After having so many frustrations with breastfeeding, I knew I needed to get professionals involved. Upon my search for a lactation consultant via Yelp, I was really hopeful that Ms. Sara accepted Tricare, and low and behold she does! I checked one day for availability and realized the next day that she fills up fast! What I have to say is if you have any breastfeeding needs, then MAKE YOUR APPT ASAP WITH SARA. She has an extensive pre-visit form which gives her an idea of what we are looking for. I had issues with latching & my pump supply, and she provided coaching, encouragement & hands on assistance at the very first visit. She is educated, relatable, fun & just an absolute delight. It feels so nice to have someone like her to come to my house when I was feeling so hopeless and lost about my breastfeeding needs. As a new mother, having someone like her is a god send. I had nothing but smiles when my baby latched. For Sara, it was like leading a moth to a flame. She also provides follow up documentation that details what we went over, any resources related to breastfeeding (apparel, creams, etc) and her # for any follow up questions. I am so thankful to have met such a wonderful person, and am positive she will help so many others w/ their needs. Thank you Sara! read more

I'm a new dad, and I am so thankful that my wife called you for lactation services. I went with her to another lactation consultant who made us feel terrible and essentially told us that there was no hope for our son to be breastfed. You not only came to our home and worked with my wife, you provided a plan and guidance that was so desperately needed. You showed her the exercises to give our son, and different techniques. I am proud to say that our son is 100% breastfed, and is very happy and healthy. I cannot thank you enough for the peace that has come from your services. read more

Sara is amazing! We set up an appointment ahead of time, for following our scheduled induction because we already knew about the importance of lactation support and she came highly recommended. We are so glad we did since we had a rough time with breastfeeding in the hospital having to use the SNS system. We had to feed our little girl with donor milk through a nipple shield and feeding tube which we continued at home. By the time we met with Sara, we exhausted and overwhelmed with feeding. She helped us successfully transition our little one to breastfeeding on demand in a relatively short time and she's been such a great sounding board as new challenges arise. She's got great bedside manner and is such a positive and fun person to work with. We cannot recommend her enough for lactation support! read more

Sara is a warm hearted person. She is not only a master at her craft, she is patient, relatable and meets you where you understand the information that best suits you. She even follows up with a document, which is so helpful. I've seen her a few times and every appointment she resolutes, gives great tips and tricks and answers all questions. I highly recommend her and the care she brings! Thank you Sara. read more

Milky Way Lactation - Knocked out breastfeeding results with my baby and Sara's helpful services. - Lactation Services Near Me - Oceanside, California

The best! Baby number three but felt like the first. Listened to all my concerns and took her time helping baby latch, didn't make me feel rushed. I thought my baby would need surgery for tongue tie, Sara helped me discover daughter was getting enough milk by the weigh in. Fast forward 7 months and worried my supply was dipping. Sara's response was the same, in working on fitting me into her schedule, her sweet disposition makes me feel comfortable during appointments and explanation of solutions to problems makes sense and encouraging that I can get through the frustration. After each visit she sends detailed notes on how to move forward which is great for me who forgets everything! Schedule with her now! read more

Milky Way Lactation - Lactation Services Near Me - Oceanside, California

My wife writes: I reached out to Sara after having multiple issues with my breastfeeding journey, I was on the brink of giving up! I was experiencing excruciating deep breast pain, which I felt wasn't being properly addressed by my doctor. My little one was so fussy and I felt like I was always feeding him round the clock. As soon as he came off the breast, I felt like he was going back on. I was also expressing only a total of 1 oz at each pump session. I was able to schedule an at-home appointment with Sara. All communication was either email or text. Her appointment set-up is very streamlined and organized, she sends an intake form for you to fill out prior to the appointment. This helped me write down all my concerns and what my goals were for meeting with her, which in a frazzled and desperate state, really helped me stop and think about what I wanted to address. I think this actually helped me prepare for our appointment as well. She was prompt to all our scheduled appointments. From our first meeting, she was so friendly and personable. She was very sweet with how she handled our little one. I recommend doing an at-home appointment with her because she was able to assess our little baby. She found that his tongue tie had not been resolved, despite being clipped shortly after birth. She also weighed him before and after a feeding to find out that he was not getting as much milk from me. She came up with a plan with the goal of increasing my milk supply, getting our little baby to gain weight, and no breast pain. Long story short, we saw a pediatric dentist she referred us to for his tongue tie, our little guy gained weight, my milk supply has been increasing and I no longer have any breast pain! We were no longer dealing with an extra fussy baby at night either, bed time is a smoother process than before! She addressed all of our concerns and was super supportive. She truly helped me gain confidence in breastfeeding again. read more

