I called Barbara to schedule an in-home consultation for my wife given she was new to the nursing experience and a little overwhelmed with it. Barbara called me back pretty quickly and scheduled to come out to our home the following evening, mentioning that her travel fee is $80 in addition to her $125 office visit fee. She was punctual and arrived with several bags including a scale to weigh baby both before and after feeding, and had some other supplies too. She was friendly and spoke gently and overall was pretty helpful in regard to basic info. She had a few wares for sale that were helpful beyond what we could find at Target or Buy Buy Baby and we purchased them inexpensively from her. Again, this was helpful. However, in light of the fact that women reaching out to a consultant may obviously be experiencing some difficulties with the process, my wife and I found ALL the lactation consultants we met with (2 at the hospital, Barbara at our house, and 1 at our pediatricians) mildly shaming at the notion of possibly not continuing with attempting to breastfeed our baby. Being a medical professional who specializes in a niche field myself, one of the first options I present to each of my patients is that it's OK if they choose NOT to buy what I'm selling, so to speak. I'm simply a stream of information with a specialized skill set, that if desired, can provide care someone might find helpful. I lead people down a path with solid science and experience and then let them make their own informed decision about their own body without even an air of a personal opinion. We both felt that ALL the lactation specialists seemed to have a personal stake in promoting breastfeeding, and in general looked down at the idea of ever formula feeding despite reasons therein. I would say that if you can make a consultation appointment with Barbara prior to baby being born that that may be the best avenue to travel to gain insights beforehand. I thought my wife meeting with her was worthwhile (if a little pricey at $80, to drive from Ann Arbor to Brighton)...just take it all with a grain of salt and do what you feel is best for you and baby. Mom enjoying time with her new baby is the most important factor here. It needn't be stifled by anxiety or the least feeling of regret. Just my two cents as a new father and an advocate for my baby's mom. read more

I used Barbara's expertise when I had my son and she helped me figure out what worked for me with breastfeeding. Breastfeeding was initially *much* more difficult than I anticipated and I was at a total loss for why things weren't going well. Barbara's kind patience was more than welcomed at such a stressful and emotional time! I also used the boutique to purchase bras and supplies for my breast pump. Her prices are really fair and are definitely among the best in town. I love having this center as a resource! read more

Barb met with my husband, new baby and me shortly after our little guy was born via cesarean section (at 36 weeks). He was having difficulty latching and the so-called 'natural' feeding process was not coming naturally to me. I was attempting to breastfeed our little one every two hours, after which my husband would try to supplement him with formula & I would pump to increase my milk production. As you might imagine, at times when our little one was especially sleepy, it would actually take 2 hours to complete the described feeding process. So much for sleep! Doctors were concerned that our baby lost too much weight after birth & wasn't gaining it back quickly enough. I was worried about this and all the pumping and mis-latching was painful as well as frustrating & exhausting. Barb was amazing! She spent the time to really understand our situation. Then she provided expertise on how to get a proper latch (without referring to milking cows - yes that happened to me!), reassured us that our little guy was actually getting milk by doing a pre- & post-breastfeeding weight, and provided additional resources from video clips, to peer-reviewed journal articles and sheets to document feedings more easily. We left feeling so much better about what to do in our case and much more educated about breastfeeding & a reasonable weight for our baby. Barb will make you feel comfortable, she is not condescending in spite of probably being one of the most knowledgeable lactation consultants in the country (if not in our community) & is also so well-versed in everything from the basics to what's new in the science and community of breastfeeding. We recently moved, but I'm seriously thinking about asking if Barb will travel to share her knowledge with us again when we're ready to have our second child - or maybe, mor reasonably for her, to make a trip back to see her if we need help again! read more

Barbara is great. Super knowledgeable & helpful. In addition, she hosts twice-weekly drop-in support groups which are wonderful when you're a bewildered new mother, and you realize you're not the only one having troubles. read more

Barbara is extremely knowledgable and professional. She provides a ton of resources and suggestions as you work your way through the breastfeeding journey. I always felt supported under her care so that I could better care for my baby. She carries the best breastfeeding accessories, bras, tanks, pump parts, herbal supplements and is very helpful to get you exactly what you need. I love this type of local, personal business that I can trust. Don't give up on breastfeeding until you have met with Barbara! No other lactation consultant in the area compares. read more

I love the Breastfeeding Center of Ann Arbor. Lactation consultations with Barbara have been extremely helpful for me and my baby girl. It's also where I've found the best nursing bras, and the breastfeeding cafe on Fridays is my primary social outlet and support system as a new mom. read more

My son was born 8 weeks early and I never thought it would be possible for him to nurse. I really resigned myself to being an exclusive pumper for a year. I originally went to Barbara for help because I was getting repeated awful clogs. She was so knowledgeable about my problem and was even able to refer me for a very cutting edge ultrasound therapy for really problematic cases and after that I never had another clog (after getting ~3 a week for months). Barbara encouraged me to consider trying to nurse my son and I am so glad she did. It took a lot of hard work, but with her support and that from the other mothers at the breastfeeding cafe Barbara hosts I was finally able to get my son to transition off bottles and begin nursing exclusively when he was three months old. My advise for other women is don't despair. There is help out there and Barbara is very caring and very very knowledgeable. read more