Lactation & Infant Feeding Support with Marlee
“Meeting with you was definitely the turning point in our breastfeeding journey. Thank you for everything!”
— Rebecca
I’ve been helping parents learn to feed their babies since 2015, and it’s one of my very favorite things to do.
Feeding your newborn can be one of the biggest challenges of early parenting. Whether you are nursing, bottle feeding, exclusively pumping, formula feeding, or some combination, I’m willing to bet you’ve had questions or challenges come up along the way.
As an experienced lactation counselor and postpartum doula, I bring a calm energy, a listening ear, and practical support to new parents during some of the most difficult moments of those early newborn weeks.
I can be your baby feeding doula!
During a consult, my focus is on compassionate support and creative problem-solving. I don’t believe in a “cookie cutter” approach, since all of my clients have different goals, needs, and values.
I can help you learn about your feeding options, assist in evaluating what is working and what isn’t, and help you feel heard and supported as you sort through whatever issues may be at hand. My primary goals are to:
reduce feelings of overwhelm, and
help parents create a plan for moving forward that feels comfortable and doable.
Wondering what kinds of situations might be a good fit for some lactation support? Check out this blog post.
My favorite thing to hear from clients is that our time together was a turning point in their feeding journey. I can't wait to help you and your baby!
“Marlee focused on helping to ease my pain from nursing, and validated that everything I was experiencing was normal. Those first couple weeks of nursing were so overwhelming, and I couldn’t have done it without Marlee!”
- Aspen
Rates
In-Home Lactation Consult (2-3 hours): $225
For families within our Pittsburgh, PA service area
Virtual Lactation Consult (1-2 hours): $150
Virtual Lactation Consult (30 minutes): $85
In-home lactation consults:
Available on a limited basis in/near Pittsburgh, PA
Virtual lactation consults:
Available regardless of location
Appointments typically available between 10am-5pm Eastern, Monday through Friday.
“My son had a tongue tie so things were really hard from the beginning. We started working with Marlee when he was about three weeks old, and she helped us transition back to nursing at the breast after three weeks of bottle feeding. It took some time but we were eventually able to have the kind of nursing relationship that I had really hoped for. Thanks Marlee!!”
- Tiana
What to expect if we work together
Compassionate support. Finding truly empathetic and trauma-informed support for infant feeding can be so tough. I approach my work with the utmost compassion for both parents and babies.
Individualized care. No two babies or parents are the same, so no two lactation consults are the same! I have a flexible approach designed to help YOU, whatever YOUR goals, challenges, and circumstances are.
Education. I love to help parents gain a deeper understanding of the nuts and bolts of feeding a baby. After our time together, my clients almost always feel more confident about a path forward - even if the plan is to keep doing what they’re doing and check in again soon.
Referrals as needed. If I feel that you could benefit from a different kind of service or support than I offer, I will happily offer resources and referrals so you can find the help that will make a difference for you.
No judgment. The end result of working with parents may or may not look like exclusively breastfeeding/chestfeeding, and that is 100% fine with me. I support clients with many different goals and circumstances, and I will never pressure you to choose any certain option. At the end of the day, my goal for you is to have a plan that feels comfortable and doable in your life.
If you’re struggling and are ready for some relief, help, and encouragement, I’d love to support you!
“I thought that breastfeeding my baby would be easy, but it was so intense. Marlee helped me figure out the problems we were having in a way that was so kind and gentle. You can really tell she knows her stuff, and she is so lovely to work with!”
- Jordan
Some of the challenges I can help you address:
Pain during nursing
Pain during pumping
Difficulty or pain with latching
Cracked and sore nipples
Engorgement
Plugged milk ducts
Addressing milk supply concerns (low supply or oversupply)
How to feed a very sleepy baby
Creating a feeding rhythm that works for your family
Figuring out how often your baby needs to eat
Learning your baby's hunger cues
Addressing tummy problems in babies
Gentle bottle feeding that will allow for smooth transitions between nursing and bottles
Helping to identify a different type of bottle that may work better for your baby
Helping you explore other feeding methods (spoon, syringe, SNS, cup, donor milk, formula, etc.)
Pumping guidance and storing pumped milk, including for exclusively pumping parents
Making a plan for when and how to start solid foods
Getting support often marks a turning point in the newborn journey.
Contact me sooner rather than later! I am often able to fit in same day or next day requests depending on my schedule - I always try to prioritize lactation consults, especially when there is an urgent need for help!
“I really wanted to ensure I had a good latch and that I was doing everything I could to make sure my daughter was getting good feedings. Marlee showed me multiple techniques to optimize my daughter’s latch as well as offering encouraging support and a listening to ear for all my new mom fears! I’m so grateful for her services!”
- Lizzy
Looking for a class to learn about lactation before your baby arrives?
