See our page of testimonials from the dads of our awesome babies.
Listen to what the grandmothers are saying.
And if our babies could talk, they would be thanking their mothers for every drop of breastmilk they receive. "Our mothers are the best!"
Debbie,
I can't thank you enough for the support you (and Madeline) provided at such an important time for our family. When I was experiencing so much pain and frustration from the very beginning with breastfeeding Alison, I knew that we needed to get help right away. It was a blessing to discover your practice. It meant so much to me to be able to breastfeed my baby girl, just as I had with my son. The benefits are overwhelmingly positive, and I couldn't imagine giving that up...but I thought I might without the right kind of help.
Having a package of visits was critical to our success and allowed us to continually work through challenges, see progress together and provided reassurance at each follow up visit. Not only did you guide us through finding the most comfortable positions for us and made recommendations for healing, but also through observations in Alison's feeding patterns you were able to diagnose an underlying problem that he doctors had missed: posterior tongue tie. We were able to have his corrected and have continued to enjoy breastfeeding ever since. Alison is now thriving and downright chubby!
You continue to be my most trusted resource for questions or concerns. Your sense of calm and endless encouragement were exactly what we needed to get through this challenging time, and I will always be so grateful to you.
Thank you!
Robin
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Thanks so much for your help, Debbie. It's hard not knowing how to help your baby. I appreciate your forthcoming reply.
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I want to thank you for helping us bond with our baby. Although I wasn't able to breastfeed, the infant massage sessions were wonderful. I felt relaxed and confident. Thank you for the service you provide to mothers. You truly made a difference to our family. I sincerely hope we need your service in the future. E, D, & C
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Thank you so much for getting back to me so quickly! I was having a lot of anxiety that my actions today would make or break things permanently. I really appreciate your help! It's wonderful to have someone to turn to with these types of questions. You have really been an amazing help for us.
Thanks again,
Theresa
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We met Debbie at a breastfeeding class we attended at Mothers and Company. The class was wonderful and we left with lots of knowledge but I had no one at home to go practice all my new techniques with. So we decided that we would have Debbie come to our house after our daughter was born whether or not we were having issues with breastfeeding for some extra support. To our surprise Caroline decided to come 3 ½ weeks early. Breastfeeding came pretty easy for us at the hospital but I kept hearing different things from every nurse that came in the room that I was either holding Caroline wrong, I wasn't feeding her long enough, that I should be switching breasts and not only feeding her on one side. It was all very overwhelming for a new and first time mom. I called Debbie from my hospital bed in a panic and she reassured me that I knew what my child needed and I should go with my own gut feeling. It was so nice to have someone to turn to that made me feel at ease so I could enjoy these first moments with my new daughter.
We now see Debbie every Monday at breastfeeding support group and it is fun to have her watch Caroline grow. She is a constant support and is always available to answer any of my questions (I have had a ton). We have definitely found a friend in Debbie. Thank you Debbie!
Angela Barnes
Holden, MA
- We brought our third baby to see Debbie when he was just 4 days old. Having had a difficult time breastfeeding my first two children without supplementing with formula, I was determined to make it work this time. I had sought help before, but this time I knew it had to be a different kind of help. A few hours after leaving a message for Debbie, she returned my call and was able to take us in that same afternoon. From that very first visit we knew we had found the right help, and we knew we would succeed.
Debbie's expertise and genuine concern for mom and baby could be felt instantly. The hands on practice she provided was invaluable. Our little guy had a mild case of tongue tie, making it difficult for him to latch on. We opted against any surgical procedures to release the tongue, and chose to work closely with Debbie instead. It wasn't easy at first, but Debbie was always there. Each follow up appointment, she gave us as much time as we needed, she was full of suggestions and taught me so many different ways and positions to use with my son. I would have never, in my wildest dreams, thought of lying on my back and feeding my baby over my shoulder... but I was willing to try anything Debbie suggested and the results left me speechless!