This review is long overdue! I booked an in person consultation with Sarah because I was having terrible pain during latching with my newborn. Sarah was able to give me specific and actionable advice to help little one latch as well as spot on care instructions to heal my damaged nips. Sarah gave me confidence to continue on our breastfeeding journey and I am so grateful for her support and knowledge. I actually brought her back to help address excess spitting up and she was really helpful with that as well. She even showed me how to use my moby style wrap. If that weren't enough she brought out stamps/art for my 3 yr old and helped her be part of the appointment. She wore a mask and gloves the entire time she was in our home. She is professional with excellent bedside manner. I'd recommend Sarah to anyone in need of custom tailored lactation support. read more

Sara was very knowledgeable and answered all my concerns! Gave me helpful tips and was very gentle with my baby as well as when she helped to put her on my breast read more

There is a ton of information out there to prepare you for breastfeeding, but unless you've done it before you're most likely going to struggle. I had so much help at the hospital and completely took advantage of it. However, by the end of day two my breasts were raw and inflamed. The nurses tried to get my baby to take to a shield but she was not having it. She wants the raw goodz. They sent me home with a wave saying it will get better as she grows. My baby girl was in the low percentage for birth weight loss and this we were really trying to get her weight up. She was also cluster feeding like crazy so I was in constant tears by day 3. Cracked, bleeding, inflamed and oh so angry breasts. I searched for local help online and thankfully came across Milky Way Lactation. I was able to book an appointment for the next day and instantly felt hopeful that it was going to get better! Milky Way Lactation sends you a survey that is very detailed. It will ask you what your current experience is, your needs, and your goals. Filling it out actually refocused me on my desire to breastfeed for awhile. The next morning Sara contacted me for confirmation and was here at my house a few hours later! Sara is absolutely incredible and very easy to relax with. She brought a huge bag with different options to suit my needs. She first wanted to know what has been going on and then we weighted the baby. She made sure there were no obstacles in the way of latching like tongue or lip tie. We then went into pumping because I was entirely unsure of what I was doing. Sara found the right size for me and even had a product that makes it so much easier and pain free!! After that we moved into breastfeeding. She observed us then went into a deep dive on how to fix the pain. After being told countless times she will grow into breastfeeding I had assumed I was taught the right latch at the hospital. However, I was not and Sara fixed it all. I went from a 10 in pain to a 5 instantly and as I healed the next few days it lowered even further. She taught me the right latch, different positions, the proper way to align our bodies, and ques that the baby will have when done. Everything was so incredibly helpful and she really did make it an easy learning session. After Sara left I was entirely empowered. I had a rejuvenated desire to continue down this breastfeeding path. Everything is so much better now!! Sara has texted a few times to follow up on us. At any point we can have her come over for a second session which is amazing. Her prices are entirely reasonable for the investment you're about to make. I will absolutely recommend her to everyone. I will also be gifting her services to a few new momma's that are due soon. Breastfeeding is so important and I'm happy I can do it without pain. read more

Milky Way Lactation - Milky dreams - Lactation Services Near Me - Oceanside, California

Sara is AMAZING! I first saw her in December after having a very hard time breastfeeding my 2 month old. I was often time bottle feeding with expressed breast milk because it was easier than breastfeeding. I was terrified and embarrassed to get help for something that is "supposed to come natural" to mothers. After a friend continuously recommended Sara, i finally made an appointment. Sara seriously changed the game! She taught me how to help my baby latch and helped me enjoy breastfeeding. I now EBF and it is a breeze. I bf my baby on an airplane this past week and i would have NEVER had the confidence to do that if it weren't for Sara! On another note, she is also extremely kind and personable. She makes you feel comfortable and remembers little details about past conversations! It's always a joy getting to see Sara & i highly recommend her services! Thank you so much for all of your help, Sara!! read more

Milky Way Lactation - Lactation Services Near Me - Oceanside, California

Sara is incredible!! My baby and I were having a really hard time with breastfeeding, and i found Sara through yelp and was able to schedule an appt with her through The Lactation Network (which helps to work with insurance and make sure there is no cost you...google it!). So far I've had two appointments with her and they have been so incredibly helpful. Baby and i are making strides in our breastfeeding journey thanks to Sara. She is always available via text (which i SO appreciate), and is so kind, encouraging and helpful. I am so grateful I found her! If you're in the North County San Diego area I highly, highly recommend her. Can't say enough good things! read more

Milky way Lactation helped me a great deal during my child's newborn fase and at the stage of me going back to work, Sara helped me figure out schedules and how to feed and meet my babies nursing demand, she also helped me build a milk supply for when the time came for me to go back to work, I've had a successful breast-feeding story in thanks to her services. Sara did in home visits and virtual appointments which were of great help. read more

