Testimonials

Leslie

Leslie offers caring, non judgmental, and extremely informative support.

I had A LOT of difficulty breastfeeding my daughter during the first few weeks postpartum and I honestly thought I would never be able to do it. I had sever pain with nursing and experienced some postpartum depression. During Leslie's visit she spent significant time getting to know me and my daughter and understanding our challenges with nursing.

She offered a variety of solutions to try and we practiced nursing in numerous positions. Even after our consultation, she offered continued support via text messaging, email and phone. I can't tell you how wonderful it was to have someone so knowledgeable on the art of breastfeeding just a phone call away. Leslie's support gave me the confidence I needed to continue trying to nurse notwithstanding the challenges I faced. I am now successfully breastfeeding my 4 month old and Leslie has even offered continued support over the months as I encountered new challenges with breastfeeding and bottle feeding.

Overall, Leslie structures her support around the hopes and wishes of the mother. It is apparent through her work that she is passionate about helping mothers feed their little ones with love. I recommend her with enthusiasm.

-Jessica P. Durham, NC

As a new Mom, I was trying to get my feet under me once I left the hospital with my new baby boy. We had tried breastfeeding briefly in the hospital but did not feel very confident or comfortable when it was time to go home. Until we had our baby boy, we did not realize how overwhelmed we would be with breastfeeding and the implications of the baby potentially not gaining weight. Despite a few decent latches in the hospital with a few different nurses assisting, I quickly found breastfeeding at home to be uncomfortable; Within 24 hours of leaving the hospital, I noticed my nipples began to feel sore, quickly bruised, and started to show signs of broken/injured skin. Since our baby happened to be on the smaller side (we had a 38 week induction) there was a lot of pressure to maintain his weight, which unfortunately dropped by 13% within 2 days. When the pediatrician mentioned supplementing with formula, my heart sank, and I knew we would need to see a lactation specialist immediately. The pediatrician, recognizing my anxiety over formula supplementation and my helplessness with breastfeeding, recommended we contact Beyond Birth as soon as possible. From the second I contacted Beyond Birth, I knew I was in good hands. The office was extremely fast to get back to me, and compassionately squeezed me in to see Leslie Stern. My partner and I instantly felt a wave of hope, energy and relief. Meeting with Leslie and her team was so refreshing, comforting, and encouraging. They went above and beyond to pass us resources, spend the extra time with us as needed, and build up our confidence as new parents. We felt like we hit the jackpot with lactation services, and left our first visit revitalized. We immediately shared with friends and family how our first appointment at Beyond Birth saved our sanity and renewed our hope that our sweet baby would be able to gain back his birth weight and continue to flourish. Within 24 hours of leaving our first appointment at Beyond Birth, our baby gained 8 oz of weight, truly a testament to Leslie's compassionate and quality care. We are so thankful for Leslie, the grace she showed our family by taking us on as clients, and her commitment to helping us meet our feeding goals for our baby. I can not say enough about Leslie and Beyond Birth- her practice is outstanding and we can not imagine what our new parent journey would be like without her help.

-Anonymous

Lorraine

I just wanted to say thank you so much for this morning. I’m already feeling better and more confident now that I have things to work on. It’s the best apt I’ve had with any provider with her since her birth. I really appreciate you fitting me in and taking the extra time that you did. -Corey

Lorraine is an excellent lactation consultant. Her presence is calm and she really seeks to understand your personal circumstances and needs. She is a wealth of knowledge, compassionate, and extremely patient with new parents! We love her and would recommend her to any friends and family in need of lactation support! -Hannah

Lorraine was so incredible! I felt like she heard and addressed all my concerns and was focused on helping me with what works best for my family’s needs. She is a wealth of knowledge, compassionate, and passionate about what she does.

I met with Lorraine one week after the birth of my son. I gained more knowledge about how to nurse in our first visit than I did the entire 72hrs post delivery at the hospital with nurses and lactation consultants. I expect for my baby and I to become more comfortable with nursing day by day and continued assistance with Lorraine and Beyond Birth Lactation Services. A worthwhile investment! -Mimi

I've only had one appointment but Lorraine was very compassionate and listened to all my concerns. She provided me with exercises to help my daughter nurse better. It's too soon to tell if it has been effective but I thoroughly appreciate any help. She promptly answered my questions through the messaging portal, which I am grateful for. -Noelle

I was feeling overwhelmed about breastfeeding and experiencing pain as I tried to feed my one-week-old baby. Lorraine helped me understand approaches I could take to nurse my baby comfortably and it is now an enjoyable experience. There is so much commotion in the first few weeks that it was great to have someone simplify things for me rather than adding to the complexities of being a new mom. -Sarah

Teresa

Teresa was very helpful, direct, and effectively guided me in creating a better latch for my newborn. She was solution oriented when dealing with my nipple cracking and discomfort and her recommendations have worked well for myself and my little one -Samantha S

