I have nothing but good things to say about Hawaii Mothers' Milk! They are a donation based…read morelactation service located at Kapiolani hospital. At first I was hesitant to see a lactation consultant and didn't think I would really need it as my baby latched on well when I first was at the hospital. When I returned home, things were different and I found out I wasn't producing as much milk (which can happen in the beginning). As a new mom and wanting to breastfeed my child, it was a bit stressful. Initially I contacted Mahinaona Pediatrics but they did not accept my insurance so I reached out to Hawaii Mothers' Milk and so glad I did! The staff were so welcoming and friendly. They made me and my husband feel at ease and answered any questions we had. The 2 lactation consultants I had were amazing and provided such valuable information and resources on breastfeeding/pumping and how to help increase my milk supply. Don't worry about writing anything down because they will email you all the information they talked about! What's also great is they have a very sensitive scale to weigh your baby before you breastfeed and after you breastfeed so you can see how much milk your baby is getting. Hawaii Mothers' Milk also has a lot of great breastfeeding and pumping supplies. I highly recommend Hawaii Mothers' Milk!

I originally went just to pick up pumping supplies and figured I'd check out the weekly…read morebreastfeeding support group while I was there. So glad I did! It was nice to connect with the other moms and also great to chat with the staff, they are so caring and supportive! My baby had been refusing to bottle feed for weeks and it hadn't occurred to me to ask for help. I mentioned our challenges to Victoria, the lactation consultant, and she encouraged us to schedule an appointment. We ended up returning and getting advice and support on feeding, reading baby's cues, tips on pumping, and how to take better care of baby and ourselves as parents. I wish I had visited sooner to take part in the support group and to get help with nursing and bottle feeding! Hawai'i Mother's Milk is a nonprofit and their services are free. Please if you can donate so they can continue to provide this invaluable support to the community.

When I was a new overwhelmed Mom having challenges nursing my newborn, I found Debbie at Babies…read moreBreast Friend through a Yelp search and sought her 3-pack services for help nursing. Pros: I liked the fact that Debbie offered services right in the comfort of your home instead of having to go to a clinic or hospital. Debbie was knowledgeable having been a newborn care nurse for 25+ years and she was generous offering her time picking up the hospital grade pump from Kapiolani Hospital. And cost wise, Debbie's consultations were reasonably priced at under $350 for 3 in-home consultations. Cons: I had a similar experience feeling pressured and fear-mongered as the user "S.B." below. Debbie was quick to diagnose my son with tongue tie, pushed for tongue tie surgery with a specific pediatric dentist she partnered with in Aiea, and gave a barrage of threats about what would happen to my son if I didn't seek tongue tie surgery with her pediatric dentist. She also recommended taking my son to see a pediatric chiropractor to fix the alignment of his spine. I told Debbie I wasn't comfortable making decisions until I researched about the condition and procedure; that's just my personality I always get multiple opinions or quotes before moving forward. However Debbie continued to pressure me and used fear-mongering saying things like: "If you don't get tongue tie surgery, your son will have problems with speech," "If it weren't for formula, your son would be starving and hospitalized," "You are a nervous mom and you're making your son nervous." As a new Mom undergoing nursing challenges and seeking support, I did not appreciate Debbie's high pressure style and brashness. I cancelled nursing sessions with Debbie after the 2nd session, and got a 2nd opinion from Dr Kahikina at Mahinaona Pediatrics, who was a pediatrician who specialized in working with nursing moms. Dr Kahikina was not only a pediatric doctor who was knowledgeable and helpful, but she was understanding and gracious about my challenges. According to Dr Kahikina at Mahinaona Pediatrics, it turns out that there are 4 types of tongue tie and my son had the type of tongue tie that wasn't guaranteed to be fixed by dental pediatric surgery. After doing thorough research about the 4 types of tongue tie that Debbie did not disclose, I heard from multiple Moms whose nursing and breastfeeding challenges were not fixed at all after getting tongue tie surgery. Many of these Moms regretted getting the procedure done. If you do decide to work with Debbie, I recommend that you come 100% prepared and do your research about tongue tie and the pediatric dental surgical procedure because Debbie will pressure you into getting tongue tie surgery done. There is no guarantee that the surgery will fix your child's nursing challenges and tongue tie is over-diagnosed in the lactation nursing world. If you are uncomfortable, stand your ground. No new mother should ever feel pressured or fear-mongered!

