Peggy's help was life changing. If you're having any doubts, stop. Just give her a call. I was about to give up on breastfeeding, but because of Peggy, I'm still breastfeeding 4 months later (happily and pain-free to a chubby baby). She helped us through a phone call, in person visit (pre-COVID), and video consult. My induced labor ended in an emergency C-section. On top of that, I was separated from my daughter because she had to go to the NICU. This complicated my ability to breastfeed even more. We are first time parents, and came home with little to no instruction from the hospital. I was not producing enough milk for my baby and she was crying of hunger. I was also severely engorged. It was a difficult first week home. Out of desperation, we searched online for a lactation consultant. After contacting 3 different people, Peggy was the most helpful over the phone. She took her time on the call and offered advice for my engorgement. We immediately felt her kindness, compassion, and empathy. I followed her instructions over the phone and was able to resolve the engorgement! Now onto breastfeeding... Although the engorgement went away, I still struggled with getting a good latch and scheduled to have Peggy come for an in home visit. Peggy was able to identify my baby's tongue and lip tie (even though the pediatrician at the hospital said my daughter didn't have either). Once we got her lip and tongue tie removed and followed all her breastfeeding advice, my baby started gaining a LOT of weight. A few weeks after the home visit, I was still having some difficulty getting a consistently good latch and I would feel pain when breastfeeding. Due to COVID-19, we did a video consult instead of an in-home visit. Peggy was able to help me manipulate baby and myself in a better position to help with the pain. She would help me visualize the proper way to position myself and baby by demonstrating her props and baby doll. It was awesome to get help in the comfort and safety of my home! I know it sounds impossible or not nearly helpful enough, but a video consult can work perfectly fine during these difficult COVID times. It is definitely better to get help in a safe way than to go through this journey alone. I would recommend Peggy over and over again. She truly cares about her clients. She follows up and provides plenty of information to make sure you have the information to keep you and your baby happy and healthy. read more

This review is long overdue. Peggy is a lifesaver. After giving birth to a 9lb baby I was determined to breastfeed. Upon coming home from the hospital, we noticed that our baby didn't pee as much. And when he did it was accompanied with orange/rust crystals on his diaper - a sure sign of dehydration. That's when we started to panic. I thought my son was getting enough milk because I was bfd'ing on cue. At this point, my nipples were raw and I was hurting a lot. My baby was born Tuesday, I look at Lactation Consultants on Yelp and found Peggy. I call her on Friday and she was at my doorstep on Sunday. Peggy introduced us to the world of tongue ties. My son had a lip and tongue tie that was hindering him from latching properly. Peggy endorsed the services of Dr. Yazdi and the next Tuesday, my son underwent a frenectomy. Problem solved. Peggy did a follow up visit, she answered all of our questions and she definitely helped me out a lot when it came to engorgement and plugged duct issues. She went above and beyond my expectations. She is the best! read more

Peggy is an amazing IBCLC and her knowledge extends well beyond lactation but to all the other things that can be impacting the breastfeeding relationship. She not only helped when I was struggling 1 week postpartum with poor latch, damaged nipples, tongue and lip tie, engorgement (the list goes on); but she also was so encouraging and supportive of me as a brand new first time mom. I was an emotional reck and she helped me to feel confident and encouraged my family as well. She is well educated and keeps herself up to date on current research and information. You cannot go wrong with Peggy! :) read more

What a nightmare breastfeeding has been. There's so much nobody tells you, but like a dream come true, Peggy Hinkle saved the day. I had a C-Section because the amniotic fluid was causing an infection and raising baby's heart rate. To be cautious, baby was put in NICU for 2 days. During this time, I wasn't able to see my daughter as much in order to nurse and they were giving her formula. I was getting so many conflicting instructions from every nurse and doctor we came into contact with. Each one had a different way of nursing. After a few days, my nipples started to sting. We also found out that baby was gaining weight slowly so they suggested we see a lactation consultant. I am so grateful we met Peggy. We called her and immediately set up an in home appointment. I was actually nervous about having to leave the house but as fate would have it, Peggy was conveniently located in Alameda, right near our house and able to come to our house immediately. She was so gentle and incredibly knowledgable. She was very sweet and compassionate towards my little girl. She weighed baby to make sure we could see how much she was drinking. She immediately assessed that baby has tongue tie. Which is a VERY common issue, in which the frenulum (the string thing under the tongue) is tight and restricts tongue movement. There is a lot more information here: http://www.breastfeedingbasics.com/articles/tongue-tie. It's a big deal because it makes breast feeding difficult. It can also lead to speech problems later on. We are SO mad that BOTH the hospital and our pediatrician missed this diagnosis but Peggy assured us that it is SO common that most doctors don't even look for this issue. We were a little concerned as to the direction this would take us in but she was very sympathetic and gave us all the information we needed. We did our own research and her information was dead on. She suggested that baby get a frenotomy sooner rather than later and suggested a few doctors who would perform the procedure. Against her suggestion, we saw Dr. Wallach at Alameda Pediatrics but she has no idea what she's doing so please don't go to her. We should have listened to Peggy. Peggy did a follow-up visit to make sure things were going well and suggested an ENT in Fremont which we saw. The procedure was life changing. A lot better than Dr. Wallach. Peggy came to visit us again to make sure baby was feeding properly. She was there for us 100% of the way. Peggy is a dedicated and compassionate woman. She was in constant contact with me via text and phone. As a new mom without a mother of her own, it was so amazing to have someone there for me to guide me. Peggy is there to help you be successful with breast feeding so you can provide your child with a lifetime of good health. Her prices are reasonable and she's worth every penny. I highly recommend working with Peggy before you give birth, as well as after. Her knowledge is incredibly valuable and will help you and your baby breast feed the way nature intended it. read more