Everyone at Beyond Birth is truly excellent. Teresa provided so many tips to help with our breastfeeding experience, including achieving a pain-free latch and healing the damage that had already been done. Monique got me set up with correctly sized flanges for my breast pump and better techniques for using it, so that I could pump without discomfort. And Leslie helped us further with our latching problems. Breastfeeding is a completely different and positive experience now-Sarah F

I reached out to Beyond Birth Lactation Services around the 4th week after my delivery. My baby and I had a rough start with latching, low milk production, sore nipples, and painful breastfeeding. I was really concerned about being able to provide appropriate nutrition for my baby and was heartbroken each time he refused to breastfeed. Monique was super responsive and got me in the very next day! She offered help with pumping in addition to the lactation consultation. Monique's help was great! I thought I knew what I was doing pumping, but oh was I wrong! She got me fitted with a more appropriate breast shield increasing the amount of milk I pump in half the time. This has been a huge time saver. Teresa was very supportive and respectful of my goals. She listened and addressed my needs to the fullest. I left with a plan, a few options to get my baby back on the breast, and received a supplement to improve milk production. My baby latches on with ease now and I went from not having enough milk (supplementing with formula) to being able to freeze extra milk as each pumping gets me 2 x the amount I need for each feed. I would recommend Beyond Birth Lactation Services for all breastfeeding mommas whether they are having issues or not as it might improve breastfeeding techniques, and help with milk supply, or pumping -Alice S

We are first time parents that were given bad advice by our birthing hospital in the first weeks of having our baby boy. Our problems were quickly dissolved thanks to the lactation consulting given by Teresa and the pumping session instructed by Monique. We looked forward to every visit and all they had to offer. They are truly wonderful individuals and professionals that go above and beyond for their clients. Thank you guys so much for all your support❤️ -Kristy H

Teresa was extremely helpful in my nursing experience with my newborn. She listened to my questions, gave me lots of information, and treated my baby and me with lots of care. Even as a third-time nursing mom, I learned lots of new things from Teresa that have made for a better experience nursing my baby. I can’t recommend her enough! - Anonymous

Teresa is truly a lifesaver. She helped us understand how to meet our baby’s needs and was so thorough in explaining everything and answering all of our questions. Her calm and competent demeanor gave us much needed confidence! - Crista C

Mattea

I have been super impressed with the attention and support I’ve received from Mattea and others at Beyond Birth Lactation. Their extensive knowledge and experience give me full trust in their advice, which has already made this journey much easier than I’ve experienced in the past. I’m so grateful! -Anonymous

Mattea at Beyond Birth Lactation Services was able to see me, my husband and baby very soon after I initially contacted the center, which I greatly appreciated. At the initial consultation, Mattea was already present and ready for the appointment. She is professional, knowledgeable, and patient with both family and baby. The environment was comfortable and she supplied supportive devices to help with baby feedings and mom's comfort. Questions were welcome throughout the session as well. The session was nearly two hours, in which she was gracious enough to go over our time limit. I would recommend her services to anyone in need of lactation services. My only regret is not scheduling to see her soon after my discharge from the hospital! - Anonymous

As a first time mother and little to no direction for breastfeeding, I was not only at a loss for direction, but I was also struggling with prolonged engorgement and nipple damage. Our visit with Mattea was the best decision that I have made thus far in my 2 week old motherhood journey. Her evaluation of our son was thorough and well-explained throughout our visit. We left the consultation with so much more confidence and hope for our journey than ever before. After following the after visit care plan and only a week later, we have come so far and feel so much better about our situation. I have no hesitation in recommending Mattea and Beyond Birth Lactation Services to anyone. I trust their expertise and it has been proven in my situation- I look forward to continue working with Mattea and her team! -Anonymous

Sejal

Sejal is a miracle worker! She does it all and goes above and beyond to make sure things are right. She is so down to earth, easy to talk to and feels like a friend in your home all while being incredibly professional and comes with a wealth of info. She’s the best, I wouldn’t recommend anyone one else!

Monique

I visited Beyond Birth last year in July after giving birth to my daughter in June. Unfortunately since day one, my baby was unable to latch so I decided to exclusively pump. Prior to my session with Monique I was constantly clogged, producing very little milk, and I’m so much pain. It was such a nightmare and triggered my postpartum depression. But after my session with Monique everything changed - my pain was gone, my supply was great, and I wasn’t constantly clogged. I felt confident that I was able to do this for my baby and I slowly began to come out of my dark place. I’m so grateful to her for taking the time she did with me to size my flanges and really teach me important skills for how to use my Spectra. My baby is 7 months old now and as I’m slowly trying to wean from pumping, I’m reflecting on how grateful I am that I was able to pump for her as long as I did and I couldn’t have done it without Monique’s help. Being educated about pumping really changed the experience for me and by baby for the better, and inspired me to think about a path where I can do the same for other new moms.