Debbie is just awesome! She gave me so much of her precious time to help my little baby. I had a…read morefeeling that my LO wasn't getting enough to eat while nursing because of tongue ties. I searched the best tongue tie experts on the net and found Dr. Ghaheri, located in Portland. When I contacted him, he suggested that I seek out Debbie. Her expertise is truly unmatched when it comes to Lactation Consultants and tongue ties here on the islands. She came to my home and we discovered my motherly instincts were spot on. My baby wasn't getting enough milk (she weighed her before and after a feeding) because she had an almost class 4 tongue tie and my supply was dropping because she wasn't able to express the milk. For next to nothing I was able to secure 3 appointments with her (I need to mention that she came over one day because I was just exhausted trying to bring my supply up and feed my baby to help me for a whole afternoon into the evening and bring me a hospital grade breast pump). She helped me find a dentist to do a full tongue tie release-by the way, this procedure is covered by Quest for babies. Out of pocket it's around $400 so people accusing Debbie or any LC that they get kickbacks is absurd. Not very lucrative for Dentists to pay out money for something like this. She truly just wants to help the babies! So it's so sad to read reviews on here saying otherwise-The Dentist recommended I do a tongue and lip tie because both were pretty severe. It was like night and day how well she nursed right after the procedure. After having a combination of craniosacral therapy and chiropractic work done she nurses even better and my supply is killer!-Don't skip this step, bodywork is so important. I was luck enough to get Dr. Ann Takata. I am so thankful for Debbie. She was super supportive. Like she told me "I'll go to the ends of earth to help you if you'll go with me". After 3 weeks of going to the ends of the earth; pumping every 2 hours, securing donor breast milk and nursing a little bit and bottle feeding my daughter our life is back to normal. She is almost 10 weeks and after the procedure and body work she now spits up less, hiccups less, is gaining weight properly and her latches on like a champ. Breast fed is simply the best so if you want to achieve this and you have an inclination that your baby isn't gaining weight properly due to a tongue tie don't hesitate to call Debbie! The sooner the better and if you need the procedure done and you need moral support because you feel like 'you can't do that to your baby'(you have to make hard decisions that will hurt your child short-term but be way better for them long term lots of times, believe me!) I know how you feel and you can contact me anytime. I'm a SAHM :) I'm happy to give moral support because I know how important it is for a baby to breastfeed and for the breastfeeding Mom. This is one of the closest bonds on earth! Don't give up, there is hope! (pictures posted)

As a first time mom, you want to provide your baby with the best. And after a long time laboring…read moreleading to a c-section, my milk took a little bit longer to come in. My confidence took a hit knowing I couldn't provide for my little one right away. I knew something had to be done and a referral from my husband's cousin led me to Yuko!!!! Yuko helped my husband's cousin clear up her mastitis and since I came in one week postpartum, turns out I did have plenty milk. Yuko listened patiently and closely to my concerns, then used her magic to carefully massage out the areas needed to get the milk flowing while answering all my questions. I was crazy leaking the next two days since Yuko massaged out all the old milk. The whole time I felt nutured in this safe space. I came out of my inititial two hour appointment so much more knowledgeable about my breastfeeding journey and the next steps for my family. Yuko also helped me see what I needed to feel like for baby to latch properly and comfortably. This latching part and deciding what's in future for baby is still in progress, and I'm so happy to have Yuko on team baby. A big mahalo to Yuko for restoring my confidence and reminding me that I got this! I'd highly reccomend any newborn moms see Yuko. The biggest plus to me was how easy and flexible it is to schedule with Yuko. She is understanding if things come up and can adjust to your schedule as needed.

I was five days postpartum when I reached out to Yuko since my breastmilk hasn't come in and I was…read moregetting worried. She took the time to listen to my concerns over the phone and provided some potential solutions. I decided it would be best to see her in person so I scheduled an appointment. She was able to schedule me to come in 2 days after our phone call. Initial consultation was great and she also did a breast massage. During the massage, my milk started coming in and just needed to get the ducts going. She's also knowledgeable when it comes to baby latching. Overall, would recommend her to everyone especially if you think you have clogged ducts and mastitis. Her breast massage does wonders! She can also be reached via text so scheduling is a breeze.

Our in-person lactation consultant, Nurse Michelle Franz, was excellent. She showed an outstanding…read morelevel of care, expert hands on advice and plenty aloha to mamá and our first born in our breastfeeding journey. While the other telehealth appts from Mahinaona were informative and convenient, they didn't really connect on the personal and intimate level we needed. And for that, we highly recommend Nurse Michelle.