Peggy is incredibly heart centered and skilled in her profession as a postpartum doula and a lactation consultant. She takes her job very seriously and it is a delight to meet someone so good at what they do. I am blessed to have found Peggy at the right time. I was dealing with some serious challenges after just having given birth and not really having a plan for aftercare or support. After making a few phone calls, first to La Leche, I realized I had a problem. My baby wasn't wetting enough diapers or very alert at the time. Nor was I in a position to feed, because I was just in so much pain. Peggy was luckily available in the same day for assistance--which I needed immediately. Initially I thought it was the doula side of Peggy I needed. She arrived and immediately helped my engorged breasts by implementing a protocol that I had only seen a link online for and needed help with. She insisted on feeding the baby with the milk that was leaking out of my breasts by finger feeding and measurement. I quickly understood that my well being was linked with my baby's and once my baby was happy, I would be too. Peggy's lactation advisor skills took precedent. As a new mom, many people want to offer their suggestions and support and I had more than my share of people I was listening to. Peggy made it clear she wanted to be "my person" of authority and I am so grateful she made this suggestion. I quickly let everyone else's opinions and insights go and developed trust with her advice and skill. This was VERY important. My child's health and vitality improved drastically by working with Peggy. We were working with elevated bilirubin which was undetected or minimized by the midwives at first and saw an amazing chiropractor thanks to her referral --Radiant Health in Alameda--which was absolutely a magical treatment and continued the progress. Peggy was there to put us back on track realizing we had a rough start but that we could quickly steer in a better direction. After 3 weeks my baby is back at his birth weight and we have his latching problem which would have been undetected--- fixed!! Thanks to Peggy, we got the right assistance at the right time. Visiting the chiropractor was a necessity to my child at a critical phase as was getting the right referral to a dentist for the tongue tie amendment. We had what was considered a "minor" problem, but having it fixed has made ALL the difference. Thank you Peggy!!! Yay for babies and lactation consultants!! And angels. Peggy's a real life angel. She continues to be a reliable source and encyclopedia of trusted information sites. Maybe a little too much info at times, but hey, i'm not complaining. read more

After 8weeks of painful breastfeeding and pointless visits to another lactation consultant, I reached out to Peggy as I was ready to quit nursing. She confirmed that my baby had a lip and tongue tie, something I had suspected she had but no other health professional had mentioned it despite my protests of pain and discomfort. She came to our house and really took the time to listen to me and offered me the support I needed when I was at my breaking point. We still have a ways to go in fixing the breastfeeding issues, but I feel so much more hopeful after having worked with Peggy. She is very knowledgable and I will recommend her to all my friends! She also offers a weekly drop-in group for breastfeeding moms, check out her Facebook page for time/location. read more

HIRE PEGGY NOW!! What a huge lifesaver and blessing she has been for my family and infant son! I reached out to Peggy after struggling to address breastfeeding issues with four pediatricians and two in-network Lactation specialists. She promptly returned my phone call after checking on appointment availability, made the trek from North Bay to South Bay THE SAME DAY, and spent four hours performing an assessment on both my techniques and my son's issues. But here's the thing- she nailed the issue within the first five minutes! I'm following up with our care provider to get additional help- Peggy has already provided half a dozen referrals. She has also continued to be engaged in our progress and has sent link/research resources, support material, PT work, and more! She is fantastic and absolutely deserves the very highest rating!!! TY PEGGY!! read more

Peggy is absolutely wonderful - she saved my breastfeeding relationship with my son! During pregnancy, I planned on breastfeeding but didn't expect the challenges that came with my decision. Within two weeks of nursing my son, I had deep cracks and fissures. I began to pump exclusively but found that the cracks were getting worse! By 3 months, I was ready to throw in the towel. Enter Peggy. She diagnosed my son's tongue tie and showed me how to pump correctly to reduce the cracking. A little over a month later, I am exclusively breastfeeding my son - all thanks to Peggy! Can't recommend her enough! read more

