PIONEER VALLEY LACTATION CONSULTING is a home-based breastfeeding consultation service in the greater Northampton/Easthampton area of Massachusetts. It  offers the new family an opportunity to catch their breath. The warm and cozy setting brings instant relief when a family is overwhelmed.

NOW there a chance to be heard and to address, uninterruptedly, the adjustments being made, or needing to be made, by this newly formed family.
 I am an international board certified lactation consultant and I would like to help you.

BREASTFEEDING is natural, but also a learned skill. In days gone by, women learned these skills by observing them in their families. In today's society, moms are often confused by the conflicting advice they are given, and the lack of practical experience that books cannot provide. There are also other factors which may cause an initial challenge for baby or mother. These include such things as a tongue tied baby, a baby with abnormal oral anatomy, a mother with flat or inverted nipples or a health problem with the mother or baby.

A VISIT with a lactation consultant may mean the difference between a frustrating experience and an enjoyable, confident, successful experience.

THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life. Breast milk has never been completely duplicated as the formula companies themselves admit with frustration.

I have been a registered nurse for 28 years. I have been working exclusively with mothers, fathers and their newborns for 18 years. I breast-fed five children and have been available to thousands of women during their labors and deliveries. As a maternity nurse, I assist with breastfeeding, caring for newborns,  sometimes caring for sick newborns in a nursery setting and am available to the family during their entire  hospital stay. I teach childbirth education classes and breastfeeding classes. I am an instructor in neonatal resuscitation  and I am certified in CPR.

I have found in my dealings with new mothers that I am patient and calming. I bring a unique perspective and skill in identifying the underlying causes to the problem you are experiencing. I can  take the time to assist you in getting past these initial problems. It takes time and focus to sort these situations out and that is the role of a lactation consultant.

Lactation Consulting is a fairly new professional  field which provides highly specialized  support to the parents of newborns.  It is a field which recognizes that there can be complexities and challenges to breastfeeding. It was developed to offer that support and to continue the research which validates the amazing uniqueness in breastmilk and breastfeeding. Consultation visits allow the parent the opportunity to be heard and  to bring their needs to a professional who will understand what they are going through. I became an internationally board certified lactation consultant because I clearly see the need  to  assist and support parents in this new role.