When I was a new overwhelmed Mom having challenges nursing my newborn, I found Debbie at Babies…read moreBreast Friend through a Yelp search and sought her 3-pack services for help nursing. Pros: I liked the fact that Debbie offered services right in the comfort of your home instead of having to go to a clinic or hospital. Debbie was knowledgeable having been a newborn care nurse for 25+ years and she was generous offering her time picking up the hospital grade pump from Kapiolani Hospital. And cost wise, Debbie's consultations were reasonably priced at under $350 for 3 in-home consultations. Cons: I had a similar experience feeling pressured and fear-mongered as the user "S.B." below. Debbie was quick to diagnose my son with tongue tie, pushed for tongue tie surgery with a specific pediatric dentist she partnered with in Aiea, and gave a barrage of threats about what would happen to my son if I didn't seek tongue tie surgery with her pediatric dentist. She also recommended taking my son to see a pediatric chiropractor to fix the alignment of his spine. I told Debbie I wasn't comfortable making decisions until I researched about the condition and procedure; that's just my personality I always get multiple opinions or quotes before moving forward. However Debbie continued to pressure me and used fear-mongering saying things like: "If you don't get tongue tie surgery, your son will have problems with speech," "If it weren't for formula, your son would be starving and hospitalized," "You are a nervous mom and you're making your son nervous." As a new Mom undergoing nursing challenges and seeking support, I did not appreciate Debbie's high pressure style and brashness. I cancelled nursing sessions with Debbie after the 2nd session, and got a 2nd opinion from Dr Kahikina at Mahinaona Pediatrics, who was a pediatrician who specialized in working with nursing moms. Dr Kahikina was not only a pediatric doctor who was knowledgeable and helpful, but she was understanding and gracious about my challenges. According to Dr Kahikina at Mahinaona Pediatrics, it turns out that there are 4 types of tongue tie and my son had the type of tongue tie that wasn't guaranteed to be fixed by dental pediatric surgery. After doing thorough research about the 4 types of tongue tie that Debbie did not disclose, I heard from multiple Moms whose nursing and breastfeeding challenges were not fixed at all after getting tongue tie surgery. Many of these Moms regretted getting the procedure done. If you do decide to work with Debbie, I recommend that you come 100% prepared and do your research about tongue tie and the pediatric dental surgical procedure because Debbie will pressure you into getting tongue tie surgery done. There is no guarantee that the surgery will fix your child's nursing challenges and tongue tie is over-diagnosed in the lactation nursing world. If you are uncomfortable, stand your ground. No new mother should ever feel pressured or fear-mongered!

Debbie is just awesome! She gave me so much of her precious time to help my little baby. I had a…read morefeeling that my LO wasn't getting enough to eat while nursing because of tongue ties. I searched the best tongue tie experts on the net and found Dr. Ghaheri, located in Portland. When I contacted him, he suggested that I seek out Debbie. Her expertise is truly unmatched when it comes to Lactation Consultants and tongue ties here on the islands. She came to my home and we discovered my motherly instincts were spot on. My baby wasn't getting enough milk (she weighed her before and after a feeding) because she had an almost class 4 tongue tie and my supply was dropping because she wasn't able to express the milk. For next to nothing I was able to secure 3 appointments with her (I need to mention that she came over one day because I was just exhausted trying to bring my supply up and feed my baby to help me for a whole afternoon into the evening and bring me a hospital grade breast pump). She helped me find a dentist to do a full tongue tie release-by the way, this procedure is covered by Quest for babies. Out of pocket it's around $400 so people accusing Debbie or any LC that they get kickbacks is absurd. Not very lucrative for Dentists to pay out money for something like this. She truly just wants to help the babies! So it's so sad to read reviews on here saying otherwise-The Dentist recommended I do a tongue and lip tie because both were pretty severe. It was like night and day how well she nursed right after the procedure. After having a combination of craniosacral therapy and chiropractic work done she nurses even better and my supply is killer!-Don't skip this step, bodywork is so important. I was luck enough to get Dr. Ann Takata. I am so thankful for Debbie. She was super supportive. Like she told me "I'll go to the ends of earth to help you if you'll go with me". After 3 weeks of going to the ends of the earth; pumping every 2 hours, securing donor breast milk and nursing a little bit and bottle feeding my daughter our life is back to normal. She is almost 10 weeks and after the procedure and body work she now spits up less, hiccups less, is gaining weight properly and her latches on like a champ. Breast fed is simply the best so if you want to achieve this and you have an inclination that your baby isn't gaining weight properly due to a tongue tie don't hesitate to call Debbie! The sooner the better and if you need the procedure done and you need moral support because you feel like 'you can't do that to your baby'(you have to make hard decisions that will hurt your child short-term but be way better for them long term lots of times, believe me!) I know how you feel and you can contact me anytime. I'm a SAHM :) I'm happy to give moral support because I know how important it is for a baby to breastfeed and for the breastfeeding Mom. This is one of the closest bonds on earth! Don't give up, there is hope! (pictures posted)

