My experience with Joanna is similar to many of the other women who posted reviews here. In our…read morefirst appointment, my son had a known tongue tie but we were waiting on an appointment to fix it. I had been pumping and already needed to supplement with formula due to low supply. I really wanted to be able to nurse him, but Joanna didn't really provide any helpful guidance on how I could do this. She just said to use Doctor Brown's bottles and come back after the tie was fixed. I came back after the tie was fixed but she only spent about 10 minutes with me. He latched for a few minutes and said his latch was fine. I told her we were still struggling at home and I could not get him to latch. She said again his latch was fine and that was it. I drove 30 minutes each way with my baby just to be made to feel completly inadequate. I'm honestly surprised she still works at PAMF.  I recently had my second baby and was so lucky to have had a wonderful lactation consultant at the hospital who helped me with positions and sent me home prepared. Due to some swelling issues, I had to see another lactation consultant a few days after going home. I found one who spent an hour with me and I haven't needed another appointment since. She ensured I was comfortable in different positions, did a weighted feed, showed me massage techniques for the swelling, and much more.

Joanna has been amazing in helping us establish a practical, baby- and mom- conscious feeding…read moreroutine combining breastfeeding and pumping from day 1. She quickly noticed the baby's tongue tie and referred us to a great specialist to get it fixed: she called him several times to arrange a tongue tie release within a week. She has supported our breastfeeding journey through surgeries and complicated travel plans. She is very direct (ie no sugarcoating) and this style may not work for everyone, but it worked well for us. I almost gave up on breastfeeding in the first month, but with her help we are still going strong. Joanne is very responsive over the phone and you can get an appointment with her within several days of an initial request

The Terrific Twos class with Heidi was such a wonderful experience. I learned so many skills as a…read moreparent of a spirited two year old that I'm able to model some sweet Jedi mind tricks and my partner gives me credit, but really it's all Heidi and the other parents in the class. My two year old looked forward to the play zone and the kind volunteers who played with him. He enjoyed the activities and he learned to confidently separate from me. We were just in the next room but it was also really nice to have some adult interaction without an army of toddlers to supervise. (Bless you childcare volunteers.) If you're trying to navigate tantrums, sleep issues, biting, hitting, carseat battles, basically being two, this series of classes is amazing.

I'm a big fan of this organization. Not only do they provide parent and family services and…read moreprograms but they also have a drop off location for items you want to donate, which go directly to the families in need.

As a grandfather of five, I consistently choose your store for my daughter's baby needs. There are…read moremany reasons why we love this place. Gladys and Raven, two of your employees, are always incredibly informative and helpful when it comes to anything baby-related. We purchase all of our baby clothes and feeding supplies from your store. Additionally, your store is the only place around to get a hospital-grade breast pump. They even made sure to get me one on the 4th of July, when everyone else was closed and my daughter was in dire need. It's truly a hidden gem here in Menlo Park!

It wasn't clear to me from the website or Yelp reviews what this place was, but I saw it had open…read morehours, and I had questions about pumping (determining flange sizing), and an appointment nearby, so I decided to drop in and see if they could help. From what I can tell from my conversation with them and the interactions with other folks who came in the shop at the same time as me, this is primarily a breast pump rental place that also offers some classes, and lets you buy parts for the pumps they rent. It's not a general information center, which it kind of seemed like it was from the website and Yelp reviews. Don't come here if that's what you're looking for. I came in, and explained my concern about average flange sizes not fitting me, and they told me not to worry about it until I have birth, because I'd know what flange size to get then (because I would be pumping then). I explained that I wanted to figure this out beforehand, because it'll affect what pump I can get, and I wanted to see if I can get a Spectra. From what I can tell, this is a Medela shop. Because that's all that's on the walls, and once they found out that my work had a Medela pump, they insisted that I should also get a Medela pump, because they have flanges that work with everything, and I wouldn't have to get a second set for work (I already weighed the pros and cons, and I'm happy having a second set for work, but this didn't appear to phase them). They also said that I couldn't possibly know my flange size before I start pumping, and I shouldn't pump until after the baby is born. They didn't want to sell me flanges if I didn't know what size I was. Which was fine, I didn't want to buy flanges, I just wanted to find out what size flange I am. But they don't handle figuring out sizing. Afaict, you have to know your size before you come in here. My insurance covers a pump for me to own, but it can take a while to arrive, so I want to make sure I know my size before I order. I think that this is primarily a hospital-grade pump rental place, so it makes sense that they'd recommend I wait until after the baby is born, because then I can just rent from them. But that's not what I want to do. I've rated four stars because it was nice that the salewoman was willing to field my questions, though her advice ended up being "get a Medela pump, and/or take one of our breast pumping 101 classes, inconveniently scheduled in the middle of the week in the middle of the workday, less than perfect for working mothers." Minus one star because it wasn't really clear from their website or any other literature I found that this wasn't a "Walk-in community resources on pumping/breastfeeding " place. TBH, I'm not sure such a place exists, which is sad :/

Carolina is the BEST EVER!! Extremely grateful to her for giving me support during postpartum. We (…read moreme and my baby ) go to her mommy and baby yoga and we love it. Even though my baby is crawling now, Carolina encourages us to attend her sessions. She is extremely attentive to both mine and my baby's needs. My little one loves her and feels extremely calm in her sessions. Her wisdom and advice has helped me recover from postpartum issues. She's prompt to respond to questions and has high quality resources to offer. Highly recommend. Grateful to her for everything she has been doing for us.

