My Clients Say....

One year ago today a sweet soft spoken calming gift sat on the floor of my nursery as we cried and poured out what we had been through leading up to and directly after the birth of our son. I was totally in a place of utter loss of what to do and she listened and had a plan for me. Feeding my son was the trimester four I didn't expect and some of the most trying times. I would not have gotten to where I am today had it not been for Jen's advice guidance and encouragement. I have made it a year providing milk for my son -5 months doing the trifecta and 7 pumping & supplementing. As I started back to work there were times I wanted to just stop and have been slowly decreasing my number of times pumping. Now I feel I can stop- and I will be dropping down to one pump a day before ending this journey. I have a freezer stash I never dreamed I would be able to have for him to still get one cup of my milk through the winter months. Thank you so much Jen for being part of my story and the large reason behind why I can proudly say "I did it."💙

-Mom of 1, Fall 2020

I felt like you were my coach!

-Mom of 2, Fall 2020

Your support and guidance was invaluable and you saved me and saved my breastfeeding relationship.  

Twice I have been through a ton of struggle that could have been avoided or least solved faster if my babies had gotten a proper (and preventative) evaluation.  Seriously, every new (and new again) breastfeeding mom/baby should see you.

-Mom of 2, Spring 2020

Thank you for always being so helpful. I rave to everyone about how supportive you are.

-Mom of 2, Spring 2020

Syracuse Lactation helped my 3-week-old baby turn a corner in weight gain. We are so grateful! Jen, the specialist, was approachable, kind, clear, compassionate, skilled, and very well informed! She was able to share her wealth of knowledge in a way I could access it and apply it quickly. Furthermore, the baby enjoyed the techniques and we are connecting better-thank you! In the days following, Jen was prompt in her responses to my questions, and she provided clear resources in a multi-model fashion to teach and re-teach techniques that applied directly to my situation. We are all so much happier now and getting chubby. Thank you!

-2019, Lactation Client, Mom of 1

Thank you for all of your help! I was just about ready to give up before I came to see you so I can’t tell you how helpful you have been.

-2019 Lactation Client, Mom of 1

What can I say; Jen was my night in shining armor when I needed it the most. Being a first time mom, breastfeeding was uncharted territory. I received little to no instruction from the lactation consultants at the hospital, which meant sink or swim in the days to come. I was drowning by day 3 and at my wits end by day 5. My beautiful new baby who had successfully latched at the hospital was no longer able to. I was blessed with an abundant milk supply, which is a blessing but also a curse for a first time mom who doesn’t have a clue how to combat the situation. Enter Jen, the angel. The 3 hours she spent working with my newborn, husband and I were priceless. Her demeanor was instantly calming & her knowledge was invaluable. She listened to my concerns and frustrations and she created a plan specifically for me. Over the next 2 weeks, she checked in to see how our progress was coming along and continued to give feedback as well as encouraging words. With her help, I gained the skills and confidence to breastfeed my baby successfully. I highly recommend Jen to any mom struggling with breastfeeding.

-2019 Lactation Client, mom of 1

When my daughter decided to go on a nursing strike that seemed to last forever, I knew I needed help. A girl friend recommended I contact Jen. She heard the urgency in my voice- and by some miracle she was available the next day for me.

It was heart breaking for me, a mom who nursed her first for a year and a half, to think it was over with my just 3 month old baby. Jen was a breath of fresh air. In that defeating moment, she brings you back up. She’s kind, dedicated and truly walks through the process with you. Between a lip tie release that I had no idea my baby had, and lots of exercises that helped strengthen our bound in a very frustrating time, I can say I still nurse my baby a few times a day. It means the world to me, Jen. I could never thank you enough. From the bottom of my heart, you are the best!

-Lactation Client, mom of 2

Thank you thank you! I'll probably say thank you about a hundred more times but still. It's very clear to me why everyone says you are the best!

-Lactation Client, Mom of 3

Simply put, Jen is amazing! Pregnancy and postpartum health, childbirth, breastfeeding, and the parent/child bond is undoubtedly her passion in life and clearly her calling. Her warm, calm yet confident demeanor puts you at ease almost instantly while her wealth of knowledge in her field is quite abundant. To say she’ll go above and beyond for her clients is an understatement. She cares deeply about the families she works with and will spend inordinate amounts of her own time doing the very best she can to ensure everyone’s health and happiness. Because this is not just her profession, but her passion, the lengths she will go to are endless.

