Northern Virginia Lactation Center

I’m pretty angry at this place. I’d give it one star for the LOADS OF B.S. ADVICE, but I am grateful they could fit me in relatively quickly (four business days or so?) to give me the BS advice.
The consultant I saw misdiagnosed me, misdiagnosed my baby, and caused me a lot of unnecessary anxiety for a few weeks until the lactation consultant associated with my pediatrician’s office, who I should have called to begin with, helped set me straight.
The consultant also made me feel like I should be panicking and that I had a serious problem, which was not the case, luckily.
Also, my insurance refused to reimburse me for this expensive visit, which added insult to injury. Did I mention that the consultant made me pay for her to surf Amazon looking for the bouncer I already owned? I kept saying «I can just pull it up right here – » but she ignored me, while typing very slowly. Gah.

I went here when my little one was 3 weeks old and has developed a shallow latch. My consultant quickly determined that my little one actually latched correctly but would reposition herself to accommodate my strong let down. She helped with strategies to help manage that (nursing reclined, switching sides frequently, etc). She was encouraging and showed me several positions I could try. She also helped to clarify a lot of the (mis)information I had been given in the hospital which made a huge difference.
I did not like that she seemed a little blasé about my issue (she may see this every day but as a first time type-​a mom with crazy hormones, this was clearly an earth shattering problem and I would have liked more soothing/​empathizing). She also typed up my summary during our session– I felt like she was burning our time doing that– she read out loud as she typed. I also wish they had called to follow up.
They do offer a lot of classes (baby wearing yoga, infant massage, support groups, etc) which is a huge benefit.
They don’t work at all with insurance and they are pricy but it was worth it for me to have the piece of mind and help getting it right (cheaper than giving up on nursing and having to pay for formula!)

My son came in eating like a supermodel, left eating like a fat guy at a pizza buffet.
Josie and her staff were fantastic. They spent way more time with my wife and I than I expected, our week old son was having some problems latching and we were a little worried he wasn’t eating enough. We did a consultation and walked through all the things they kind of tell you in breast feeding class but you don’t really get until you have the baby right there.
We also bought some equipment here, and it was cheaper than amazon though I would have gladly paid extra they were so good to us and have everything you’d need right there in the shop. Thank you guys so much!

We LOVE Josie and she literally saved us in every way possible. Our baby girl went to the ER on day 4 because she was terribly dehydrated due to a lack of milk. Distraught and overwhelmed, we called Josie who met with us the very next day. Not only did we meet in person for a few hours, but she then offered her personal cell phone number and email and is available at any time. She put us on a phenomenal plan that made me a champion producer and our daughter a chubby-​cheeked, great eater. She’s tremendously kind, very practical, smart as a whip, and an all-​around lifesaver. We literally owe our daughter’s life to her and would give her a 10-​star review if it was possible!

I would have quit early on if it were not for Josie, she paid a house visit with the scale and provided assurance, guidance, and and education on what could be enhanced with the breast feeding process. My husband and I were quite traumatized with our son’s low weight within the first week (due to conflicting guidance received at the hospital) so it left us anxious about whether our son was getting enough milk in the following weeks.
Josie’s wonderful at explaining the process even though she’s done it a million times before, she helped correct the latching process, was patient, and provided alot of encouragement which was absolutely necessary.
I did have a pump of my own at home also due to the new insurance policies, but it wasn’t efficient, Josie encouraged me to try one at the office as long as I brought my own hoses and bottles and I was sold that I needed the hospital grade pump… there was a drastic difference in milk output between the 2 pumps, I rented one for a little while and it helped significantly.
I’d absolutely recommend going to Josie.
The also offer weight checks to ensure your little one is getting fed enough, it’s helpful to do the weigh in before a feeding, then after each boob, totally saved me from quitting. Many thanks to Josie or else I would have absolutely quit in the first 3 weeks, now he’s exclusively breast fed, even through the growth spurts. :)

I saw Angela and have had several phone conversations with her. She is helpful, friendly, and always on my side. I will certainly recommend her services to other nursing moms. I just wish there were more lactation consultants like her around… breastfeeding isn’t easy, and we need all the support we can get!

Josie was a great help when I had my baby. I bought their pump and it worked well. She also checked in with me to let me know that she can be my delivery coach while I am delivering the baby! Wow, she is truly a caring person and she likes to help others!

Awesome experience again with Josie of Northern Virginia Lactation Center! She was great with suggestions and recommendations in all my wife’s needs with our second child, helping us again in parenthood and in our first foray into uncharted waters of breastfeeding and pumping. More crazy things that women go through even after giving birth! NVLC normalized our resistance, helped us into our transition and increased our comfort level in the process. She is a caring person and goes beyond all expectations we had for them! Woohoo! As good as it gets!

