After delivering my child early by 4 weeks, it was disheartening after meeting with two lactation consultants in the hospital that my baby had difficulty latching. I had originally hoped to breastfeed my baby and transition to the bottle/pumping around 3 months.

It was at the request of her pediatrician that she be on high calorie formula and I could supplement with breast milk. It was a struggle to pump knowing I couldn’t provide my child with the nutrition she needed.

After going to my OB/GYN, a nurse there who was also a lactation consultant provided me with more hands on advice and recommended I reach out to my insurance and see if City Lactation was an option. The pumping journey was still a struggle and my baby was still not latching.

Kristina has been a miracle worker with not just getting my child to latch onto the breast but increasing my milk supply. While I may not be able to only feed my child breast milk, the fact that I can give her anything is still beneficial which Kristina has emphasized in her visits.

With latching, she recommended using a nipple shield and had us practice multiple times so I knew what to expect and feel. She also recommended switching bottle nipples to help the transition. And at 2 months, during her visit my baby finally latched comfortably and for a long period of time. I may not be able to give her much but I can comfort my baby this way and it only deepens the bond we have.
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As for my supply, she helped me determine the correct flange size to improve output (after a completely different size measurement at the hospital and at home) and a pumping schedule that works for me.

Kristina has shown a great deal of knowledge, empathy and patience with me. As a first time mom, its difficult to navigate these new emotions and filter all this information coming at you through friends, family and social media. She made me feel comfortable enough to open up and be honest about my frustrations which only helped ease the burden moms feel of feeding their child. And I appreciate her reiterating that above it all, a mom’s mental health is just as important as the breastfeeding physical portion as it’s all intertwined and all affect the baby in the end.

I highly recommend her to any mom who’s struggling to have their baby latch or need help navigating pumping. Not everyone has the same breastfeeding journey and she has shown her experience and adaptability will help a mom feel success in the end, even if it make look a bit different from their initial expectation.