Lactation Consultants for New Moms in the Greater Philadelphia Area
If I could get in a time machine and go back to the months right before I first became a new mom, the single most important thing I would do differently is to hire an amazing lactation consultant in advance. Of course I knew that there’s no such thing as being “fully prepared” to become a parent. But I’m a planner, so I did all the things I could think of to prepare myself to become a new mom. I researched baby products. I took a parenting class at our local hospital. I read multiple books on nursing cover to cover before my daughter Lucy was born. But experience is the most powerful teacher. And for me, nursing was the thing I was the least prepared for when I became a new mom.
My Experience With Breastfeeding
I was ultimately unsuccessful at nursing. It was one of the first times in my life when I wasn’t able to succeed at something through sheer willpower and tireless persistence. I learned later on that my daughter was born physically incapable of latching because she had a severe tongue tie. But her tongue tie went undiagnosed by our doctors, nurses, and even the first lactation consultant I scrambled to find after my daughter arrived when I began to realize that nursing wasn’t just coming naturally like I thought it would.
Some Signs of Nursing Issues
The first sign that I needed help was that my milk didn’t come in while I was in the hospital, but the nurses reassured me that this is normal and can take a few days. I met with one of the lactation consultants at the hospital and kept at it, expecting that my milk would come in soon.
The next sign was that Lucy had almost no wet diapers in first few days after she was born, which means she was dehydrated. So the doctor told us to supplement with formula until my milk supply came in and we left the hospital with our follow up visit already scheduled with our pediatrician for the next day.
For the entire first week after Lucy was born, I continued to try to nurse every few hours. My milk never came in, though, so after every nursing session my husband would then feed her a bottle of formula. My family was incredibly supportive and offered me encouragement, telling me it would get better with time and practice. But it didn’t get better with time and practice. In fact it got much, much worse before it got better. By the end of that first week, my nipples were bleeding and every nursing session was painful. The books on nursing that I had read before Lucy was born didn’t mention anything about tongue ties. But both books were very clear on the point that if you’re bleeding, then something is wrong.
Seeking Help With Breastfeeding
So I went looking for help. Our frequent visits to the pediatrician for weight checks didn’t yield any answers, so I scrambled to find a lactation consultant available on short notice. When I found someone who could fit me in for an appointment the next day, time seemed to stand still as I counted down the minutes to get the help I knew I needed. Unfortunately, the help I needed didn’t come with this appointment as I hoped it would. She offered me support and encouragement and suggested that I should try pumping more often to stimulate my milk supply and try nursing with a nipple shield to help Lucy latch. But we ultimately walked away from this first lactation consultant with no mention of any possible tongue tie.
I soldiered on–continuing with my attempts to nurse with a nipple shield at every feeding and then pumping afterwards as my husband fed Lucy her bottle–for the next three weeks. With frequent appointments at our pediatrician because Lucy wasn’t gaining weight as quickly as they’d like. It wasn’t until Lucy was 1 month old that I got a tip from another mom that changed everything. When I described what I was going through, she told me it sounded exactly like what she went through when she had her son. And she recommended us to Dr. Paul Bahn to get Lucy checked for a tongue tie. He read my form, squeezed us in on short notice, and diagnosed and fixed Lucy’s tongue tie immediately after so many other medical professionals had missed it. So for any other new moms who suspect their new baby may have a tongue tie, I highly recommend Dr. Bahn at Infant Laser Dentistry in Philadelphia. I truly cannot sing his praises highly enough and am forever grateful for the way he helped our family!!
When to Hire a Lactation Consultant
In hindsight, the answer to this question is so easy. The best time to hire a lactation consultant is before your baby arrives. If only someone had told me this before I became a new mom! Many lactation consultants provide services for pregnant mothers so you can get information and support before you even give birth. And having an amazing lactation consultant set aside time around your due date so you know that you’ll have that help and support if and when you need it most is invaluable. When you hire your lactation consultant before your baby arrives, you also get the benefit of getting your top choice rather than someone who happens to be available on short notice. This would have made a world of difference for me. And my hope is that it makes a world of difference for you, too!
4 Amazing Lactation Consultants for New Moms
I place a very high value on first-hand recommendations from other moms like me. When I stayed home to raise my daughter after she was born, I was lucky to find an awesome local moms group. These women continue to be such a source of strength and support for me. And even now that our kids are getting older and have started elementary school, we still get together to chat and laugh and have a much needed glass of wine.