Personally, she’s been a Godsend to me and my entire family. My husband was initially apprehensive about hiring her as he worried she may step on his toes, but his gratitude for her came very quickly and he often comments on how helpful she’s been to him as well as to me and our baby and often laments that out of all of the fertility, pregnancy, and postpartum expenses we’ve had, she’s by far the best we made. She’s been a liaison between my OB, pediatrician, pediatric dentist, and chiropractor helping to navigate through all of my options via research based educational literature and personal experience, helping me get through the tough decisions, and providing the support, tools, and encouragement I needed to make well informed decisions that I felt good about. Could I have gone through pregnancy and postpartum without her? Sure. But it would have been much more stressful and scary and my pregnancy and postpartum experience wouldn’t have been as enjoyable. She held my hand and supported me every step of the way. I can’t emphasize that point enough. They say it takes a village to raise a child and she was my village. She made herself available to me at all times and was happy to do so. She never made me feel like a bother, but rather very invested in my journey from pregnancy to motherhood.

One of her specialties is being able to empower you to make decisions that are best for you while also making you feel cared about and supported. I had some issues during my pregnancy and with breastfeeding and I can uncategorically say without a doubt that if it wasn’t for her, I would have floundered miserably and failed.

Everyone wants to make a difference in the world, to leave their mark on mankind. She is. From the bottom of my heart, thank you, Jen. When my baby is old to enough to learn all about how he came about, he will hear all about his guardian angel who was one of the few who watched him take his first breaths.

-Mom of 1, Birth and Lactation Client

I tell everyone who will listen that I believe Jen saved my daughter’s life and our sanity as parents. My daughter was failing to remain on her growth curve and had fallen to the 2nd percentile for weight by 5 months. She refused to take a bottle for supplementation. I called La Leche League of Liverpool and was referred to Jen. She listened very patiently and took all our information about the situation before giving any advice. Once she had all the information, she took a look and suspected our daughter might have an undiagnosed lip and tongue tie.

She helped us make an informed decision about what to do next and we chose to have our daughter’s ties revised by a pediatric dentist and then had her hospitalized while we worked to help her gain weight and learn to take a bottle.
Were it not for Jen’s expertise, we would have kept trying to force a bottle on a child who physically couldn’t take it, probably leading to dehydration and who knows what else.

Jen also helped me with ideas for getting my supply up as best I could, and we were able to avoid an IV or other interventions for our daughter by acting so quickly. Jen has an amazing ability to communicate complex and difficult information clearly and in a non-judgmental way. She helped me understand that the situation wasn’t my fault, but that we needed to act fast. Every mother knows how crippling guilt can be, and thanks to Jen I have enough knowledge to not carry that burden. My little girl is now gaining weight quickly and happy. I will forever be grateful for her help.

-Lactation Client, Mom of 2

I want to thank you so much for your all of your guidance and understanding since we contacted you. You really helped us through a very difficult transition and I feel so blessed to have been connected up with you. Thank you thank you thank you. You are tremendous at what you do!

-Lactation Client, Mom of 1

Jen is worth every penny!

-Lactation client, Mom of 2

I just wanted to thank you again for all of the knowledge and encouragement you share with me today. I’m sure you get this feedback all the time but I want you to know how AMAZING you are at what you do, not only because of the great expertise that you clearly possess but equally as impressive is the compassion and empathy that you express. I cannot tell you how much it means to me and undoubtedly all the other mothers you work with. It is truly a calling. So thank you again for what you do. You are worth so much more than you charge. Your work is priceless.

-Lactation Client, Mom of 1

We are happy to be able to say that the birth of our twins was a beautiful and empowering experience. Jen had so much to do with these positive feelings. Long before delivery, Jen was there to support us, educate us and help us with decision making in a completely supportive and judgement free way. Our prenatal meetings were full of completely relevant information customized to our needs which is so important since every pregnancy and birth are vastly different. When we had concerns along the way, Jen was there to help us understand the information we were given. When we struggled, Jen was there to offer her thoughts and guidance throughout our journey. Jen’s level of commitment during the birth was just incredible. She has such a calm steady presence and she improved our birth experience in ways that we can’t possibly articulate. Jen supported us through many breastfeeding challenges and helped us process the events of the birth and the postpartum challenges as well. We feel privileged to have had Jen by our side.