I have nothing but good things to say about Hawaii Mothers' Milk! They are a donation based…read morelactation service located at Kapiolani hospital. At first I was hesitant to see a lactation consultant and didn't think I would really need it as my baby latched on well when I first was at the hospital. When I returned home, things were different and I found out I wasn't producing as much milk (which can happen in the beginning). As a new mom and wanting to breastfeed my child, it was a bit stressful. Initially I contacted Mahinaona Pediatrics but they did not accept my insurance so I reached out to Hawaii Mothers' Milk and so glad I did! The staff were so welcoming and friendly. They made me and my husband feel at ease and answered any questions we had. The 2 lactation consultants I had were amazing and provided such valuable information and resources on breastfeeding/pumping and how to help increase my milk supply. Don't worry about writing anything down because they will email you all the information they talked about! What's also great is they have a very sensitive scale to weigh your baby before you breastfeed and after you breastfeed so you can see how much milk your baby is getting. Hawaii Mothers' Milk also has a lot of great breastfeeding and pumping supplies. I highly recommend Hawaii Mothers' Milk!

I originally went just to pick up pumping supplies and figured I'd check out the weekly…read morebreastfeeding support group while I was there. So glad I did! It was nice to connect with the other moms and also great to chat with the staff, they are so caring and supportive! My baby had been refusing to bottle feed for weeks and it hadn't occurred to me to ask for help. I mentioned our challenges to Victoria, the lactation consultant, and she encouraged us to schedule an appointment. We ended up returning and getting advice and support on feeding, reading baby's cues, tips on pumping, and how to take better care of baby and ourselves as parents. I wish I had visited sooner to take part in the support group and to get help with nursing and bottle feeding! Hawai'i Mother's Milk is a nonprofit and their services are free. Please if you can donate so they can continue to provide this invaluable support to the community.

My review is alil late but still valid because my sister just used them too so double whammy!…read moreWorking with Hoku Birth Services was so easy going, and the products were amazing. While your in labor its difficult to stay ontop of communicating with people but I spoke to them once and she was on standby awaiting my call on when to come by the Hospital. She definitely delivered 5star service and delivered everything to my hale once it was ready. Great company! Highly recommend!

Haley was so awesome. I called to inquire about placenta in capsulation. She was willing to…read moredescribe and provide all information and answer all of my questions. She was clear, detailed and so helpful. She was able to accommodate me quickly, came to pick up my placenta, encapsulated my placenta and made my tintures, and delivered the final product within 4 days. I was amazed. This was something I knew I always wanted and had intended to do research about but my baby came three weeks early and I was at a complete loss. But thankfully I found Hoku Birth Services and Haley and I am so grateful.

Our in-person lactation consultant, Nurse Michelle Franz, was excellent. She showed an outstanding…read morelevel 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.

I reached out to Mahinaona to work on latching my little one. As a first time mom, breastfeeding…read morecan 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!

As a first time mom, you want to provide your baby with the best. And after a long time laboring…read moreleading to a c-section, my milk took a little bit longer to come in. My confidence took a hit knowing I couldn't provide for my little one right away. I knew something had to be done and a referral from my husband's cousin led me to Yuko!!!! Yuko helped my husband's cousin clear up her mastitis and since I came in one week postpartum, turns out I did have plenty milk. Yuko listened patiently and closely to my concerns, then used her magic to carefully massage out the areas needed to get the milk flowing while answering all my questions. I was crazy leaking the next two days since Yuko massaged out all the old milk. The whole time I felt nutured in this safe space. I came out of my inititial two hour appointment so much more knowledgeable about my breastfeeding journey and the next steps for my family. Yuko also helped me see what I needed to feel like for baby to latch properly and comfortably. This latching part and deciding what's in future for baby is still in progress, and I'm so happy to have Yuko on team baby. A big mahalo to Yuko for restoring my confidence and reminding me that I got this! I'd highly reccomend any newborn moms see Yuko. The biggest plus to me was how easy and flexible it is to schedule with Yuko. She is understanding if things come up and can adjust to your schedule as needed.

I was five days postpartum when I reached out to Yuko since my breastmilk hasn't come in and I was…read moregetting worried. She took the time to listen to my concerns over the phone and provided some potential solutions. I decided it would be best to see her in person so I scheduled an appointment. She was able to schedule me to come in 2 days after our phone call. Initial consultation was great and she also did a breast massage. During the massage, my milk started coming in and just needed to get the ducts going. She's also knowledgeable when it comes to baby latching. Overall, would recommend her to everyone especially if you think you have clogged ducts and mastitis. Her breast massage does wonders! She can also be reached via text so scheduling is a breeze.

Having a place to go for Holistic advice on health and wellness is priceless. Such a safe and…read moreeducational place for new and experienced moms!

From the owner: Honolulu Breastfeeding and Wellness Center assists new mothers in whatever way possible, beginning…read morewith prenatal care, through birthing and on to postnatal and breastfeeding care. We provide education, coaching, and counseling so that the women can make the correct decision.