I had two bouts of severe mastitis in the earlier months, and at one point I was ready to give up. Debbie always respected my decisions and feelings, but her knowledge, patience, support, and encouragement pulled me through; and I am so pleased and thankful to her that I was able to see past the suffering and pain, and continue to breastfeed my baby.
It is only thanks to Debbie that my little guy enjoyed solely breast milk for 10 months, without any formula supplementation. And he always had as much as he wanted! Various circumstances led me to wean him a little earlier than I wanted, but even then, this breastfeeding experience was an absolute success. I could have never done it without Debbie's support.
And 11 months later, when I called her yet one more time because of difficulties weaning, it was the most reassuring voice I could have hoped to hear. Her explanation of my symptoms made perfect sense. Her calm voice and reassuring words were once again encouraging and full of support.
I wish I had known Debbie six and a half years ago when I first struggled with my daughter; and four years ago when I once again struggled with my son. But I look back eleven months ago, a cold and snowy Saturday afternoon in December, when we met Debbie. And I am thankful beyond measure to have walked into her office with our 4 day old boy.
Thank you Debbie, from the bottom of our hearts, for your loving support, encouragement and guidance. I will never forget what you did for us and little Ian.
Sylvia Rollins
Boylston, November 2008
- Thank you again. I hope to stay in touch with you. What a blessing you both are. We are so lucky to have met you briefly. I will say prayers of thanks for your good work in the world. I'm sure that you will touch so many other hearts.
Lots of love. Carol
I was just nursing Grace to sleep and thinking that I ought to send you a thank you for making our breastfeeding relationship such a success! She's now almost 14 months, and she is just lovely. She loves to nurse holding her blankie and her favorite stuffed animals. It is so cute! I don't think we would have made it so far without your expert guidance and support. So thank you very, very much for the good work you do on behalf of babies and moms!
in gratitude,
Brooke
Sofia is 5 months old now and doing so beautifully! She weighs 18 lbs and we have started her eating a little rice cereal and some fruits and veggies. We are still breastfeeding, and she is thriving, thanks to your help. I hope that Madeline told you how successful everything was with Sofia's tongue tie operation.....The success was overnight! She did beautifully, and I cannot believe how big and cute she is....I've attached a photo for you too! You are such a wonderful gift, and I am so appreciative for the session that we had. It was just what we needed!
You were the only person who caught the tongue tie, and if we didn't use your advice, I could imagine that we may have given up because of the pain. The operation was exactly what she needed!Thank you so much for all of your help Debbie.
Best regards,
Carol and Sofia
Thank you for everything that you have done for me and for my family since I first met you four and a half years ago, after the birth of my oldest daughter. She was only two weeks old at the time and we were having many problems nursing. You were incredibly generous with your time, both during our first meeting and during numerous phone conversations afterwards.
Those first eight weeks were very hard -- painful and frustrating and discouraging -- and many people told me to just give up. You never did that, and your calm optimism, your willingness to always suggest another possible solution, and your clear confidence that somehow we would work things out, were, truly, phenomenal.
After those first eight weeks, nursing got so much easier -- as easy as breathing. I successfully nursed my oldest daughter until she was two years old, and my youngest until she was just over two. I nursed while pregnant, without problems, until my oldest weaned herself. I cannot count the number of quiet, beautiful moments nursing each of my girls. I am so glad that I did not give up, and so glad you did not give up on me.
From that first, hard-won success with nursing came many other blessings as well. You played a huge role in helping us find the path we are on, and our "stride" as parents. By helping us through those very tough and painful months of nursing, and by suggesting that we consider co-sleeping, you gave us blessings that have continued to unfold in our lives each day for the last four and a half years. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you for never giving up, even after I'd called you more times than you could count. Thank you for never losing faith, so that I wouldn't either. Thank for the encouragement, support, and information that we needed, when we needed them. What a gift you are to the families you help. We will always, always be grateful to you. When I look back now, I cannot imagine the last four years without all the quiet midnight nursing sessions, the family vacation when my youngest napped everyday in the EllaRoo, and the one where my eldest slept through downtown Niagara Falls in the Kozy Carrier, the nights when they were sick but we knew they were okay because they were curled up next to us, and the mornings, the long string of beautiful mornings when we have opened our eyes to their peaceful, happy faces.