Mom of Twins, Birth and Lactation Clients

Jen came into our lives through our Doula’s recommendation after some very emotional and hormonal days when it became clear that our newborn had issues latching. As soon as she entered our home I felt (and was enormously grateful for) Jen’s calming presence. During our consultation, she spent a great deal of time watching us try to latch, offered suggestions and techniques, developed a strategy for moving forward, and most importantly was a great listening ear. Jen guided us in having a tongue and lip tie diagnosed in our son, and assisted us in the process of revision, including recommending a Dr. and follow up care.

This was only the beginning. Jen continued to support us as we worked with our son after revision to get him to latch. She provided information and support via email, text and phone. We tried many techniques during our process and Jen had an endless bag of tricks for our stubborn little guy. When we felt that breastfeeding might not be an option, she offered encouragement and support.

Finally, 6 weeks after revision our 8 week old son began to latch!! I could not be happier with the support and guidance from Jen, to get us where we are today. We could not have done it with out her.

-Lactation Client, Mom of 1

Thanks again, you are awesome at what you do!

-Lactation Client, Mom of 2

I was lucky enough to meet Jen just days after coming home with our first child. I had read cover to cover about my pregnancy and delivery but never considered the most challenging part of being new parent at first would be breastfeeding. Our experience with Jen from the first moment over the phone was exceptional. She provided such support and guidance during such a fragile and emotionally stressful time for both myself and my husband. She was supportive in our decisions while providing as much information as possible to help us reach these decisions concerning our new baby. I truly believe without her guidance and encouragement, breastfeeding would not have been successful for us. The joy and loving bond I experience through breastfeeding our son is priceless. Jen has helped us experience this and for that we are grateful beyond words.

-Lactation and Postpartum Doula Client, Mom of 1

I hope you truly know how much you touched us! Your encouragement and kindness as gone so far, and you really have found your calling in what you do, you are so gentle and kind and even tough our outcome isn’t quite what I envisioned, I feel so accomplished still thanks to your support.

-Lactation Client, Mom of 4

I am confident that I couldn’t have done it without your support, guidance and encouragement. I had a couple of really tough days of fearing for the worst case scenario but your reassurance kept me sane through all that. Thank YOU so much, Jen. You are really excellent at what you do and the CNY birth and parenting community are so lucky to have you.

-Lactation Client, Mom to 2

I wasn’t certain that I needed a doula after the birth of my second child, especially as I had already mothered a newborn.  In retrospect, I am so glad that I listened to my instincts and asked Jen to be our postpartum doula.  In a word, Jen is amazing…really amazing.  She provided such wonderful support and encouragement to me and my family in the weeks after birth, doing everything from helping me process my somewhat traumatic birth to giving breastfeeding advice to teaching me how to use a ring sling.

I was immediately impressed by Jen’s level of professionalism.  She ALWAYS arrived right on time (even in bad weather!) and was always prepared for our visits, arriving with a big bag of various things that were just right for a postpartum mama: nursing pillow, aromatherapy oils, books—just to name a few.  What impressed me even more, however, was how Jen maintained her professionalism and simultaneously was so open, warm and caring.

It was a such a relief to have her help and expertise, especially as my husband returned to work immediately following the birth.  As a second-time mama I thought I should know the ropes by now, yet I realized that I still had a lot of questions and concerns.  Jen was so responsive and provided me with wisdom from her own experiences as a mother and doula, and with other resources as well.  Moreover, in my weary (yet happy!) postpartum state I marveled at how she so efficiently went from task to task, making the most of every minute she spent at our home.

What stands out most in my mind, however, is her help in our transition to a four-member family.  She truly went above and beyond the call of duty in helping our two year-old adjust to being a big brother.  Suddenly finding myself homebound with a little one and newborn at the beginning of winter I didn’t know what to do.  Jen had a wealth of ideas to keep our toddler occupied, which was especially helpful as I nursed the newborn.  She even ran errands to get the supplies we needed (at that point I could not even imagine trying to go to a craft store, or worse yet, sending my husband, who is a non-native English speaker, to pick up kinetic sand or Magic Nuudles:).  Finally, Jen gave my family critical support as we prepared for another big transition with two little ones—moving.

