What is it like to work with Circle of Love Lactation LLC?

Working with Lera was extremely helpful. Being a first time mom I was wanting to breastfeed but was having latching issues and needed more support than what was provided to me at the hospital. Lera was able to come to my home super quickly after contacting her and made me feel heard and supported! She was able to give me ideas and ways to try breastfeeding that I had no idea even existed, and they worked! She was super helpful giving me guidance on how to pump when I needed to do that as well. She always was positive and made me feel like a rockstar mom even when I didn’t feel that way in the newborn trenches, and I can’t thank her enough for that. I know that if I have any questions or concerns I can reach out, and she will do anything she can to help. I highly recommend you reach out to Lera. She is a wonderful resource!

- Lauren A.

Lera was a great resource. She was reassuring, positive, and took the time to answer all my questions in detail. She helped me decide on goals that worked for me, without pressure. Thanks to her guidance, I was able to pump without pain, increase my supply, and come up with a sustainable feeding plan. I'm very grateful for her help!

- Laura

I am so glad that I reached out to Lera for breastfeeding support rather than continuing to struggle on my own with my oh-so-sleepy newborn. I definitely credit improvements in my baby's weight gain to her advice and support. Lera’s detailed notes, shared with our network of pediatricians, were also helpful in providing a record of all we were doing. Some pediatricians are not breastfeeding experts, and in my experience, I received little helpful information from my pediatricians regarding breastfeeding or pumping. Take your child to the pediatrician, of course, and if you are experiencing any trouble with breastfeeding or pumping, reach out to Lera! I would even recommend making arrangements in advance of when your baby is born for her lactation support, especially if you are a first-time mom. You just never know what challenges you might end up experiencing, and the less you have to worry about when your baby is born, the better! 

- Olivia P.

Lera was there for me in one of the most vulnerable times of my life. She helped me to not feel guilty and do what is best for myself and my baby. Everyone makes it seem like breastfeeding comes easy to everyone, but it doesn’t! Having a person by your side to work through the unique needs for you and baby is so important. Lera was so empowering, and I am so grateful for her guidance and support! 

- D. Jones

As a first time mom to twins, I underestimated the daunting work and steep learning curve behind breastfeeding and twins especially, and what it takes and how long it takes to breastfeed two. I naively assumed that I would be one of those moms that CAN breastfeed two, not knowing so many factors, that it takes time for me and the babies to master, and things that are out of our control come to play as well. The first few weeks were a blur and I wasn't feeling the best, but I can distinctly remember Lera's home visits with fondness. She explained many things I am sure over and over to me when my brain was foggy and hormones were crazy. She came out of her way to help me size well for pumping, experiment with feeding positions for twins and arrive at a plan together with my input. She definitely puts herself in my shoes during each visit, and helps me remember where we were on our last visit, which is so encouraging. Because I often lose sight of the progress we've made week by week. With time and practice, I felt equipped by her to experiment on my own and find what's worked well for us. I would not have gotten comfortable with breastfeeding and pumping without her, given how much conflicting information one can find on the internet. She is the person that you can turn to for professional and compassionate support for your breastfeeding journey.
- Vivian F.

As soon as my baby girl was born, the prospect of breastfeeding became very daunting as I immediately experienced significant pain and even bruising. I soon realized my baby was also having to work hard to feed and was becoming exhausted and falling asleep before she could get full feedings. A couple weeks into that struggle, a friend connected me with Lera. Lera came to my house right away and we chatted, hypothesized, and came up with an action plan. I ended up taking my daughter to be assessed and then treated for tongue and lip ties at three weeks old. During that time, I never felt pressured, and Lera didn't merely send me off to have a scary procedure done to my baby; she walked with me every step of the way and I soon felt almost like she was family. As my baby recovered, Lera visited and called frequently to check up on us and offer encouragement. When my baby struggled to gain weight, Lera helped us track her weight and create a feeding plan that would boost both my supply and my daughter's weight. Not only did I feel constantly cared for and supported by Lera, but her help WORKED! In a few weeks, breastfeeding was no longer painful and my baby's weight gain was right on track. Now, my daughter is 3 months old and breastfeeding is relaxing, completely pain-free, and enjoyable for both my baby and I. I shudder to think about where we'd be without Lera's presence in our journey!

- Alisha DiBuduo

Working with Lera has been an absolutely fantastic experience. When a friend recommended I speak with Lera, I was at a low point in my breastfeeding journey. Lera was so warm and understanding of the challenges I faced, it felt like she was a friend I had known for many years. At our first appointment, Lera took the time to go over the details of my medical history, pregnancy and experience with labor and delivery. She provided practical solutions I could put into place immediately, and helped determine next steps I should take. I greatly appreciated her positivity and willingness to leave no stone unturned in looking for answers. Lera also served as an advocate for me and my infant when we needed to follow up with a doctor for additional care. Through our many discussions, she broadened my perspective on the many forms that successful breastfeeding might take. Working with Lera was a real game-changer, and I can’t recommend her services highly enough!

- Mary W.

I first met Lera when she came to our home when my second child was 5 weeks old. With feeding issues related to a tongue and lip tie, I wasn't able to breastfeed and was instead, exclusively pumping. Lera, with her extensive knowledge and experience as well as her logical problem-solving way, was able to quickly identify multiple factors contributing to our issues and offered suggestions and ideas which, in the end, greatly impacted our success in breastfeeding. Lera is gentle-spirited, compassionate, eager to jump into life in the trenches of new motherhood, a veracious researcher, excellent communicator and a cherished encourager who any mama would be blessed to have in their corner.  