I will always be grateful to you Debbie, always. Thank you.
Lisa
* Thank you so much for your assistance during our breastfeeding woes. Though it didn't work out exactly as planned, I am grateful for your calm presence during those tumultuous first 8 weeks. You always made time for Noah and me, responded quickly to emails, and offered comfort and great advice. We so appreciated your support and encouragement. I'm happy I was at least able to pump some breast milk for Noah during his first 3 months, and I'm glad that we got his slight tongue-tie taken care of. Now, he sticks out his tongue like crazy! We would recommend any of our friends to see you if they have trouble breastfeeding. Just sitting in your big comfy chair, listening to the sound of water dripping and soft music is enough to make any new mom so much more relaxed and confident!
Kristine and baby Noah Miller
* Being pregnant for the first time was a wonderful and exciting experience. I couldn't wait to meet our baby, and I knew that I was going to do all I could to breastfeed our baby. Being a first time mom, and while in the hospital, I thought things were going pretty well as far as her feeding. Upon being sent home, we were given a nipple shield and tiny feeding tube to give her formula while my milk came in. When we took her to her first appointment with the pediatrician, he felt she had lost too much weight and strongly suggested we see a lactation specialist. His recommendation was Debbie Page. Though he had never met her, he had wonderful feedback from many of the mothers he spoke with in the office and told me to call her before anyone else.
I called the next day, I was able to see her almost immediately. From the minute my husband, baby, and myself walked into her home office, we felt completely at ease and assured that we were doing the best thing for our baby. Debbie has a lovely, soft-spoken voice, and she was so compassionate with my husband and I, along with showing an amazing amount of love towards our daughter. She spent the next couple of hours watching me feed Leila, giving numerous suggestions and helpful ways to make the experience more comfortable for the both of us. Over the next several days, I was very concerned about Leila's weight. Because of this, breastfeeding became overwhelming at times, and I felt I just was not doing a good job. I could understand why some women do give up on it, but I was not ready to do that. Debbie would encourage me and say, 'just keep at it, I promise you it will get easier.' Debbie was also the one who picked up on Leila's 'tongue-tie' and she highly suggested we see a specialist to have it evaluated. We did so, and as soon as the specialist (who is a pediatrician) saw Leila open her mouth, she immediately said that Debbie was perfectly correct in sending us to her. The procedure to correct this took seconds, and withing 5 minutes, Leila was breastfeeding better than ever. Since, we have followed up with Debbie for weight checks, and our little baby is now thriving!
At first, breastfeeding is overwhelming and very demanding, but if you have made the decision to do this, it does become easier and there are many times I have looked forward to being with Leila to feed her, just the two of us. Debbie's promise to me also was true, in a short period of time, breastfeeding not only got easier, it became easy, and no longer feels demanding or overwhelming.
By seeing Debbie, I was able to learn how to give my daughter one of the greatest forms of love I could show her at this time. There are several times while I am feeding Leila that I think about how fortunate we were to have had Debbie recommended to us. I will forever be grateful to her!
Roya, Chad, and Leila Clements
Worcester MA
* Not breastfeeding my child never entered my mind. I grew up in a home where La Leche League meetings were held. My brother and I and my 4 step-siblings were breastfed. And of course, I knew it would be best nutritionally for my child. After a four hour unmedicated labor and the birth of a beautiful, healthy little boy (three weeks early), I was rushed to surgery to have my placenta removed. Unfortunately, I spent the first night of my son's life in recovery with only a Polaroid of him and my husband for company. At my doctor's insistence, my son was finger fed with formula by the nurses. Once I arrived in my room the next day, I waited a couple of hours until they brought my baby to me. After gazing in wonder at my miracle, I tried to bf without much success.
