Lactation Partners

As if childbirth and taking care of a newborn wasn’t difficult enough there’s the whole nursing thing. Breastfeeding didn’t work for me with my first 2 kids so I pumped exclusively for 3 months with my daughter and 6 weeks with my son. Pumping means just additional time getting milk, washing bottles and other parts for the machine (and you still have to feed the baby on top of all that) so I was determined for the 3^rd time to be a charm.
This time I prepared in advance by asking for help from the lactation partners. A friend referred me to Kathy over there, but I quickly learned she had recently retired. However, Kathy was nice enough to return my call and refer me to her old partner Judy.
I called Judy a few weeks before the birth of my baby and told her I was skeptical that breastfeeding was actually going to work for me, but wanted to give it a try. I immediately liked her– informative, encouraging, but not at all pushy. She said to call her after having my baby and she’d give me advice about what to do in the hospital (I only wish she could come to Prentice) and we would set up a time for her to visit a few days after baby arrived. I knew I was in good hands when I mentioned to a few friends that I had called a lactation consultant and every single one of them said «Who– Judy? She’s the best!»
Baby boy showed up and unlike his big sister and brother this one actually latched. It was still a pretty painful experience, but with the help of the nurses at Prentice and a phone call to Judy I got thru the first few days. And then Judy showed up at my door a few days later with a scale in hand. She gave me some very helpful tips and was able to tell me exactly how much milk the baby was getting just by putting him on the scale after he ate. Made me think twice about everything I put in my mouth. Judy mentioned she was available for questions whenever. I took her up on that and she responded to every text over the next week (and there were quite a lot of time) within minutes– truly amazing!
6 weeks later I’m exclusively pumping again just because in the end I found it easier and less painful than breastfeeding. Due to my type A personality I also like to know exactly how much milk my baby is getting. However, I made it longer breastfeeding than I have in the past thanks to Judy… and part of the reason I haven’t given up the pumping quite yet is because of all the helpful tips Judy gave me. She even recently checked in to see how things are going and (again) no judgement that I’ve resorted to the pump. And I don’t think I’ll get any judgement from her the day I put the pump away and turn to formula. I highly recommend that any new moms who are thinking at all about nursing contact Judy.

Thank to Liz I was able to turn a stressful and disappointing newborn nursing experience into the most fulfilling and special time of our lives. I had issues nursing our 1^st, so I proactively scheduled an appt with Liz the next day after we got home with our 2^nd based on a few raving referrals. She helped me develop an action plan that works for me, not an unrealistic one they gave me at the hospital. She showed me a few tricks that made a huge difference. Highly recommend lactation partners and don’t wait too long to ask for help!

Calling Judy at the Lactation Partners was one of the best parenting decisions I’ve made. My newborn started losing too much weight in his first few weeks. He was a 9lb ‘placid baby,’ preferring to sleep rather than eat so my supply was too low for what he needed. I called the Partners and Judy was at my door the next morning, showing me the proper techniques for latching, pumping and increasing my supply. She told me I had a couple of weeks of really hard work ahead of me – and I did. She text-​ed and called to check in on us throughout. She even remembered the dates of our doctor’s office weigh-​ins. I felt I had a true champion on my side. I’ve been exclusively breastfeeding ever since and my now three-​month-​old has grown like a weed! I recommend the Lactation Partners to all of my new mom friends. Give yourself the gift of support and peace of mind.

I have been singing Judy’s praises to all the new mamas I meet. She first did a home visit when my daughter was 2 weeks old to help me work through some pain issues and demystify pumping & storage. From the second she arrived I felt relieved. She weighed my baby, watched us nurse and helped with positioning & latch, walked me through the fundamentals of pumping and giving bottles, and answered SO many questions. She even passed along a one-​sheet with new mom resources — I ended up joining a really great supportive mom’s group based on her recos. Plus, she’s answered numerous email follow-​up questions with really thoughtful, timely suggestions.
What’s even more important than Judy being prompt, thorough, and ultra knowledgeable (which she is) is that she’s just a cool lady. Relaxed, funny, not preachy. When you’re a sensitive new mom, it’s so important to be around people that just have good vibes. I’m still exclusively breastfeeding at 4 months, but whatever your goal is — call Judy, she’ll get you on the right track!