I can't imagine a better, more professional post partum doula. Peggy literally saved my life as a new single mother with recovering from a c section. I suffered from post partum hypertension. When my blood pressure went up to 170 I called the doctor and was told to come in. I had no one to help with my new born. I called peggy that sunday she showed up, took me to hospital, held my baby while i had all these test done, and stayed with me while i picked up my meds. Peggy was amazing. Her help is invaluable. read more

I highly, highly recommend Peggy Hinkle. She was referred to me by my doula after having problems breastfeeding. I called Peggy and she fit me in that same day. She was really knowledgeable about breastfeeding and took her time to fully assess what was causing the feeding problems. She came to the conclusion that my son had a posterior tongue toe. She provided tons of info on tongue ties and assisted me in navigating the hospital system (since kaiser isn't as versed on tongue ties.)I was finally able to get my son's tongue clipped and he was able to nurse and finally gain weight. She really was a breath of fresh air for me in my time of dire need. My son hadn't gained weight in 10 days and other lactation consultants misdiagnosed me and put me and my baby on different medications that weren't helping. Thankfully I met Peggy and trusted in her. I saw her again 9 months later and she recognized us! It was great to see her! read more

Peggy is AMAZING!! We hired her for 3 months of postpartum work with our newborn twins, and she was absolutely wonderful. From the moment she arrived, she filled our home a sense of peace that does not come easily with newborns. As I recovered from a c-section, Peggy cared for me AND the babies seamlessly. She taught me so much about having newborns, from how to feed them to bathing to getting them to nap. Peggy is a great teacher of breast-feeing, and as breast-feeding became increasingly difficult for me, Peggy supported me entirely with the (emotionally difficult) change of plan. I feel so grateful to have had Peggy as my postpartum doula, and recommend her highly to anyone whom just had a baby (or babies!). read more

We were so blessed to have had Peggy Hinkle support our family after the birth of our twin boys last fall. We used her for both postpartum doula services as well as lactation support. Peggy is an enormous part of the reason that the postpartum period after my twins were born was one of the happiest times in my life. After a traumatic and scary first birth with my older son, who spent a good amount of time in the NICU, the experience this time around was relaxed, calm, and in the moment. With Peggy's support and gentle guidance, I was able to recover from my c-section, and become confident in caring for my babies, and just enjoy them. She knew when to step in and delegate, and she also knew when to step back and go with the flow. She played with my older son, who has some special needs, and helped him feel included. She cared for the babies, while I was able to spend regular mommy time with my older son, which was very important to me. And after a bit of a rough start with nursing, nine months later, I am still nursing my twin boys! Thanks, Peggy! read more

Peggy came to help us when our daughter was just two days old. We were struggling to feed, my daughter was losing weight and I was in such pain. We had already seen our pediatrician, who had told us our baby was not tongue tied. Peggy came in, so warm and reassuring, and immediately found both a posterior tongue tie and an upper lip tie. She helped me learn to feed with a shield and referred us to Dr Yazdi where we had both the ties corrected with laser when our daughter was just 5 days old. Peggy spent time with us, helping me not only with the pain of feeding my daughter and spotting both the tongue and upper lip ties, but also being a reassuring and comforting presence. She held my hand while I had a good cry and helped me to see it wasn't something I was doing wrong. It is thanks to Peggy that my daughter and I managed a successful and happy 15 months breastfeeding. I would not hesitate to recommend Peggy to anyone looking for help and support. read more

Peggy was very helpful to me during an emergency of sore nipples, engorgement, and a 4-day-old baby. Even though she wasn't available to come to my home right away (before Christmas), she was compassionate to my situation and asked for back-up in her network. I immediately got messages from other consultants in my area and managed to schedule a session for the following day. From this act of kindness and her attention on the phone, I can tell how sensitive and professional she is. read more

We had seen the IBCLC at the hospital when my son was a newborn, but I was really looking for someone to come to my home and be supportive and helpful with this whole process that was really difficult for us. And Peggy was willing to come all the way to Marin to meet with us and help us. We had been told that our son may have a tongue tie, but then others just shrugged it off, and the pediatrician recommended going to a specialist that was iffy about it, meanwhile breastfeeding continued to deteriorate. Peggy was such a wealth of knowledge about the topic, how if untreated it can affect so many other things in life, and which providers would be better to see about it. She also sent me so many resources about the topic, with links to videos, and forums. The entire time she was there to support my hand along the process, and follow-up and check-in, just because she cares. I highly recommend her for anyone with breastfeeding struggles and support. read more

We reached out to Peggy when a dear relative was struggling postpartum. We have seen such changes in both mom and baby since Peggy started coming over. She compassionately and graciously stepped in to (what felt to us like) a dire situation. She assessed, taught, diagnosed and began the family on the path towards addressing a physical issue with baby that was impacting many things including nursing. She modeled loving baby care and the change in the family was absolutely tangible. We are all so very relieved and delighted. Can not recommend Peggy's care more highly. read more