Latching on was definitely a problem and I started getting worried as the day wore on and evening arrived. Exhaustion overwhelmed me and when the nurse suggested taking the baby overnight, promising to bring him in every couple hours, I agreed. Every two hours became six hours and I really started feeling like a failure when the nurse informed me my son took two ounces of formula. The hospital had lactation consultants and classes, so I attended the class and requested a meeting with the LC all the while continuing to try to get my son to latch on and feed.
We left the hospital with an electric breast pump, syringes and formula compliments of the hospital. The next couple of weeks are a blur of taking care of a newborn while pumping and bfing with a syringe, breast shields, and getting no sleep while suffering from anemia from the surgery. We needed help and so called on a LC who came out to the house twice. She provided our first glimpse of hope with bfing. We continued trying to bf using the suggestions our LC gave us getting to the point that we were bf exclusively.
The baby's weight gain was lower than I was comfortable. I had a horrible case of sore nipples to the point where I dreaded bfing and my baby wanted to bf every 1 ½ hours. At this point I contact Debbie and she was able to see us right away. As soon as I walked into her office (more of a sanctuary) I felt relief and knew Debbie could help us. Debbie's kindness and comforting demeanor put me even more at ease. Her expertise was evident in the questions she asked and the advice she offered, which included supplementing for a time to up the baby's weight.
I walked in ready to give up because of the excruciating pain I was in and left with the hope that maybe we could continue. Even when I considered weaning my baby, Debbie provided a sympathetic ear.
She always said "you know your baby best" and I needed to hear that. Now my baby is eight months old and we continue to bf without pain (with no plans to wean) to the amazement of my husband, my doctor, and myself! He is extremely healthy and happy and weighs 19 lbs. 6 oz. at his six month well baby visit. He went from the 25th percentile to the 85th in height and weight.
My doctor gives me an "A" for breastfeeding. I give my baby and myself an "A+" thanks to the help of Debbie. We couldn't have done it without you! Thank you!
K & W
April 2008
* I am very thankful to Debbie for her knowledge and encouragement. My daughter was about 3 weeks old when we first met with Debbie. I had not been instructed correctly in the hospital and having delivered on a weekend did not have an opportunity to meet with the lactation consultant. My nipples were cracked and bleeding; due to the pain I was ready to give up on breastfeeding. I did not want to throw in the towel; I contacted Debbie and had an appointment the same day. Even though I was in pain, the visit went beautifully and she helped us immensely. I was nursing my daughter the way I had envisioned breastfeeding to be! Debbie was very accomodating a few days later when my confidence began to subside and I felt helpless once again. A last minute visit in the evening boosted my confidence and we were back on track. Debbie's praise and support made me feel like a great mother.
I would strongly recommend Visiting Lactation Consultants to any new mother experiencing difficulty with breastfeeding.
It is possible, with a little help, to be successful and feel confident that you are doing the right thing!
C & C, Worcester
March 2008
* Debbie, I think of you so often and have so much to thank you for since Benjamin is still nursing and he's 4 months old.... Nursing is so easy now and Ben is always comforted with it. My testimonial to you is after desperately seeking to nurse with my first two and not succeeding for more than 5-6 weeks, my third one (Ben) is still nursing at 4 months and we both love it! My wish, having my last baby, was to just nurse long enough for him to smile up at me while nursing and thanks to Debbie's unconditional support and care, my son and I have had many of those moments.
I am so grateful to Debbie Page for teaching me so much about the art of breastfeeding and helping me to experience nursing which I will cherish and savor for as long as I can.