Called to inquire about a pump rental. Unfortunately their office hours don’t accommodate me being able to pick one up… I asked who else I could rent from and was told they have no idea where else to get a rental from, but she ‘thinks’ some of the area hospitals have rental programs, but she’s unable to give me any more info.
I don’t believe for one second that she doesn’t know who her competition/​colleagues are, or is the lactation business so cut throat that even though she is unable to help me, she can’t tell me where else to try? Isn’t the goal of customer service in general to help meet needs, especially with such a delicate matter as breastfeeding?
Helping me find someone who could rent me a pump in an emergency didn’t mean a loss of my business, since I wasn’t going to spend money with her in the first place.

It was almost a year ago that I made a desperate call to NVLC, just days after the arrival of my firstborn. But I have to agree with Jane S. «there were several things done that gave me the impression that these folks were trying to rip me off/​take advantage of an exhausted, anxious new mom.»
First, I regarded Josie, our consultant, as a near-​God figure after she made a visit to my home. Her trusty scale assured me that my daughter was, in fact, drinking milk. And she gave me some advice on positions that I used for weeks to come; and I appreciated that she allowed my husband to tape the session.
That said, my husband described her as a glorified bra saleswoman (in her defense, he wasn’t the one who had to learn how to nurse a baby!). She wanted to sell us her store’s version of the Maya Wrap (which we had and were happy with). And she sold me three bras (which I was so grateful to have; especially ones that fit me so well!).
Then. .. she took one of the $ 30+ bras with her. And when I asked her to mail it to me (I was, after all, a new mother and had JUST paid her for a very expensive home visit, not to mention the $ 100+ of nursing-​related purchases), she told me that it would require extra effort on her part and wondered if I would come to the store. And, in my weakened state of my and lack of vigor to argue, I agreed and my husband loaded mama and new baby up into the car and we headed to the center (granted, my husband could’ve gone, but asking him to identify the correct bra would’ve been like asking an elephant to walk a tightrope).
In addition, Josie said things to me during our session that made me wonder if she thought I was an idiot. Take for instance the, «milk isn’t made from drinking milk; it’s made from drinking water.» My husband and I still joke about this statement.
Importantly, she did help me and give me the confidence I needed to move forward. A year later, I’m still breastfeeding my daughter. But, in the future, I might seek out another service. I could’ve done w/​o the sales pitches, the wacky comments, and the unwillingness to meet me halfway, so to speak, when it came to the bra mishap.

I went here when my son was about 10 days old and would definitely not return. While I got good advice, there were several things done that gave me the impression that these folks were trying to rip me off/​take advantage of an exhausted, anxious new mom.
1. I had to wait 20 min. before someone came into the room and then charged me for the extra time (hello, it doesn’t take me 20 min. to change my shirt). I was watching the clock, so I’m sure of this.
2. They double billed me for the consultation.
3. They pushed me to rent a pump even though I have one at home.
4. I turned the pump in before the 10-​day contract was up and they went ahead and renewed the contract for the rest of the month.
5. They did not provide me with an itemized receipt and we had to request if a few separate times.
I talked with a girlfriend who had a very similar experience with these ladies. Not cool.
I’ll def. go to the Breastfeeding Center in DC next time.

It’s been many years since we saw Josie at NOVA Lactation Center. We now have two children. Our oldest child was born in 2000. She had great difficulty latching on and my wife lived thru a nightmare for 6 weeks breastfeeding our daughter and trying to make sure she had enough milk. The latching problems were causing my wife a lot of pain and we continually stressed that our daughter wasn’t getting enough to eat.
We had latching problems from day one in the hospital. Several of the nurses tried to help us but they were of no help whatsoever. After two weeks, our pediatrician referred us to a lactation consultant at the Alexandria Hospital but it was of very little help and it was only later that we realized how useless it was.
It was only after 6 weeks of agony that we finally found Josie and made a appt. Within half an hour of walking into that office, all our problems were solved. Josie was just fantastic and amazing, we can’t say enough about it. We still think about what an ordeal those first 6 weeks were for us. Josie was our savior. We still think about that nearly 8 years later.

I can’t say enough good things about these ladies and the owner, Josie. They were reffered to me by my son’s pediatrician and it was the best money I spent.
They do «house calls» which cost a bit more, or you can arrange to go into their office in Fairfax. Josie came to my house and she was so, so great. Either way whichever consultant is assigned to you will write up a personalized care plan with extensive notes. They offer FREE in office weigh ins from 11am-​1pm Mondays and Thursdays which are great to 1. get you OUT of the house and 2. meet other new moms.
Once you have had a consult, you can call anytime and ask questions. The staff is really good about getting back to you. They also sell and rent pumps, and sell maternity clothes and nursing «must haves.»