- Mandy Cline

I was blessed to have the opportunity to collaborate on many projects with Lera in my role as Indiana Director of Breastfeeding.  I learned so much from her and enjoyed her perspective for the work. She brings so much knowledge, passion and talent to the breastfeeding community and the families she serves. She is a bright star in the breastfeeding world.

- Tina Cardarelli, Indiana Director of Breastfeeding and State Breastfeeding Coordinator 2008-2018

I feel so grateful that Lera has decided to share her expertise and knowledge with the broader Bloomington community. Lera's experiences as parent of three and her years spent working as a La Leche leader have made her so compassionate to the diverse experiences of parents trying to feed their babies. Her openness and empathy allows her to truly listen and support your choices. Most of all, Lera’s kindness and empathy make you feel seen, supported and empowered to be successful in your decision to breastfeed. Lera has been there for me to help troubleshoot the bleary-eyed newborn stage where my baby and I were both learning the rhythm of breastfeeding. She’s continued to be there to check in and offer brilliant suggestions when I felt stuck or out of ideas with growth spurts, hormone dips and sleep regressions. Most recently, when I experienced a case of recurrent mastitis while traveling, Lera not only offered suggestions to support breastfeeding and find relief, she was also able to quickly confirm the proper medications prescribed at a walk-in clinic while citing the latest recommendations. We are so grateful for her advice, guidance and support throughout this experience.

- Bianca L.

As a first time mom, I thought breastfeeding would be easy. It didn’t even cross my mind that I’d have trouble. I was so wrong! I struggled a lot and many tears were shed. My mental health suffered because I couldn’t even feed my baby in the most natural way. The picture I painted in my head was not my reality. I grieved. I tried all the hacks and spoke to all the people, but my body just wouldn’t produce much milk for my baby. I then connected with Lera, and she was the sweet voice of comfort I needed at that time. My body never really produced more milk but I kept nursing (and supplemented with donor milk and formula along the way). Lera was a cheerleader for me. She took time to coach me and check in often. She truly cared and it was felt in my moments of weakness. 

She is knowledgeable, personable, kind, nonjudgmental, and truly wants to help. 

I highly recommend Lera for breastfeeding support! 

- Shauna H.

Lera has a special way of listening deeply to her clients. I could always trust her to hear everything I was saying, plus all the questions and emotions beneath my words. I scheduled a phone call with Lera to discuss a struggle to nurse my third child. I'd nursed the other two successfully, but was uncertain about continuing to breastfeed my youngest past nine months due to the increased demands of being a mom of three. My son had begun eating solids and becoming distracted while nursing, so I asked Lera whether he might be ready to wean. She helped me to understand how his developmental stage was impacting our feeding schedule and gave me incredibly practical tips so that I wasn't left feeling like an all-you-can-eat buffet. We found our rhythm again and I was so glad. A few months later, in the process of weaning him to accommodate an upcoming trip, I reached out to Lera because I knew she would listen in a way no one else would about the grief I felt about drawing this final breastfeeding journey to a close, all mixed up with my deep need to reclaim my own body. She met me and, again, immediately understood the biology at play in my circumstance, helping me understand the hormonal impact of weaning too rapidly, which I had inadvertently done, and counseling me into a more gentle pathway. I went on to nurse my son another three months, and I will always be grateful for the chance to end that season with grace. I feel incredibly grateful to have had her support, even and especially as a "veteran" breastfeeding mom. 

- Adrienne Garrison

It is amazing the difference it makes to have someone so caring and so knowledgeable in your corner. Lera was such an important part of making my breastfeeding journeys successful. Both my babies were tongue tied. And, I felt like I could do nothing right for them.  She took me seriously and listened carefully even when I was so frustrated I was no longer even making sense to myself. New parents are vulnerable and willing to try almost anything to help their babies, but I knew that Lera wasn't wasting my time. She did not come at me with old wives' tales and remedies but with researched ways to troubleshoot my specific problems. She helped make sense of it all to get me to the practitioners I needed to help my baby. At the same time, Lera has lived experience in the difficulties and the joys of breastfeeding, and she understands the softness of what breastfeeding means to both sides of the breastfeeding dyad. I knew that Lera cared about me as a person. I feel like she helped my mental state as much as she helped me coax my babies to the breast. It was her words that stuck with me when I wanted to throw the pump against the wall and give up... they gave me hope that it would get better, slowly and unsteadily perhaps, but she helped me to see that my story was a success story even if it didn't look exactly like I'd imagined it.

- Amber Panwitz

I cannot say enough wonderful things about Lera. I initially felt so alone in the struggle to breastfeed until I met Lera through La Leche League. She was a bright light during this tough time. Our youngest was tongue-tied and we proceeded with a frencectomy. Lera was so knowledgeable and encouraging. With her guidance and La Leche League, we were able to breastfeed successfully without a nipple shield, which was my goal. I'm proud to say with Lera's help, and support from other momma's I met though La Leche League, I've been able to breastfeed all four of our babies until they were two years old, and currently with our 14 month old. Lera was there when any bumps in the road came up and helped us navigate the tough, but amazing journey of breastfeeding.  I have absolutely loved breastfeeding all my babies (despite the many bumps along the way), and can't say enough wonderful things about Lera and the support she provided us. 

- Jessica Bradford