K & B
March 2008
* Visiting a lactation consultant was the single best thing I did for breastfeeding. Debbie was wonderful, the encouragement and affirmation she offered was invaluable. My daughter was born almost a month prematurely and I had/have an oversupply with fast letdowns (discovered thanks to Debbie).So breastfeeding was, to say the least a challenge at first. Debbie encouraged me to stick with it, giving suggestions for different positions, and ways to nurse. She was also a big help with controlling my recurrent mastitis, offering information that neither my midwives nor pediatrician did. I am so thankful for all her help, and she is a big part of the reason for my continued breastfeeding success.
I would encourage every new mom to seek help with a lactation consultant, it made all the difference for me.
Ashley A & L
Leominster MA
* Debbie, thank you for all of your help and support. I feel very fortunate to have your help. I know I would not have continued breast feeding because of the way things were going initially. It is one of those things that you don't want to look back later and say I should have done things differently. I am so happy I found you and was able to get help.After having my daughter, I left the hospital thinking that I was all set with the breastfeeding. I went to the class in the hospital with their lactation consultant and really had no problems until I got home. Once my milk came in, I had lots of problems. My baby was screaming, I was tired and I knew this could not go on much longer. I considered using the formula samples they gave me in the hospital. I really did not want to do it because I knew the breast milk was best for my baby. Fortunately, the doula who helped with the delivery knew of you. If I did not get to see you right away, I would have given my daughter formula. But thankfully you saw me right away and helped me.I feel very lucky because many of my friends did not find help and now regret that they were not able to breast feed their baby. After a number of sessions, I felt much better because you were tracking my baby's weight and I knew she was getting enough food & nutrition. One session was definitely not enough. There were so many things I needed help with. Plus each week brought a new set of questions. The other big benefit for me was the weighing at each consultation. This helped me figure out how much milk to leave with my daughter at daycare. Now she is 11 weeks old and things are going really well. I know I am doing what is best for my daughter
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Thank you Debbie for all of your support and expertise.
Jamie N & J
Shrewsbury, MA
December 2007
* I just wanted to send a quick thank you and update. B. had her 8 week check up today and weighed in at a whopping 10 lbs 15 ounces and is at the 50th percentile for height and weight. She has come leaps and bounds from the tiny girl who was losing too much weight and on supplements and mandatory 2 hour feedings. [Now] our instructions from the Dr is "whatever you are doing just keep on doing it" What a relief! We remain completely off of any supplements and are just breast feeding. She is even sleeping through the night (which makes it necessary to pump in the am but for the exchange of sleep I will gladly do it). I want you to know how much I appreciate all of your help. As I mentioned to you, I never thought I would be contacting a lactation consultant, I thought the idea was "out there" until I could not seem to get my girl to eat and she was losing weight almost as quickly as I was losing hope. I was within hours of completely giving up until I met with you and you saved the day. Your guidance and understanding is what got us through the most emotional and stressful of times. Now we are pros and are going strong. We would have never made it this far without you.
Thank you again and please keep doing what you are doing....we would have never made it without you!
K & B
December 2007
* I am so grateful that I was referred to Visiting Lactation Consultants (VLC) when I experienced trouble with breastfeeding my newborn son. He was not gaining weight adequately, and I was in pain with sore, cracked and bleeding nipples. I was so upset, and thought about giving up breastfeeding, but did not want to. Within twenty four hours of calling VLC, Gail arrived at my house with the help I needed. She not only was very knowledgeable, she was gentle, kind, and understanding of my needs. She also recognized that my son was having difficulty nursing. She helped me find a physician that easily corrected the problem. Throughout this process, both she and Debbie were supportive, frequently called to check in, and answered any and every question I had.
I feel that without [Gail and Debbie], I would never have been able to continue breastfeeding. I thank God for their help.
A & J
Spring 2007
* Debbie Page was referred to me by my pediatrician, after my newborn son was failing to gain weight. I was nursing him round-the-clock, and we could not figure out why he wasn't thriving. He was the first child that I breastfed, so besides being extremely naïve to the process, I was paranoid that I was doing something wrong.
