“Abby assisted us with what we thought was the impossible when our 3 month old infant, Sophie, decided for weeks to stop taking a bottle. Even our pediatrician was doubtful but willing to write a SLP referral for bottle refusal. We introduced a bottle to our exclusively breastfed infant when we were told to around 4-6 weeks in an effort to begin the transition for when I went back to work 8-12 hour shifts, and one day she just stopped taking it. Frustration, stress and hopelessness exponentially grew for my husband and me - we never thought feeding our infant would cause negative feelings instead of positive, bonding experiences. Before coming to Abby, we tried about 10 different types of bottles for over 6 weeks. We feel extremely lucky to have worked with Abby who made us feel confident and comfortable with her plan of navigating this 2 weeks before my work start date. Abby had us start at ground zero, and lovingly referred to her plan as “Bottle Bootcamp”. Using long teethers and just the bottle nipple to start, we successfully reoriented Sophie to the bottle nipple, was able to choose the right bottle for her and began creating positive oral experiences. We slowly increased the duration and amount of milk she took with the bottle, while providing cheek support and following Sophie’s feeding and distress cues. Abby filmed a demonstration video of how she was able to assist Sophie with her suck, and we shared that with her daycare teachers. Her daycare teachers were eager and willing to work with us in an effort to keep the bottle fun and positive. Abby was encouraging and reassuring, and made sure to see us 2-3 times a week along with check ins via text and email in between until Sophie was able to take full feeds in an appropriate amount of time. It took 2 weeks from the time we started with Abby until we accomplished our goals. I now can work a full 12 hour shift or leave Sophie with my husband or other caregivers at home for a few hours knowing she will be fully fed. Now at 5 months, Sophie is able to hold the bottle on her own, and will take a bottle from any caregiver - little things we never thought would happen. We also have been able to maintain her love for breastfeeding and able to go back and forth, a luxury we didn’t realize would be so significant in our lives. we are eternally grateful to Abby to restoring feeding as a positive experience for Sophie and us, and granting me the flexibility to work full time and take time to myself knowing Sophie will be confident eating without her mama when she needs to.”

-Janey

“Abby was incredibly helpful in addressing our daughter’s feeding challenges. At 3.5 months old, she struggled with a shallow latch, poor milk transfer, and difficulty taking bottles, which led to weight gain concerns. Abby thoroughly assessed her oral motor function and made practical, easy-to-implement recommendations, such as switching brands of bottles and pacifiers, introducing oral exercises, and adjusting feeding positions.

As we worked with Abby, feedings became easier, and we no longer felt consumed by stress over milk intake. We could finally enjoy our daughter’s wake windows and focus on bonding. Two months later, we’re still using Abby’s strategies, and our daughter is successfully taking bottles from multiple caregivers.

Abby was always responsive, reassuring, and supportive, checking in frequently and even helping us with a payment plan that worked for our family. I highly recommend her to any family facing feeding difficulties—her combined expertise in speech therapy and lactation makes her approach both holistic and effective. We’re excited to continue working with her as we begin solids and navigate post op care for oral tie releases including tongue, lip, and buccal ties.”

- Katherine

“My son was not latching at just a few days old and I was overwhelmed. Abby listened to what was going on and was able to identify the issue right away and share a simple solution. Her recommendations were easy to understand and implement. I went from having to try to nurse a crying baby, pump, then give a bottle to quickly and easily latching each time. Abby saved our early breastfeeding experience and helped get us off to a great start.”

-Melissa

“Abby and I have known each other since we were 8 years old, so when the time came to find a lactation consultant, I immediately knew who to reach out to. We live in different states, so we discussed the possibility of needing someone nearby who could offer more hands on support if things were tricky, but I can’t say enough how much peace of mind I had knowing that not only was she trained in Lactation but also a Speech/Language Pathologist who was trained in feeding difficulties. Luckily we had a pretty smooth feeding journey, but Abby walked us through a lip and tongue tie revision, post revision care, and any slight hiccups along the way (including any first time mom anxieties around feeding and when the time came, weaning). I am so grateful to have had such a knowledgeable friend and professional to help guide me through that first year and cannot recommend her enough!”

-Jacqui

“I met Abby through my doula and am so grateful we met. She is incredibly knowledgeable and has a positive, upbeat, and encouraging bedside manner. She knows when to be straight and direct while being highly respectful and evidence-based in her recommendations. This expert approach helps her to be super collaborative in problem solving and decision making with her clients. I exclusively breastfed my first child for over 2 years. 

So I came to Abby for help with a solid amount of first-hand experience myself and knew what to look for in the type of IBCLC I wanted to help me. My first baby had a severe tongue and lip tie, which took weeks to figure out and even longer to revise and heal. I also had a hearty oversupply due to the intensive triple feeding we did for the first 3 months of life with our first. 

So, when I found out I had twins, I was worried about re-living that same journey and knew that I’d need to be supported by an IBCLC with direct, first-hand experience, and a deep knowledge of oral ties to navigate that issue effectively and successfully if it became an obstacle. Why does that matter so much, you ask? With my first child, I saw a few IBCLCs initially who were not experienced with oral ties or didn’t know enough about them to recommend we see the right specialist for it. When we finally stumbled upon the right provider (IBCLC and surgical dentist alike), we got the care and game plan we needed to establish breastfeeding. Not every tie needs treatment, but, in our case, we would not have had a successful breastfeeding journey without it, and the first step in that journey is working with the right providers. 

Long story short, Abby knows her stuff! She was incredibly flexible and available, arriving at the hospital on day 1 right when we needed her to help with oral tie assessments and latching. She then continued to visit us at home the following 2 weeks as we worked through some initial latching challenges. What I appreciated most is that while deliberating on whether or not to take one of the twins to a surgical dentist consultation to assess if one of my baby’s ties needed to be released, Abby was able to guide us through decision making and troubleshooting.

Her experience as an SLP layered into her lactation expertise strengthened her ability to help us assess my baby’s ties and work through that decision, too. She was a thoughtful partner as we weighed our options to seek further help or wait to see if we could work through latching problems without requiring a surgical release. We ultimately made it through those challenges, successfully latching and avoiding surgery altogether. 

Aside from that, Abby has been a wonderful cheerleader. As an EBFing mom of twins, there aren’t that many resources out there for my unique scenario, so I have found Abby’s support and expertise all the more impressive. 

Lastly, she takes insurance — need I say more?! Call Abby today!”

-Charlotte