Thank you Beyond Birth and Monique for offering this service - the education I received here should truly be a part of every new mom’s postpartum care after delivery.

“Leslie, my baby and I are doing so well since your visit. Breastfeeding is going so much better and you were such a big help to me. I am not having any more pain when nursing, which means the trepidation has gone and we are now both able to enjoy that time. My supply is up and I am so pleased with the progress. I am not religious at all, but I do believe that the universe has a way of helping you access just what you need, when you need it, and you really were that for me.”

-Jennifer, Durham, NC

I only have praise and admiration to share for Leslie.

I first met Leslie the day after I returned from the hospital with my new baby girl. I had started breast feeding in the hospital right after her birth, but our first night home became a different ballgame. Despite reviewing latching and positioning at the hospital, nothing seemed to go right the minute we came home. Both my little one and I were sleep deprived, crying and a little frantic. We called Leslie that morning and were surprised and ecstatic to meet her that afternoon. Immediately upon our first introduction I was at ease, with her calming, reassuring and nurturing manner, it would be hard to feel otherwise. I am so appreciative that Leslie came to our home, where I was able to review the difficulties we were having and employ new techniques in our own environment. Over a few hours, we were able to practice alternative positions as they could be employed day and night. Leslie was complete and thorough in her inquiry, wanting to know as much about us, our desires and needs as she accordingly tailored her advice and teaching. She listened, was compassionate and understanding. After that first session, I not only had more confidence in my ability to breast feed, but also felt reassured that I had someone else to help during those trying times.

After our initial session, Leslie continued to go to great lengths. She would check in routinely by phone or email, continuing to share other thoughts and resources. She not only helped us with our initial difficulties of latching, pain and technique. I also had a decreased supply and we learned a “slow flow.” My little girl had lost a significant amount of weight after delivery (beyond the expected ten percent) and was slow to gain back the weight she lost. Leslie reviewed various measures to aid in both increasing my supply and helping my little girl be as successful as she could when feeding.

I recounted to Leslie during our sessions as well as continue to believe now, if I had not had Leslie’s help, out of panic and desperation to keep my little one content, I wouldn’t have continued breast feeding as I had initially thought I had failed and it was not working for us. I am happy to report however, that at now almost two months of age, we continue to breast feed almost exclusively. My little girl has gone from a weight of six pounds and five ounces at her lowest recorded point after delivery, to almost ten pounds now. We are both so thankful for Leslie’s help and only have the highest respect and recommendations for her.

-Nadia Charguia, MD

We wanted to first thank you and give you an update on our baby. She has been exclusively breast fed for the last 2 months+ thanks to your help and support, and she weighed 14lbs 10oz at her 4 mth

check up at the beginning of March! She is a very happy baby and she is a super eater and pooper now! If it had not been for your advice and help making the appointment, we would have never gone to the ENT, which has allowed her to eat successfully. Also, we probably would not have found such a kind ENT without your recommendation for Dr. Pugh, so an experience that could have been scary turned out to be much better with her kindness and gentle approach. It also meant so much to us during those nerve wracking few weeks to have you be so available to us and check in on us when we couldn't think straight enough to reach out for support. We really cannot thank you enough!!

-Elizabeth, Chapel Hill, NC

Leslie has been a phenomenal help to me. She has helped me establish successful early breastfeeding, and been available for additional help. She does home visits - so incredibly important because she can see you in your usual nursing setting, help you with positioning and latch. Beyond Birth Lactation also rents pumps and scales for the lowest price in town - an amazing service. I am successfully breastfeeding because of Leslie. My daughter is now 3 months old, nursing easily and at 75th percentile for weight. I had a lot of trouble breastfeeding with my first child. If I had only had Leslie with me, it would have been so different. She listened to my concerns, spent a long time going over my questions and came to help me the first day I was home with my daughter. Since then, as questions have arisen, she has quickly responded to emails. I've recommended her to my Lamaze classmates, playgroup parents and everyone I know who is pregnant!

-Meghan A., Durham, NC

I cannot overestimate how integral Leslie was to my breastfeeding experience with my second child. I had significant nursing problems with both of my sons, but this time Leslie helped me to feel much more relaxed, capable, and confident. She possesses a calm and gentle nature which immediately put me at ease, and her education and experience provided the information and perspective that I needed. Plus, the baby melted in her arms! Having Leslie's help was a wonderful experience.

-Jill, Durham, NC

You all were so helpful in building our confidence after bringing our preemie girl home from the nicu. I was nervous for our first visit and y’all made us feel so comfortable. I’ve been especially impressed by how prepared Teresa is at each appointment, and the many many resources she sends as follow up. They make everything feel super personal. Absolutely would recommend beyond birth to a friend.

Michelle L.

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