Sara is by far the best lactation consultant I have ever used. I felt so comfortable the whole visit as she showed me how to get a proper latch. My baby had lost 13% of her birth weight and the doctors were really pushing formula if I couldn't get her to eat enough at breast but with Sara'a help and expertise we were able to get her gaining weight and get my milk regulated to the amount she needs! I only needed to pump and feed the pumped milk through sns for a few days and now she is nursing great and gaining all thanks to Sara!! I highly recommend her for all breastfeeding needs! Thank you Sara for all your help!!! read more

My wife and I contacted Milky Way Lactation because our newborn baby girl was having trouble latching on for feeding. It was such a struggle. My wife and I were getting really worried about it. Then Sara came to the rescue! She was clearly prepared, knowledgeable, and professional. She had a long and patient talk with my wife (and me). They tried a few things out with the baby followed by a great set of recommendations to help solve the problem. Now the baby latches on with no problem, and Dad does a few bottle feedings at night with complete confidence. I can't say enough good things about our experience. Thank you for providing such a valuable service to our family and community, Sara! read more

Sara has been a lifesaver in my breastfeeding journey! I had an issue with a big drop in supply when my daughter was 3 months old. Sara was able to identify the issue and recommend feeding strategies to ensure my daughter gets enough food and help build my supply back up. She was really helpful in every aspect from positioning to pumping and everything in between. My husband also got a lot of education when it comes to bottle feeding and understanding breastfeeding in general. Sara is super sweet and will put you at ease right away. I highly recommend her! read more

Omg where do I begin?! I was lucky enough to locate Sara through a quick google search. She responded so quickly and we set up a visit very shortly after. When she first came out, I was on the verge of giving up on breastfeeding. She was sooo supportive and gave such great tips and advice that I was quickly excited to keep trying. When she first met my baby, latching and breastfeeding was almost non-existent! Using her tips, I was able to get baby to latch long enough to make progress. I called Sara out a second time as I began to get frustrated again and she gave even more useful tips and advice! Since then, my baby has been latching like a pro and has now been able to extract milk!! She's satisfied and no longer fussy at the breast. Sara saved my breastfeeding journey and I would highly recommend her to anyone! read more

I was struggling quite a bit along my BF journey with my newborn and experiencing quite a bit of pain. I scheduled an at home visit with Sara and she taught me so much (being this was my second baby)! Her methods and tips greatly improved my BF experience that I now feel so much more confident! I highly recommend Sara if you're needing any sort of guidance, she will not disappoint! read more

Amazing experience! I left the appointment feeling confident in my breast feeding journey! Would recommend anyone who needs help with breast feeding. Sara made sure I was comfortable during the entire appointment felt like I was talking with a close girlfriend. read more

As a first time mother I was having a difficult time successfully getting my baby to latch. After our first wellness visit on day 4 of birth we were left slightly traumatized on what our sons pediatrician considered "successful." When I think of feeding my baby I think of a peaceful bond and thats not what she promoted. We came home feeling frustrated but to our luck we found Sara. She was able to commute to our residence and she even was able to fit me in the next day! She showed me a few different methods of feeding and answered all of my questions. Sara was very patient, knowledgeable, and most importantly, gentle. She also sends out a care plan after your meeting with all the great info discussed. Thanks to Sara I am able to get my son to latch, gently! read more

Sarah has been a God send in helping me with my breast feeding challenges. At one month post partum my anxiety really set in with regard to the pain I had been experiencing while nursing my daughter on my left side. I had breast reduction surgery four years prior and I didn't know whether or not the pain was nerve damage from surgery or poor latching. What struck me as odd was that my daughter had no issues latching on my right breast and I felt no pain on that side either. While we worked on determining the source of my pain, Sarah recommended I pump my left side while nursing on my right to maintain my supply. She helped me get comfortable using the football position which my daughter took to well. We continued to try different positions and I continued to pump to maintain my supply when things got difficult. After concluding my daughter's latch was great, Sarah determined that the source of my pain was the residual fibrous scar tissue from my surgery. The scar tissue was causing extreme discomfort during letdown and some feeds (depending on extra pressure from certain positions). Sarah then recommend using coconut oil to massage around the scar to try and break up the tissue as well as doing compressions during feeding on that side which has definitely helped relieve some of the pain. Sarah saved the breastfeeding relationship I have with my daughter and equally important, she helped me calm down when panic set in that I couldn't do it anymore. I'm so grateful to her for encouraging me to keep trying when things got tough and I highly recommend her services to any mother. read more