Over the years, I’ve also gotten to know many new moms through my experience as a professional newborn, maternity, and family photographer. My job involves snuggling with new babies, sharing once in a lifetime memories with growing families, and going on adventures with toddlers. It is the best job in the world! And as we’re taking photos, the conversations about nursing and naps and favorite toys flow out of us. Everyone has their own unique journey, of course, but there’s also so much strength and wisdom in our shared experience of motherhood. There’s nothing else quite like the support fellow moms can offer each other.
To be clear and up front, I am not a medical professional, and I didn’t personally work with any of these lactation consultants when my daughter Lucy was born. But I wish I had. When I reached out to my mom network to ask for recommendations, each of these 4 lactation consultants was recommended by multiple different moms, all with glowing praise. If you’re in search of lactation consultants for new moms, consider this a starting point in your research as your prepare for life’s greatest adventure: motherhood.
1. Kristin Burns at Both Better Together
- Location & Service Area: Kristin Burns is located in Phoenixville, just outside of Valley Forge Park, on Valley Forge Mountain.
- Services: She provides in-home consultations within a 15 mile radius and travels to parts of Chester, Montgomery, and Delaware Counties. In addition to in-home lactation consults, she offers prenatal, back to work, starting solids, and weaning consults. Telehealth appointments are also available.
- How to Schedule: To get started, parents can head to her website to find lots of additional information and fill out the contact form. She also accepts phone calls, emails and texts.
2. Karen Meade at B4 Village – Birth, Babies, Boobs, and Beyond
- Location & Service Area: Karen Meade is located in Limerick, PA.
- Services: B4 Village offers tons of classes to support families both before and after their baby arrives. From yoga classes to family counseling to lactation consultations, they have a full staff available to support a variety of common needs families encounter. Their lactation visits specifically include a detailed history of parent and infant, an assessment of anatomy (including the lactating breast and the baby’s oral cavity), observation of a feeding for evaluation of technique and effectiveness, recommendations to improve and/or resolve issues and reach individual feeding goals, and a written care plan to improve breastfeeding concerns.
- How to Schedule: To learn more info and get started, parents can send an email inquiry to info@b4village.org or visit the website and fill out the contact form.
3. Linda Muller at Latch with Linda
- Location & Service Area: Linda Muller is a RN, BSN, CSN, IBCLC lactation consultant trained at Paoli Hospital who serves clients in the Greater Philadelphia Area.
- Services: Linda is an IBCLC international board certified lactation consultant in hospital and home settings. She offers both telemedicine and in home visits for new parents to support their breastfeeding journey. Initial visits typically run 1.5 hours. Private visits for those without insurance coverage are also available.
- How to Schedule: To schedule an in-home consultation, call Linda at 610-733-5966, email her at Linda@LatchWithLinda.com, or visit her website and fill out the contact form.
4. Erica Diehl at Erica Lynn Diehl Lactation
- Location & Service Area: Erica Diehl is located in Schwenksville, PA and serves families in Southeastern Pennsylvania.
- Services: Erica’s services include prenatal consultations, in home visits, follow up visits, and telehealth consultations. In person home visits are available for families who live in Western Montgomery County, Berks County, and Chester County along the Route 422 Corridor.
- How to Schedule: To learn more info and get started, visit her website and fill out the contact form.
Benefits of Hiring a Lactation Consultant
Lactation consultants can be so helpful to new moms! Here are some of the benefits of working with a lactation consultant:
- Prenatally, they can educate and prepare parents on what to expect in the early days and weeks with a newborn.
- They can help support babies as they learn how to feed and parents who are adjusting to their new “normal.”
- In circumstances where there are difficulties with breastfeeding, they can help assess feeding, identify issues and work on resolution by building a unique care plan for each family they work with.
- They can provide follow-up care and ongoing support, which is critical in the early weeks and perhaps in some cases, throughout the entire feeding journey.
Are you a New Mom Looking for a Newborn Photographer?
I’d love to help you capture some of your family’s early snuggles with your new little love! Kristin Brockman Photography offers natural light studio and in home newborn photos for growing families. For more information, you can check out my Newborn Portfolio and Newborn Session Details. You can also check out my Featured Photo Sessions, to see the full gallery of images from a few of my newborn sessions and reach out if you’re looking for a newborn photographer.
If you have any questions or want to inquire about my availability for newborn photography, please email me at kristinbrockmanphotography@gmail.com.
Kristin Brockman Photography is a natural light newborn photographer based in Pottstown, Pennsylvania who serves clients in the Greater Philadelphia area. She specializes in natural, family-centered newborn photos focused on capturing genuine and authentic moments.
kristinbrockmanphotography@gmail.com