I cannot say enough good things about Joan! I feel that she cared more about the well being of me and my baby more than our doctors office. She is passionate about her work and so knowledgable about breast feeding babies and their mamas. She really knows her stuff and am so glad we were able to work with her.

I certainly never expected to have strong enough opinions on a lactation consultant to warrant writing a Unilocal review, and yet, here I am. Can’t say enough about how great Joan Kessler has been for my wife (and in turn, for me) since the birth of our first child a month ago. While we were very focused on labor/​delivery/​recovery, I don’t think we ever fully appreciated how challenging breastfeeding could be. Joan was recommended by our pediatrician, and has been invaluable. As other reviews attest, she has an exceptional knowledge and demeanor, and supplements her in-​house care with phone follow-​ups and consultations. I’m sure we would’ve eventually found our way regardless, but a couple hours and a couple hundred bucks has undoubtedly spared us a lot of frustration, anxiety, and sleepless nights.

I was a nervous new mom, with no idea about how difficult nursing could be! I had a visit with Judy when my baby was just a few days old. She was fabulous and made me feel calm and more comfortable with nursing. She was also available over the phone and email after the visit to address all my new mommy concerns. She also provided great resources for nursing support and for new moms In general. We have been exclusively nursing since!

I gave birth to my son on July 4^th and he was delivered via Csection at 36 weeks. As many know, breastfeeding a preemie can be a difficult task, especially since they need to gain weight and are supplemented formula (in addition to the mother’s body not producing milk right away). I took the recommendation of Prentice and the pediatrician and contacted Lactation Partners for assistance 2 days after we were home. Judy Teibloom-​Mishkin came to our house on a Sunday afternoon and spend over an hour with my son, husband and I. I give her a 10 out of 10! Not only did she help with everything (I mean everything!) nursing related (latch, feeding amounts, time, weight gain, nipple soreness/​tenderness, recommendations, future things to think about and more) but she also gave us REALLY useful tips like did you know that holding your baby in a football position wrapped in a towel at sponge bath time and rubbing their head with water is soothing to newborns? Our baby does not yet like bath time but at the end we look forward to his enjoyment of the head massage — it’s adorable.
Judy also wrote down almost everything we talked about during her visit so that I have a reference sheet to refer to (and I have a million times). She also discussed various resources with me such as support groups, mommy groups, pharmacies, and so on that are great things to look further into when I am ready.
The other thing to mention is that this service is SO worth the money. Judy’s visit didn’t stop at just the visit — she followed up with me and since then I have called her probably 5 – 10 times and texted with her about random questions and status of the baby’s feedings. If you are in search of lactation help and don’t know what service to choose (there are several out there), look no further — this is truly phenomenal service from truly knowledgeable experts!

Hijacking my husband’s account to write a review — something I’d normally not do! I’d give Lactation Partners, particularly Joan Kessler, more than 5 stars if I could. I was referred to them by my pediatrician and cannot say enough great things about their responsiveness, knowledge, and follow-​up support. Joan went above-​and-​beyond the call of duty, following up after my in-​home consultation with several phone calls and text messages to check in on my/​my son’s progress. When I ran into some post-​visit problems (not just little problems, might I add: mastitis and blocked ducts!), Joan was invaluable in providing support and recommendations to get through the issues and (hopefully) prevent their recurrence. Keep Lactation Partners on speed dial if you have any breastfeeding issues — they will give you the support you need to be successful!

Wow. I thought maybe I was being a little over-​the-​top getting an «in-​home lactation consultant»… In reality, Joan gave me some great tips on how to carry my newborn, some terrific breastfeeding tips, alerted me to my baby being under the ideal weight (she sent the paperwork to the pediatrician to get me an appt sooner than the one I had). She addressed specific issues, like a clicking sound my newborn was making (high palette trying to feed on small breasts). And she was completely approachable, extremely efficient, very understanding, and clearly knowledgeable. She taught me some extremely useful skills. Very happy with my decision to see her in-​home.