Within minutes of my visit, Debbie noticed that Jamie had a tongue-tie, which was most likely impeding his ability to nurse correctly. She also worked with me on various nursing positions and gave me plenty of tips on keeping up my milk supply. Once Jamie's tongue-tie was clipped, we were able to get into a more comfortable nursing routine and he thrived! I continued to see Debbie on a biweekly basis until Jamie was about 5 months old. I am happy to say that I nursed Jamie until he self-weaned at 9 1/2 months, and there is no way that I would have stuck it out this long had Debbie not been there for me. She is a walking book of knowledge, and was always quick to respond to any of my emails.
Nursing a newborn can be an extremely intimidating process, particularly in front of a stranger, but Debbie put me at ease right away. She has a very gentle manner which makes her clients feel comfortable. Her vast wealth of experience, resources and knowledge are exceptional.
I would highly, highly recommend her services to any nursing mother.
R & J
Winter 2007
* My baby, Autumn, and I had trouble breastfeeding from the start. We learned some positions for breastfeeding, and I learned how to ease my breast into her mouth, but breastfeeding really hurt, and after a few rounds of nursing, my nipples were badly bruised and in pain. Nurses tried to help - taking a few minutes here or there to help us find a better position for nursing, helping Autumn get a better latch. But nothing helped.
By day 3, my breasts were engorged and in pain, and my nipples really hurt each time Autumn nursed - even for just a few minutes, so I stopped nursing. That afternoon, I connected with Debbie Page, a lactation consultant, who got us on the right path. By the time I saw Debbie, mastitis was developing in my breasts, Autumn was not drinking enough to put her on schedule to regain her birth weight, and my breasts were very uncomfortable.
In our first visit, Debbie reassured me that what I was experiencing was common, and she took over 2 hours to help Autumn and I work together to find better nursing positions, to help us reduce the pain, to teach me about pumping extra milk, and to share techniques for healing my sore and damaged nipples. Leaving Debbie's, I cried with relief.
Enough of parenting is new and lacks support, so to have found warm, supportive, reassuring support for one of the most trying parts of early parenting was such a relief. I visited Debbie every other day for ten days, by which time we were breastfeeding successfully. Autumn had regained her birth weight, she was waking up to nurse every few hours, my nipples were healing well, Autumn was able to drink enough milk to keep my breasts soft and comfortable, and Autumn was latching on well for effective nursing that is now enjoyable to us both.
Now I always recommend to my pregnant friends that they contact a lactation consultant right away!
L & A
January 2008
* Debbie Page is the reason I'm still breastfeeding. I called her the first week I was home because my son kept losing weight. She saw me the next day and spent a couple of hours going over a correct latch, feeding positions, milk supply, etc... I saw her every week for months, sometimes even twice a week.
Every week there seemed to be a new set of concerns, and every week Debbie helped me through each of them. She identified my son's suck issues almost immediately, but I waited to see if maybe with some exercises and practice we might be able to get through it. That wasn't the case. Just when everyone else was telling me I might have to switch to formula, Debbie kept me going week after week. I went to several doctors before I finally found a doctor who understood my son's sucking issues and in a few weeks the issues were gone. He was sucking efficiently and gaining weight. He went from nursing an hour, only getting a couple of ounces, to nursing 20 minutes and getting around 4 ounces.
If it wasn't for Debbie's reassurance, I never would have continued breastfeeding. She always responded promptly to my emails and phone calls. Even after months of not seeing her I called because I was worried about my son's weight again. She had me come right in to watch him feed and to do a weight check. Turns out he was fine, just mother's nervousness!
I highly recommend Debbie to anyone who is hesitant about breastfeeding or who has already started and is questioning whether they can do it. I honestly thought it wasn't going to work for me, but in the end it did. My son is now 7 months and the breastfeeding couldn't be going any better!
I can't thank you enough for your support and expertise. Books and websites are helpful, but there is nothing like having someone observe you and your baby. That one on one is really necessary!
Laurie, Templeton, MA
January 2008