Carolyn Barrera IBCLC Lactation Consulting

I wholeheartedly looked forward to breastfeeding my baby and it brings tears to my eyes to write this as I nurse my now 15-month-old. I met with Carolyn near the end of my pregnancy to be as prepared as possible for my first baby. Despite my intentions, things did not go as I had hoped. My upside-down baby boy arrived via C-section with a tongue tie so prominent it was spotted by my midwife before we even got out of the recovery room. He could not latch, but thankfully Carolyn and I had discussed a ‘just in case’ plan that gave me the confidence I needed to creatively feed him for the first few days until we could get more support. I reconnected with Carolyn from the hospital and we sorted out the next steps. Continuing to exclusively breastfeed, the baby was healthy and gaining weight beyond expectations. We continued to receive regular support for almost two months until - FINALLY - breastfeeding became what I had hoped it would be.We truly could not have done it without Carolyn’s help. I’m proud of our perseverance and I’m so thankful for Carolyn’s kind support!

Carolyn fixed our latching and nipple confusion issues in just one session. By the end of the day my baby was 100% breastfeeding. None of the advice offered in the hospital or by the midwives worked. I’m glad I didn’t give up and decided to reach out to Carolyn. Highly recommend!

I was referred to Carolyn when I was so close to giving up on my breastfeeding journey. My son was a month old

I began working with Carolyn early on in my breastfeeding journey with my son. As it was my first child, there were so many unknowns and uncertainties with breastfeeding. At several points in my journey I had concerns with my milk supply, and Carolyn was extremely helpful not in only providing me with practical guidance on how to increase my milk supply, but also with providing emotional support and encouragement. I left each appointment with Carolyn feeling more confident and reassured that I was providing well for my son. She always took the time to listen to my concerns and answer all of my questions. With her help, I was able to exclusively breastfeed and had the most beautiful experience nursing my son. I would strongly recommend Carolyn’s consultation services to anyone who needs support on their breastfeeding journey. Thank you so much for everything, Carolyn!

I saw Carolyn for all three of my babies, working through latch and supply issues. Carolyn used her vast knowledge and experience to come up with a plan that worked specifically for me and in a way that was gentle, compassionate and judgement-free. I found successes with each of my babies’ breastfeeding journeys, which at their beginnings seemed impossible. I am grateful for the support and knowledge Carolyn gave me.

I have been working with Carolyn since my 6-month-old son was about 3 weeks old. He latched following delivery, but once we left the hospital he really began to struggle with opening his mouth wide enough to latch properly. This was the source of a great deal of frustration for both him and myself. I sought out Carolyn's help as one of the resources suggested by the hospital. I was feeling hopeless and worried that my son would never latch and that I would either have to exclusively pump as I had been doing, or feed him formula only even though I really wanted to breastfeed.From our very first virtual meeting, Carolyn put me at ease. She provided lots of great feedback and was very kind and empathetic. Now, at almost 7 months old, my son is a big healthy boy who has truly mastered breastfeeding! I am eternally grateful to Carolyn for the support she provided during a really challenging time. To any parent unsure of what steps to take next in their breastfeeding journey, I highly recommend working with Carolyn. You will not regret it!

I started to see Carolyn when my baby was just over a week old. My baby was born small for gestational age and initially had low blood sugar and had to be supplemented with formula. Additionally, he has reflux and had a lot of trouble gaining weight for the first few months. He didn’t latch well at the start and I was sure I would give up breastfeeding. He is now almost 7 months old and thanks to Carolyn’s immense support and invaluable advice, he is thriving, gaining weight well, and I absolutely love breastfeeding. After just 2 months Carolyn enabled me to start exclusively breastfeeding without supplementation while also weaning off the nipple shield. She gave me endless advice and watched my positioning and my baby’s latch over many many video calls. She helped ensure I could establish my supply in the early days by helping me work out a pumping schedule. She empathised so sincerely with how difficult it was for me, which made me feel seen and heard and helped keep me going. She answered every single question I had with the most patience, always smiling, and never making me feel rushed. From day 1, she reminded me that fed is best, and made sure I knew his weight was not my fault, that formula is not a bad thing, and that we can still work towards my goals even with all the hurdles. And we did. She even helped me breastfeed through COVID. She had a huge hand in preventing my PPD because of her constant support. If it weren’t for her, I would have given up breastfeeding before I could even give it a real chance.

I’ve had the immense pleasure of working closely with Carolyn for months since the birth of my daughter.Carolyn was invaluable in my nursing journey, patiently guiding us through supply issues, latching difficulties, pumping schedules and more. She tolerated our many questions ranging from “how much spit up is normal?” to “can I skip a pumping session to get some sleep?”.I never felt judged or silly asking for her guidance and happily drove an hour each way with a newborn on a weekly basis to see her.Having met with a handful of lactation consultants, I can wholeheartedly recommend her services without a doubt. Just get in touch with you. You won't regret it.