This would have been 5 stars based on the breastfeeding class I attended. I was reluctant to even…read morego to any breastfeeding class because it was important to me to not be attached to the idea of breastfeeding, and I was worried I'd be beaten over the head with how important it is and set myself up for mom guilt if it didn't work out. Quite the contrary, the speaker was really approachable and practical. She talked through just about every scenario and offered a really great mindset - feed as much breastmilk as you can whenever you can, and it's totally OK to make up the difference with formula. Unfortunately, the baby care class dropped this down to 4 stars. It was borderline a waste of time. The instructor was scattered and not very helpful. Lots of tech challenges. Not much help in the way of answering questions or providing practical advice. Very limited hands on practice. I went with a friend because my husband was out of town and I was almost embarrassed that she wasted time in that class with me.

It's rare that I'd describe a retail store as "life changing" but this little shop was. In my raw,…read morepostpartum days after an emergency c section and a ten day stay in a hospital, I was breastfeeding and desperate for clothes I didn't feel terrible in and that I could breastfeed easily in. I stopped here and not only did they provide a cozy, private place for me to breastfeed with a helpful Breast Friend pillow, they also had changing tables and a scale for me to use, which brought me peace of mind. Then the nice young lady working there (after giving me space and privacy to nurse) helped me find nursing bras that I love (bravado, sadly being discontinued) and I even found some great nursing shirts that I wear every day. Please support this wonderful women owned shop!

Healthy Horizons is a great place to get lactation help and they have such cute clothing as well…read more.... have to remember to stop here for the next baby shower! I am writing this review because Sheila Janakos doesn't just help new parents in her store/lactation support center but she is also a generous soul who helps the community. I have been on the board of a nonprofit for 32 years now called Nursing Mothers Counsel which provides free lactation support via phone with volunteers trained in lactation and counseling support. We are a great back up source for parents who may not need the expert support that Sheila and her IBCLC staff provide, or who are in need of support after business hours. We are so grateful to Healthy Horizons for donating 4 Medela Symphony Pumps to NMC for use as grant rentals for low income families we serve. This substantial donation will certainly help many low income families in the Bay Area and Santa Cruz County. Sheila has remained an affiliate member of our small non-profit and supported NMC with donations throughout her many years associated with our organization. Thank you so much Sheila and Healthy Horizons for your generosity and support!

I would like to wholeheartedly recommend Rotem Perleson, whom I contacted about a week ago for…read morebreastfeeding advice and had an amazing experience with. Who accompanied me for several consecutive days and helped me and my daughter in an amazing way! In addition to the long support with messages and her incredible care that was felt at every moment, she came to visit us and gave me tools that I feel have changed the entire course of our day for the better. So if you are looking for someone who is tolerant, professional and supportive to help you strengthen your connection to breastfeeding and your baby From my personal experience, Rotem is the address!

* The best decision we made for our little one! *…read more As first-time parents, we were recommended Rotem by someone we trust--and working with her was truly an incredible experience. Simply put, she is phenomenal: deeply knowledgeable and experienced, compassionate, friendly, proactive, and endlessly supportive. I could go on and on. Rotem first visited us at the hospital, where her guidance was far more helpful and reassuring than what we received from the staff. She then continued supporting us once we were home, visiting multiple times a week during our baby's first month. She helped us learn what to do, supported us emotionally, and set clear expectations for what to expect--every step of the way. We are forever grateful to Rotem for the care and confidence she gave us during such an important time, and she has our highest possible recommendation.

Katrina is the most exceptional PT! She has a deep knowledge of the body, and combines that with a…read morestrong intuitive sense. Plus, she is strong! She's incredibly good at understanding pain and tailoring treatment in a way that is specific and personal. You never feel like you're getting a generic approach; she's paying close attention. What I appreciate most is how she blends solid, evidence-based practice with real intuition. She gets to the root of issues quickly, and I've consistently felt understood and in very capable hands working with her. Katrina is the best at what she does!

As someone who works primarily with patients that are suffering from chronic pain, I am so grateful…read moreto have Katrina as a resource whenever I have a pelvic floor case. I have referred multiple clients to her and have heard nothing but great feedback, from her level of expertise but also her compassion for our patients. Thank you for doing what you do, Katrina. It's much needed!

Jenn completely changed my postpartum experience for the better. We got home from the hospital and…read morewere lost when it came to establishing a feeding routine that would be sustainable and support our little one. She spent so much time and energy and thoughtfulness walking us through a solid schedule and approach that worked seamlessly in our lives. She doesn't provide a standard approach, but rather tailors her recommendations to the family and baby at hand. Jenn came highly recommended from a friend and our pediatrician said that she's one of the two lactation specialists that she relies on in her practice. Highly recommend working with Jenn.