Take our online class, The Practical Parent’s Plan for Nursing a Newborn!
We created this engaging, self-paced course to help you understand what to expect from nursing your baby, and how to set yourself up for success (and avoid common pitfalls).
Our clients who have taken this course before birth share that what they learned helped them tremendously!
Or if you’d rather work with me 1:1 to prepare for your lactation experience:
I’d be happy to schedule a virtual visit with you! Rates are the same as for my virtual lactation support, and usually a 2-hour session is a good amount of time to start with so we can discuss your personal situation in detail and make a plan together.
This can be a great option if you have a more complex situation, and I’d love to support you!
FAQs
How many consults will I need?
Usually just one. About 2 out of 3 of my lactation clients just see me once, then keep in touch by text or email if they have other questions along the way.
In more complicated situations, some parents choose to see me for multiple consultations or book a postpartum doula package with me so we can keep seeing each other frequently. This can be a great way to keep getting support from your friendly neighborhood lactation professional!
Can you help me if I’m exclusively pumping?
Yes, of course! Many people experience challenges with pumping and I’m here to help. Here are some of the issues we can address together:Flange sizing
Pain or discomfort when pumping
Increasing milk supply
Making a plan for when and how long to pump based on your situation and goals
Avoiding an oversupply from too much pumping
How to handle plugged ducts or mastitis
Pumping while you’re away from your little one
Best practices for storing and using your pumped milk
If any of these topics are on your mind, let’s work together!
Are you a Pittsburgh lactation consultant?
No, I’m not. The term “lactation consultant” is reserved for people who are International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs). IBCLCs can provide more medicalized for you and your baby concerning lactation. My Pittsburgh lactation consults are not a replacement for clinical care from a lactation consultant. If as we work together it becomes clear that the kind of help you need is outside of what I offer, I will refer you to a local IBCLC for clinical support.What if I can’t afford your services?
I feel strongly that lactation and infant feeding support should be available to folks who need it regardless of ability to pay (especially for members of oppressed groups). If you are having trouble meeting your basic needs financially and/or if you qualify for Medicaid, SNAP benefits, WIC, or TANF, let me know. I am often able to provide lactation support on a sliding scale, so please reach out!
Advice from Family & Friends
A lot of my clients find that their loved ones and acquaintances have advice to share when it comes to feeding babies.
Sometimes this is exactly what is needed! Receiving wisdom from others who have gone before you can be such a special part of your new parenting experience.
But sometimes this kind of advice - no matter how gently it is meant to sound - can feel critical and overwhelming during the emotional rollercoaster of the early postpartum time. Sometimes it can feel like everyone has a different opinion about how you should feed your little one, and none of those other opinions match up with what you want to do.
It can help to remember that friends and relatives who are 20+ years older than you raised their babies in a different time. The scientific study of lactation, infant nutrition, gut health, and so many other areas related to feeding babies have come a LONG way in the past couple of decades. Sometimes well-meaning friends and family can give advice that is actually known to be unhealthy or unsafe nowadays. It can be hard to communicate that while those choices may have worked for them and their children, you’re choosing to do things differently.
It’s also important to remember that every parent and baby are different! Something that worked for someone else might not be right for you, just as something that’s really helping you may not be the right fit for someone else. It’s not a matter of whose way of doing things is better, but a matter of which way of doing things is better for YOU.
For compassionate and practical help in dealing with these kinds of situations, I recommend Elizabeth Pantley's article on Handling Unwanted Advice.
Feeding Advice from Pediatricians
Sometimes your baby’s pediatrician can be a wonderful source of help with feeding during the early months of life. But often that’s not the case.
Many parents are surprised to learn that medical school only provides up to 3 hours of lactation and breastfeeding/chestfeeding education per year. (If you take our course, The Practical Parent’s Plan for Nursing a Newborn, you’ll get more hours of lactation education than most pediatricians do!)
If your pediatrician is providing care for your baby in line with your values and goals as a parent, that’s wonderful! But if that’s not really the vibe of your relationship with your pediatrician, if you have doubts or questions about the feeding advice or information they give you, you’re not alone. Scheduling a visit with a lactation professional will give you the chance to get support from someone whose primary focus is helping parents and babies navigate these specific challenges. If your pediatrician is truly supportive of lactation, they will recommend that you pursue further support (again, if they have only taken the minimum lactation education, they have very little training on this complex topic!).
Lactation counselors and consultants are often the best community resources for help with feeding a baby - and thriving while doing it. My perspective focuses on both parents and babies, allowing my support to really be whole-family care. Pediatricians are also often limited in how much help they can give because they are only seeing one piece of the puzzle, and can’t see what’s going on at home. Since I can come to your own environment and don’t have a waiting room full of other families to attend to, we can take our time getting to know each other so I can truly understand your needs and challenges.