I reached out to Mahinaona to work on latching my little one. As a first time mom, breastfeeding…read morecan be so overwhelming but Dr. Kahikina and her staff are so encouraging and helpful. They provided me with a nipple shied and a case to use and scheduled me for check ins every week. They made my breastfeeding journey so much more enjoyable and realistic. I no longer need to go in for sessions but can still message via their messaging system if I have questions. Overall, a wonderful experience!

Nicky is a healer. If you need help with lactation or breastfeeding, she is a lactation guru and…read moreyou are truly lucky to have found her. I feel bad for the people who really could have benefited from her healing, but were deterred by the other over-emotional and rash reviews. (This is the reason I am writing this review - these other reviews are inaccurate and unfair.) She has tons of happy clients who don't write reviews because they have nothing to complain about... Anyway, my cousin recommended Nicky (Naoko) to me a while back and I finally went. In short, it was a life-changing experience. My daughter started preferring one side over the other, which was concerning because it wasn't being emptied properly and I was going to have to start pumping on that side, etc... Nicky helped me clear out some ducts that were not being emptied properly, and thus, got the energy flowing again. My daughter started nursing again on that side after the breast massage. It was a painless experience for me! She helped my cousin with mastitis and diagnosed a yeast infection. NIC is the only place on the island that practices Japanese Lactation Massage. It is definitely worth the money - it could mean the difference between successful breastfeeding and feeling discouraged without the right support.

Like most novice yelpers, I review when I'm super happy and super upset. Unfortunately, this is the…read morelater. MOMS--please book your appointment cautiously. I have no idea what the benefits of these services may have been because I couldn't even get in the door--literally. No one home. After prebooking my appointment 2.5 months in advance, I happily arrived at my appointment exactly 2 minutes ahead of schedule as not to inconvenience anyone. End result: no answer at the door bell or response from two provided numbers after standing outside for 30 minutes. Being 9 months pregnant and hormonal did nothing to help either. I did however receive an apologetic call 4 HOURS later because she is not even in the country. To be kind, I wish someone would've told me sooner. For any mom, I really encourage you to think twice about booking and be sure your appointment actually exists. Confirmation emails mean nothing. Good luck to all the moms!

Having a place to go for Holistic advice on health and wellness is priceless. Such a safe and…read moreeducational place for new and experienced moms!

From the owner: Honolulu Breastfeeding and Wellness Center assists new mothers in whatever way possible, beginning…read morewith prenatal care, through birthing and on to postnatal and breastfeeding care. We provide education, coaching, and counseling so that the women can make the correct decision.

My wife just gave birth yesterday and she heard a lot of the benefits of placenta encapsulation…read more After hearing about lotus birth services, she decided to have me contact Crystal for preparation of placenta consumption through encapsulation. What a wonderful person crystal was to work with. I was already stressed enough with everything following the arrival of my son, but she made it so much easier to deal with the placenta. She came to Kapiolani hospital to pick up the placenta and delivered the pills back the following day. Her method of preparation is also worry free. Definitely recommend this place if you have any questions or services for anything birthing related.

I contacted Crystal about placenta encapsulation after a close friend recommended her. After I met…read morewith Crystal I immediately regretted not having set her up as my doula for the entirety of my pregnancy. Crystal is professional yet sweet and you can tell she truly loves what she does. Not to mention, her prices are very reasonable for the care you are receiving. I had my placenta encapsulated and had a tincture made. Crystal was super helpful in explaining the process and making sure I was taken care of. I waited a few days after I gave birth to start the placenta pills because I wanted to catch up on sleep first and I only wish I had started them sooner. Since taking them I have lost all signs of baby blues, I feel great, and have noticed an increase in my breastmilk supply. I highly recommend Crystal for both placenta encapsulation and doula services.

Jill was truly incredible throughout my entire journey as my doula-- from pregnancy to labor and…read moreeven into postpartum. She brought such a deep sense of peace, confidence, and calm during a time that can feel so overwhelming. Her steady presence, encouragement, and knowledge made me feel safe, supported, and empowered every step of the way. I genuinely cannot imagine my experience without her by our side. If you're looking for a doula who will advocate for you, nurture you, and bring such grounding energy into your birth space, Jill is the one. And as a huge bonus for military families, she accepts Tricare, which makes her support even more accessible. I'm forever grateful for her.

