. They would check in and call us after appointments to see how we were doing and give additional pointers. Her office is spacious and calm. She could fit us in really fast whenever I was worried about something. And Dr Kahikina is simply the best. She truly believes in the importance of breastfeeding and helped me have this amazing breastfeeding relationship with my son that I know I wouldn't have had if I never met her. read more

Posting on behalf of my wife - "Dr. Kahikina and Loke were a great help during the start of my breastfeeding journey. As I left the hospital after giving birth to my first child, I felt overwhelmed with the pressure of breastfeeding as my daughter already had latch issues. And although the lactation consultants at the hospital had good intentions /came from a good place, I couldn't help but feel uneasy and distressed whenever they came by. At my first consultation, Dr. Kahikina put my mind and heart at ease and helped me through the process. I already felt the stress ebb away (she has great bedside manners.) I felt calm and comfortable the entire time. After I left they did follow up calls to see how I was doing and were always supportive, saying that I could come in if I still needed any help. I would highly recommend the Mahinaona team!" read more

I feel like crying tears of joy. I went in today and the midwife, Tina was AMAZING!!! She showed me exactly what I was doing wrong. For 3 months I've been doing it wrong!! My son hasn't felt comfortable enough to fall asleep during a feeding in so long and today today he knocked out! Ever since my son was born there hasn't been a time that I breastfed him and it didn't hurt. They're so nice and accommodating there, no shaming or making you feel stupid. Loke always promptly answers the phone and gets calls me back quickly, she even called me the day before my appointment to let me know there was a cancellation if I wanted to come in sooner. Dr. Kahikina is so great, she always messages me back when I have a question. I'm so thankful to Mahinaona Pediatrics LLC, they're AMAZING!! If you live in Hawaii and you need a lactation consultant, I highly recommend them!! read more

I saw them 6 months ago when I had my baby. I saw the lactation consultant, not the doctor, so I'm not sure if the doctor may have been better. They scheduled it over Zoom, although I would have preferred in person because they could have checked my latch but I figured they'd know what they're doing. During the Zoom meeting, the lactation consultant told me she couldn't really see over zoom what my latch was like and that I needed to schedule another appointment to go in person. For a new mom who had trouble breastfeeding this was extremely frustrating. Why didn't they just schedule that in the first place. They also asked me to prepare my breast pump which I did. I asked her if I'm using it correctly and she said that was not the brand she used and that she didn't know how to use it. I was very frustrated and did not schedule another appointment with them. They don't charge any co-pay but when my HMSA bill came I saw that they charged doctor prices.. for a lactation consultant. I heard good things about this place and had high hopes but was disappointed not to mention angry. I did not get the support I needed when I was feeling very desperate. I won't be recommending this place to anyone. read more

This review is quote from my wife. "I definitely recommend seeing Dr. Kahikina for any nursing issues you may have. I had a terribly painful start to my breastfeeding experience and didn't think pain-free nursing was an actual thing! Dr. Kahikina worked with me to solve the issues I was having. She was very supportive and easily reachable through phone calls and also messaging through an app. Thanks to her help and all the resources she provided I am now still exclusively breastfeeding my 10 week old baby and plan to continue for months to come!" read more

Dr. Kahikina was a life saver! I was referred to her by Kapiolani and am so glad I called her. I was in tears because breastfeeding was so painful- with her help things got on the right track! She spent over an hour with my husband, baby, and myself to help us and answered every little question. I also appreciate the app that she uses to keep in contact- she always answers my questions very promptly. read more

Not gonna lie, I thought breastfeeding was going to be a piece of cake. I thought my only concern was how much I could produce for my daughter. Then, she was born, and when she started nursing, it was PAINFUL! I'm so glad her pediatrician sent me to Dr. Lisa!!! I don't think I could've gotten over that initial hurdle on my own!!! She definitely helped us out tremendously - especially with latching because that was our biggest issue. She even helped me understand what to do before going back to work. She so easy to talk to, and even easier to reach outside of regular business hours (via app) even till now!! And her response time is very reasonable!!! Loke, who by the way is also very easy to talk to, also relayed any messages during her follow-up calls and even offered her own advice from personal experience!!! 10 out of 10, definitely highly recommend!!! read more