Jenn made a huge impact on my breastfeeding journey with just one visit. I had been triple feeding…read morefor weeks and had contemplated giving up on breastfeeding. Pediatricians weren't able to give us a path off of supplementing and we had gotten a lot of overwhelming advice of various treatments to improve transfer. Jenn did a thoughtful evaluation and gave us a very straightforward and actionable plan to transition off of triple feeding. She really built up my confidence around breastfeeding and within two weeks we were exclusively nursing. She also checked in a few times in the following week to see how things were going. Overall a really positive experience!

I sought help from Kelly as a last resort after a month of baby struggling to get back to birth…read moreweight. I was prescribed triple feeding which was totally unsustainable. She helped tremendously and gave us so much confidence as parents. She was so patient and knowledgeable, and professional. We got the latch down and were able to drop the triple feeding routine. Here we are almost a year later still nursing and growing right on track!

Kelly is the best lactation consultant any mama could ask for!!! A week into my breast feeding…read morejourney with my first baby I was ready to give up. (We saw a horrible lactation consultant at Kaiser who made me feel like I was starving my baby and tried to move us to formula immediately.) Thankfully we found Kelly on Yelp and she was able to see us the next day. She listened to my concerns/frustrations with breastfeeding, then watched me nurse my baby and gave such compassionate guidance. She gave me so much confidence!!! Fast forward to today, my baby girl is 9 months old and I am still exclusively breastfeeding!!! Breastfeeding is so much harder than anyone ever told me it was going to be. My recommendation for any first time mama would be to make an appointment with Kelly and get all the support you didn't even know you would need, it makes a world of a difference!

We had an outstanding experience with DOULAS by the BAY. They matched us with Mary Ann Cherie…read moreWolowski, who was with our family for the first eight weeks after our baby was born. She started right on the day after delivery while we were still at the hospital. This was incredibly helpful because it allowed my partner to focus on caring for our toddler while I recovered from my C-section and bonded with our newborn. Mary Ann was exceptional in every aspect of newborn and postpartum care. With her background as RN and an experienced nanny, she confidently took charge from day one. She handled everything--from swaddling and keeping the baby on a feeding schedule to making sure I stayed on track with pumping. She always had my pump parts cleaned, sterilized, and ready to use, which made those early weeks so much easier. She also gave me invaluable breastfeeding support. Thanks to her guidance, I established a full milk supply within just three days of my C-section, and I'm still successfully breastfeeding. She also referred us to an amazing lactation consultant who was an absolute game changer. Mary Ann was meticulous about everything baby-related and followed best practices in every detail. Her logging and tracking were incredibly thorough, giving us complete peace of mind. She was professional, respectful, organized, and kept everything spotless. The greatest gift she gave our family was rest. There were moments when it almost felt unreal how much recovery time my partner and I were able to get because we trusted her completely. She would even bring me a glass of iced water wherever I was--a small act of kindness that made a huge difference in my recovery. Because she took care of so much, I was able to focus on postpartum healing and even carve out time for simple self-care, like getting a haircut. Although her primary responsibility was caring for our newborn, she also formed a wonderful bond with our toddler and always made him feel included. She consistently went above and beyond by helping keep our home clean, making countless trips up and down the stairs without ever complaining, and never leaving before everything was tidied up--even if it meant staying a little past the end of her shift. We're incredibly grateful to Doulas by the Bay for matching us with someone who fit our family so perfectly. The agency made the process smooth, and Mary Ann exceeded every expectation we had. We wholeheartedly recommend Doulas by the Bay to any family looking for expert postpartum support. They gave us the gift of rest, confidence, and a much smoother transition into life as a family of four.

I reached out to find a birth doula and the initial meeting giving an overview of how they work was…read moreclear and straightforward. Doulas through this company are employees (not independent providers) and they stress that this is really good for always having a backup. We were then matched with 2 doula candidates and the scheduling process was easy and professional. However, we ultimately felt that these candidates were not properly trained or vetted. We never received any materials such as CVs for the doulas. The first doula said right away that she had never been a birth doula before and we would be her first birth. Her only experience was that she had been a night doula before. I was shocked that she had never even shadowed another birth doula as part of her training as a company employee. Bless her heart for being honest, but I did not want to pay to be her guinea pig. After this, I requested an additional candidate, but I was told the other one should be great. The second doula was also not a good fit. She kept emphasizing that at previous births hospital staff did not believe she was a birth doula (and thought she was just a family friend). It became clear why. I asked about her qualifications and she said she's working on her bachelor's degree even though she already has a master's degree. I thought this was strange and asked some follow up questions and ultimately could not determine what degree she had (maybe an associate's degree) or didn't have (definitely did not already have a master's). I also asked some basic medical questions about pain control and epidurals and she was not able to answer them. Ultimately we were able to find a wonderful birth doula through another matching company - experienced and with a real master's degree (in public health).