Lactation Partners saved my sanity and helped me with my desire to breastfeed my son. After a rough labor and delivery, my son spent his first night in the NICU and was given formula. During the rest of our hospital stay, I tried to nurse my son with some success from the hospital lactation consultant however little one was still given some formula to supplement. After going home, I tried to nurse however as hard as it was for me to accept, I couldn’t provide all that my son needed. Frustrated with giving my son more formula and feeling like a failure at breastfeeding, I called Lactation Partners as my last resort before giving up breastfeeding. After a wonderful phone consultation at 9pm, I was able to nurse through the night before Liz came the next morning. Liz was nurturing, informative, nonjudgmental and helped give me the confidence that I needed as a new mother. After her visit, Liz continue to check on me and my son and give me further instructions. My son is now three months and we have been breastfeeding exclusively for almost two and a half months. I give all credit to my breastfeeding success to Liz and Lactation Partners. If you have a desire to nurse your child and it’s not going as planned, call these ladies and you will never look back.

Had a great experience with lactation partners. My baby lost 10% of his body weight while we were in the hospital, so I was advised to feed him formula. After that, I had issues with him latching on and drinking from me. I called lactation partners and they had Judy come out for a home visit. She was very warm, understanding, and helpful. Her tips (while seemingly simple) dramatically improved things. In fact, we went from him drinking mostly formula to him barely drinking any. I can’t say enough about lactation partners and Judy. It was certainly money well spent.

Liz is fabulous! Lactation Partners transformed one of the most difficult situations I’ve ever encountered into one of the most rewarding experiences of my early motherhood.
Three months ago, I became a mom for the first time. Inexplicably, my son kept losing weight in the hospital. Several pediatricians and three hospital-​based lactation consultants were mystified. My husband and I were exhausted and desperate. We were on Day 5 of almost no sleep, despite round the clock help from our supportive family members.
Our pediatrician referred us to Lactation Partners. I called– and literally overnight– our lives changed for the better.
I connected with Judy immediately. She listened to me, asked excellent questions, and gave me some wonderful advice to survive the night, and set us up with Liz Sjoblom to advance our agenda– so to speak– the very next day.
When Liz arrived, she was everything that we needed: kind, compassionate, nurturing, supportive, thoughtful, and brilliant. She diagnosed immediately what everyone else had missed: our son was tongue-​tied. Then, because we were so defeated already, she coached us through talking to our pediatrician’s office and the ENT to get our son treated ASAP. She was available by phone and email for follow-​up consultations, holding our hand for the next four weeks on a regular basis until she felt confident that we felt confident that we were feeding well.
Without exaggeration, Liz’s insights and nurturing support were miraculous. My family and I felt that she had waved a magic wand over us, and transformed what was an incredibly stressful, depressing, anxious situation into the bonding bliss that you read about, and hope for with your child.
And, thanks to Liz and Lactation Partners, I now feel confident, well-​informed, and recommend her and the practice to every new mom I know.

Judy was amazing! The day after I came home from the hospital with my son, I was losing hope that I would be able to successfully breastfeed. We were having problems with latching, plus my son would fall asleep soon soon after the feeding began. I called in the morning, and Judy arrived that afternoon. Because of her, we have been able to exclusively breastfeed for 6 months now. She gave me the encouragement I needed to keep trying. Plus, she identified the problems that we were having and offered practical solutions that actually worked! Thank you Judy!

Simply put: Judy is the cat’s pajamas!
You know how all media is aligned in an evil campaign to make you think that nursing is the easiest, most natural thing in the world, and that all moms and babies know how to do it? This is a horrible lie. Sometimes you just need a little extra help and instruction. Enter: Judy.
Judy responded to my initial call within a few hours (even though she was out of town) and came to see me the following day. Not only did she help me with the mechanics of nursing, but she immediately dispelled the most of my anxiety. She could not have been more supportive, reassuring and helpful.
Seriously– worth every cent!

Jane O’Connor was a wonderful help and totally non-​judgmental. I had a bad experience with my first pregnancy with a lactation consultant who made me feel like I should be sitting in a corner with a dunce cap. Jane was funny, supportive and understanding. My experience with breast feeding has been less than ideal, but I would have not had any experience without her help.

