We were told in the hospital my baby was tongue tied- I was not able to get him latched at all. When he was 5 days old, we had his tongue released but still could not get him to latch. On day six, Carrie arrived! Everything changed. Due to only pumping, my breast were quite clogged. After breast massage and teaching me hand expression we remedied that. Then she did exercises for my baby’s mouth and educated me on different positions and how to latch-  then he was ready to go, we got him on! It was a very rough start, but Carrie gave me the tools to get through the next few days and now we have been going strong ever since!

Carrie is an AMAZING lactation consultant. She is a calm, knowledgeable, positive presence during what can be a stressful time for new (or not new!) moms. Carrie was able to quickly identify the breastfeeding difficulties that my son and I were having and walk us through a personalized game plan. During her visit, she shared techniques and advice that I revisited again and again during my time breastfeeding. The initial visit with Carrie was easy to schedule, and she was very responsive when I had follow-up questions. I would recommend Carrie to anyone (and everyone) looking for help with breastfeeding!

Once upon a time my 16 pound 5 month old was a tiny 6.9 newborn who had the worst time latching.  At my daughters newborn appointment, my pediatrician recommended Carrie. The next day we spoke and she came to save the day! Carrie showed me proper hand expressions, and different holds. After lots of adjusting, we got her tiny mouth to latch… we did a weighted feed that showed my baby was taking in almost double the amount of milk her tiny tummy could fit! Carrie walked me through everything. As a very anxious first time single mom, I said breastfeeding may be too stressful and inquired about exclusive pumping. Carrie made me feel comfortable enough to be quite vulnerable and introduced me to a world of exclusive pumping. My daughter and I have been much happier since that has started! Carrie was all in and did not push something that was not for me, but came beside me and helped me every step of the way. From dealing with drops in supply, to awful clogged ducts, growth spurts, supplementing, and even her first cold -Carrie was and still is always a text or call away. With out her I honestly don’t think I would have lasted as long as I did. I am so very thankful for Carrie and her helping me through this journey.

Carrie Dean is a fierce and loving advocate and friend.  I am certain I would not have been successful in breastfeeding my son if it were not for her.

I had challenges with breastfeeding my first son, leaving me unsure and anxious about success with my second child.  Carrie changed everything about this outlook the minute she walked through my door. She was my saving grace in the first week of my son’s life. In the days following his birth, I experienced difficulty with latching. I had always dreamed of breastfeeding, but never could have anticipated the anxiety, frustration, and worry that came along with this natural thing not coming so naturally for me or my baby. 

Carrie came into our home with an open heart and mind and a tremendous amount of knowledge.  She assisted me with several positions to help my baby latch easier. She provided me with tools and resources to utilize during the adjustment period of establishing milk supply and a strong effective latch. She calmed my nerves and helped to normalize the emotions I was feeling.

She caught that the baby had a significant lip tie. She helped us to navigate understanding this oral restriction, how to trouble shoot and monitor at home, and eventually connected us with a specilaist who corrected the oral tie , enabling him to consistently and comfortably latch.  She offered her expertise service of Cranial Sacral Therapy (CST) to help ease the symptoms of tightness and irritability that came with my sons diagnosis of torticollis. CST was an amazing way to see my baby relax which enabled me to take many needed deep breaths in those early days and months.

My experience nursing my second child has been so fulfilling.  Carrie helped create the space for me to be kind and patient with myself and my baby.   I have breastfed now with ease and confidence for 8 months, and could not be more grateful to her for helping me to make this happen.  Most importantly, Carrie encouraged me to give myself grace, and find a balance that breastfeeding doesn’t need to be “ All of nothing”. This advice allowed me to confidently introduce formula before returning to work, which has extended my ability to breastfeed and pump with less stress and more ease.   
I immediately felt at ease after meeting Carrie and listening to the knowledge she had to share. I felt like she brought me countless tools for my toolbox to breastfeed. She made herself available to me- Any questions or concerns I had she addressed calmly, quickly and compassionately.   She helped me to troubleshoot every phase of breastfeeding. From establishing a strong latch, to establishing and preparing a pumping schedule when I returned to my 14 hour work days, managing the fluctuations of hormones and emotions, to now planning for a slow and realistic weaning plan. I am eternally grateful for this wonderful woman. I will tell every new or expecting mom I know about Carrie and hope everyone is as lucky as I am to have her guidance and feel her tremendous devotion for the joys of breastfeeding and motherhood. 

I look back on every moment of breastfeeding thus far with  joy, gratitude, and great pride. Carrie has helped me to cultivate both knowledge and confidence to embrace every moment of nursing my child with such joy and fulfillment. I will forever be grateful to her and look forward to sharing, God willing, moments with her when I am blessed with the gift of another baby.