Jen’s support and care truly made my postpartum experience the second time around memorable and better than the first.  I am beyond grateful for all that she did for me and my family and baby and would absolutely and enthusiastically recommend her to any new mama, be it your first or fourth baby.

-Postpartum Client, Mom to 2

Absolutely the BEST investment you can make after having a baby! Jen is amazing to work with, easily accessible and full of useful knowledge. She was there in the moments we needed her most and because of that there is now hope for a future of breastfeeding my daughter!

-Lactation and Postpartum Client, Mom to 2

My husband and I were fortunate to have the very best of the best in doula care with Jen! We were very lucky she chose to work with us because we were not a simple case. In fact, I was pregnant with identical twins, finishing up my doctorate degree, was induced just days after completing my pharmacy board exams, and ultimately delivered two healthy girls after 37 weeks and 6 days gestation and 33 long hours of labor. We were definitely a challenging case for any doula.

Jen was there with me for the duration of my labor, I mean 33 hours straight. I slept more than she did, which wasn’t much, but says a whole lot about her commitment and endurance. I honestly don’t know how I would have handled the multitude of shift changes and introductions and the exhausting process of answering the same questions repeatedly, which is just par for the course during any hospitalization. I didn’t have to be bothered with any of that. I was never alone and I never felt alone. Jen was my constant. I was gently and consistently reminded of the important task at hand. I was taught to use my own power of visualization and to turn my fear into courage.

I had very little time to prepare for labor. I didn’t even write my birth plan until a few days before I went into the hospital. Nonetheless, there ended up being some pretty important items in that birthplan and you bet they were not overlooked.

No matter what we decided was best for us and our delivery, Jen was right there to support our decisions without fail and without judgement. She provided factual information as guidance in our decision making process. Her endless availability to answer questions, provide resources, provide personalized attention and advocate for our needs will stay with me and my family forever. Jen will be a forever part of my daughters birth story. Shoot, she helped mold it!

-Birth & Postpartum Client, Mom of 3

Jen served as my postpartum doula and she was a god-send!  With her expertise in breastfeeding, she steered me through the first days, weeks, and beyond.  Without her, I would not be enjoying the wonderful benefits of a breastfeeding relationship with my baby.  I thought nursing would begin magically after my baby was born, but it didn’t and I was unprepared.  There just isn’t any way to know everything you will encounter, but Jen was a source of information, strategy, expertise and support in the quickly changing days after the birth.  She gave me loving, hands on help when I most needed it during some difficult times and always went the extra mile to give me support over the phone.  Her effect on my life and my baby’s life has been profound and I recommend her to anyone who wants to make sure they successfully navigate the postpartum period while savoring every wonderful minute with their newborn!

-Postpartum Client, Mom of 1

Jen was instrumental in my successful transition to being a first-time mom in a new city. In fact, as I reflect on the first few months of my daughter’s life, as the lack of sleep and overwhelming reality of a “new normal” contributed to making me feel somewhat unraveled, I’m not sure what I would have done without her. As a certified lactation consultant, doula, and experienced mom herself, Jen wears a number of hats, allowing her to provide support uniquely tailored to the person and situation. She dispensed information on breastfeeding, baby proofing, and the best way to navigate Target with a newborn. She explained the differences between various baby carriers, pointed me to helpful websites, and connected me to community resources. She listened intently, and always immediately answered my messages (if only everyone in our lives were that prompt!). She broke down tasks that seemed scary and insurmountable – like continuing to breast feed after returning to work – into manageable steps. With her gentle, kind, and non-judgmental demeanor, she helped me build confidence in my new role as a mother. From preparing lunch, to dusting my floors, to soothing my baby, she helped me in both humble and monumental ways, and I am forever grateful for her assistance as a postpartum doula. As someone without family in the Syracuse area, I found Jen’s presence in my life to be critical, and I will highly recommend her to my friends in the area!

-Lactation and Postpartum Client, Mom to 1