When I gave birth to my son 4 ½ weeks early I did not realize what an uphill battle breastfeeding would be. Judy Teibloom-​Mishkin came over within two hours of our arriving home with our baby and helped us get started. She was incredibly supportive, hands-​on, and non-​judgmental, reassuring me that it was okay if it didn’t all work out magically overnight, which it didn’t. I encountered every problem in the book over the course of the next couple of months, and Judy stayed in touch with me throughout. She checked in regularly, every day even, and was always available by email, text, or phone when I needed her. She was also available to come over within 24 hours, sometimes less than that, when I really needed her help with something. When I needed to get treated for a variety of issues, Judy presented all the options, natural treatments first and then medicinal, which I truly appreciated.
At about 2 months into the process, when I still felt like things were not going well and I was experiencing a lot of pain when nursing, Judy suggested taking my baby to a craniosacral therapist to help him nurse more comfortably. I had never heard of this kind of treatment but was open to trying just about anything. Within one session, he started to nurse exclusively (we followed it up with two more sessions and he’s doing great). Without Judy’s tireless effort to help me get on track breastfeeding, I would’ve never thought to try CST. My pediatrician wouldn’t have suggested it, since when I mentioned it at my baby’s 2 month appointment he looked at me like I was a little crazy. Basically, I would not be breastfeeding my baby anymore if it weren’t for Judy. She was invaluable to our success. I highly recommend working with her.

After the birth on my first child, I came home from the hospital with only a breastfeeding class under my belt. The class makes it sound so easy, but in reality, I had so many questions. The first week, I found out I was under-​nourishing my daughter and she was becoming dehydrated. Then with the pediatrician’s suggestion started supplementing with formula. What I didn’t realize was that I was now overfeeding my daughter. I needed to get back to be able to feed her from my own milk and I didn’t know how.
I called Lactation Associates and Kathy Lipke was the consultant that returned my call and came to my house shortly after. She immediately made me feel confident by the questions she asked and how she went about the consultation. She didn’t have a «one answer fits all» recommendation, but she took the time to understand me, my daughter and specific situation. She ended our meeting by giving me customized, detailed instructions for the next week. She checked back in with me by phone and email often to ensure things were going smoothly. She was able to listen and tweak the program as she heard how things were progressing.
Kathy was encouraging, available, knowledgeable and truly made my first 2 months of breastfeeding more successful. I have many friends with infants that I’ve tried to ask for advice on breastfeeding, but their advice worked for their child. Kathy and her colleagues have many years of experience with hundreds of infants and were able to draw on that information to meet my specific needs.
Not sure if I would have been able to continue breastfeeding with her help.

I am so impressed with Lactation Associates, particularly Jane O’Connor. Jane was recommended to me by my pediatrician because I was having some latch issues. Within two hours of my first phone call, Jane had contacted me and was at my house for a consult. Based on Jane’s counsel I immediately had a huge improvement in how my son and I were working together… and in general, I felt more confident and positive about the experience of BF’g.
Jane visited us a second time to help me start pumping in preparation for returning to work. Lactation Associates also sell the pumps, but Jane didn’t pressure me to purchase from her — she actually showed me a hospital pump and he pump she had so I knew my options, and fully disclosed that I might be able to find the pump cheaper somewhere else. I still bought it from her because she taught me how to use it there and then… and I found that none of the stores I was looking at had the pump any cheaper anyway!
Since then my son and I have been doing great! Jane has made herself available by phone for a couple of minor issues, always returning my call within a few hours and remembering details of our prior visits so I didn’t have to repeat myself.
What I most liked about Lactation Associates/​Jane was that she was very positive, funny, confident and encouraging, which immediately put me at ease and made me feel like I could succeed in BF’g, which doesn’t come naturally to all moms. Jane’s counsel and help were a lifesaver!

Lactation associates is a group of lactation consultants that service the Chicagoland area. When I had my baby a few months back I had issues with breastfeeding (as many women do, evidently) and sought out the help of some experts.
I worked primarily with Jane O’Connor who is an RN and licensed lactation consultant. She came to my house the day after I called (she offered to see me that day, but I opted to wait until the following day (a Saturday) when my husband could be home). She came and helped me with the issues I was having. She was calm, to the point, and very supportive of what I was going through. She spent time with me and never seemed rushed. She came up with a plan for how to help me with my breastfeeding issues and helped support me in the moment.
She was available for several follow-​up phone calls. I always felt that she cared about answering my questions. She was always prompt in returning my phone calls.
When my issues were resolved I felt a great sense of pride in my achievement and knew that Jane was there to support me every step of the way and that I could not have done it without her.
If you ever have any lactation concerns or questions when you are breastfeeding, I highly recommend that you seek help from an expert and I highly recommend Lactation Associates.