Amazing doula services and classes. Excellent communication and responsiveness. Allowed me to have…read morea successful vbac:)

BEST DECISION I COULD HAVE EVER MADE. If you are a mother wanting to feel empowered with your…read morepregnancy and birth, please do yourself a favor and hire Selena and her team. You could be in no greater care than with these incredible women. Words cannot express how grateful I am to have had this experience. During my first pregnancy, I was living in LA and had every intention of giving birth in a hospital. By 35 weeks pregnant, I felt uneasy with the care I was receiving by the OBGYN and wanted to seek out other options. Long story short, I ended up hiring a midwife and doula and gave birth at home 3 weeks later. It was one of the best days of my life. With this second pregnancy, I knew I wanted another home birth from the absolute get-go, so this was my first experience having midwife care from the beginning of my pregnancy up until 6 weeks postpartum. Selena, Jasmine, and Amber have been the most gracious, helpful, knowledgeable, supportive, and loving team I could have ever hoped for. No matter what hour of the day (or night) they have been there to answer any questions and guide me through the entire journey. The level of care I received is unmatched. Truly, I can go on and on about how much I am an advocate for home birth, especially with a team like this one. I had the home birth or my dreams, in large part due to them. I trust no team more than them. We are family. Love them forever.

my husband and i had the pleasure working with Selena, Amber and Jasmine. we were both iffy about…read moregoing to a hospital for check ups and birth. having a home birth can scary as well but these ladies made it so stress free! Selena answered the million questions we had for her. made us feel that this was definitely the way to do our birth! i loved how she let us be hands on with what we asked. my husband caught our baby and handed her right to me. so beautiful and amazing. my body recovered amazingly as well. i've had 2 births in the hospital and this has been the best one yet! we got the HK Package a little pricy but worth it. it included the birth pool and liner. they also set up and break down for you. this was great since it allowed my husband and i to bond with our newborn with a clean atmosphere. i also used Jasmine service for my placenta made into capsules. this is a separate price not included in the package. after the birth, Amber was very attentive to our needs. she responded quick to our text and calls. she never made me feel as if i was a bother. she is very knowledgeable especially when it came to questions on breastfeeding. all my worries were normal lol but it helped when she provided information! Amber you were an amazing doula. if we're still on island for our next baby we would love to work with y'all again! thank you ladies!

We are so grateful to have found Cindy! This was my 2nd low intervention / no pain medication birth…read moreand she was the second doula we have used. We thought the first one was incredible. Cindy exceeded our expectations!! She has experience in teaching childbirth classes so was able to lead us through simulations before the birth to assist my husband to support me in labor. During my labor she was there the entire time and was good at changing positions to help keep labor progressing and my husband involved in supporting me. She was very mindful of our birth plan, for example she advocated to be sure our nurse learned how to change the bed to a squatting position with the bar in early labor. Baby came quickly, had she not done this our nurse would not have known how. She stayed and helped us move to the postpartum room ensuring breastfeeding was well established before she left. She also came to our home a few days after the birth to help out and made me a postpartum ginger soup and a egg drop one and assisted with helping me learn how to baby-wear a newborn. She has a wealth of knowledge of childbirth & postpartum care & worked well with with the hospital staff. Cindy possesses positive energy and a intuition to know how to help without being intrusive. Mahalo nui loa Cindy!! Highly Recommend!!

Hiring Cindy as my doula was one of the best decisions I made in my life. I didn't have the best…read moreexperience with the doula I hired for my first child (wasn't bad just wasn't a good fit), so when I was getting ready for my second, I wasn't so sure I really wanted to go through the trouble of finding another one. I was planning to have a hospital birth but also wanted to go without unnecessary medication, and wasn't so sure my husband and I could do it without extra support. I'm soooooo glad I searched for a doula and found Cindy! She was very intuitively sensitive of and attentive to our needs as a whole family (and not just me) and even paid attention to the needs of my older child. She didn't push any agenda on us or make us feel judged. She made every effort to listen to what we wanted with our birth and after care plan and gave us the space to figure it out when we weren't sure. She also seemed to just know what we needed without us really knowing it or being able to articulate it ourselves. The best part was how supportive she was in so many practical ways after the birth without being overbearing and invasive (like some family members can be). Even though I have pretty supportive family around, having the attentive support of another impartial, caring woman I could trust during a very vulnerable time made my second birth experience so much smoother, easier, and full of joyful memories. She met with us before the birth to get to know us, and was not only there with us before, during and after labor, but she also checked in on us a couple times in the weeks after to provide whatever support we needed at the time. My husband and I continue to talk about what a great experience that was because of Cindy. I don't regret a single penny spent on her services. I highly recommend Cindy to my pregnant friends even if they're not looking for a doula!