Dr. Kahikina and her staff (Loke) are amazing. I was referred to Mahinaona Pediatrics by my baby's pediatrician. I gave them a call the morning after we were discharged from the hospital and to my surprise, they were able to see us later that day. The office is easily accessible and very clean. Parking is not an issue as there is a parking structure in the building. During the appointment, Dr. Kahikina shared how amazing breast milk is, when and what to expect for milk production, and also coached me on various breastfeeding techniques. In the hospital, I did received some coaching, but honestly breastfeeding would have not been as easy if it weren't for Dr. Kahikina. Following the initial visit, we received several follow up calls to check in on baby and how breastfeeding has been progressing. Dr. Kahikina is also available via telemedicine (messaging app) which has been an excellent way to communicate with her regarding questions and concerns that arise. She responds promptly and is always very helpful. She also provided recommendations for pumping in preparation for my return to work and also options for pumping while at work. I was fortunate to have an easy time with breastfeeding (latching and milk production) but I realized it requires patience, perseverance, and commitment. I'm glad to have had Dr. Kahikina's expertise and support on this journey. I highly recommend Mahinaona Pediatrics to any mother who is breastfeeding. read more

This review is long overdue. I was first referred to Dr. Kahikina by my sons pediatrician who recommended her for breastfeeding issues (pain) and my sons lack of weight gain in his first couple months. We walked into her office and were immediately blown away by the size and comfort each room affords her patients. It is like walking into a spa. We were treated with the utmost kindness and patience immediately. Dr. Kahikina was able to spot/diagnose a difficult tongue tie which was unnoticed by hospital delivery staff and my sons pediatrician. She was able to help us identify a plan which ultimately helped to fix his tongue tie and allow for successful breastfeeding. She was extremely present, empathetic, and supportive throughout the entire process, which was very stressful at the time. She made herself super accessible with weekly visits (and offered more as needed) and also with an app allowing you to ask questions and express concerns at any hour. Her responses were super thorough, super helpful, and always helped to ease my anxiety. I have since returned to her clinic for other breastfeeding related issues. She takes her time and gives such good supportive advice. I wish she was my PCP!!! Don't even think twice, she is such a valuable resource for a breastfeeding mama (and baby!) Many mahalos, Dr. Kahikina!!! read more

I am currently the mother of a 14 month old toddler. I requested and received a consult for a lactation specialist just after discharge from the hospital after giving birth to her, over a year ago. I was able to be seen by Loke and Dr. Kahikina within her first week of life, if I remember correctly. I was having severe pain and bleeding with breastfeeding, despite baby feeding well, as evidenced by excellent growth and the appropriate amount of soiled diapers. Immediately baby's weight, sucking reflex and breastfeeding technique was evaluated, as well as a post feeding weight assessment. We had a couple of technique issues (positioning), which were addressed in office and within days the bleeding and pain were gone. For this, we were so appreciative. I didn't anticipate any further problems. I was given instructions to download an app in which I could communicate by message with Dr. Kahikina as needed, which I ended up using frequently. Between months three and four, my baby had stopped gaining weight. I went in for a visit out of concern for a decreased milk supply, as my baby had been exhibiting distracted breastfeeding behaviors around the time I went back to work (a bottle preference seemed to be the culprit). I was given much support in bringing my supply back up by breast pump. I continued to require assistance for this and a dairy/soy intolerance in baby, later discovered. I was able to breast/bottle feed baby breastmilk for the entire first year, which I know would have been impossible without all of the support I received. Even better, Mahinaona was paid by my insurance. I tell every breastfeeding mother I know, about my experience and encourage all of them to call/visit Mahinaona, if they are encountering difficulties. I cannot sing their praises enough. read more

The first three months I was a miserable mom - I had a "colic" baby and we had some major struggles breastfeeding. I was recommended to Dr. Kahikina and she was my saving grace. The thing is, breastfeeding issues take time, there is no magical anecdote. Physicians, Nurses, Lactation Consultants and other Moms will tell you different things and it becomes so confusing. Dr. Kahikina, on the other hand, was very clear and honest with me. We knew we had a long road ahead to get baby where she needed to be. She provided me with guidance, resources and most of all - support! She was always in contact with us and we could drop in whenever needed, it was never a one and done appointment. Eight months later, I am still breastfeeding and my baby is a dream to be around. My baby is a champ breast feeder. We even traveled to Ireland and breastfeeding saved our lives during the long plane trip. I can honestly say I would have quit if it wasn't for Dr. Kahikina. read more