Gemma has been extremely helpful in my breastfeeding journey. In the first part of my journey, I was planning on adopting a baby and wanted to induce lactation. She was very supportive and spent a lot of time talking with me and explaining the process. She gave suggestions and recommendations on techniques for pumping, herbs to use, resources to look at...I wouldn't have known where to begin without her! She was so excited with me when I pumped my first drop of milk! My journey then turned to breastfeeding a biological child! Gemma was very knowledgeable and helpful in respect to achieving a proper latch, problem solving with clogged ducts and painful feeding, and encouraging me at the right time to get help from a dentist when we were dealing with tongue/lip tie issues. Gemma was a blessing to work with and I'm very blessed to have had the chance to work with her! I would recommend her to help everyone on their journey.
~Elizabeth Linn (Physical Therapist)
Gemma has been an angel in my breastfeeding experience, if it weren't for her I would have given up in the first week. Right from the beginning, she provided me with very helpful information. She was extremely available and was always quick to answer my questions, no matter what time of day. Her knowledge is both evidence-based, as well as firsthand from years of working with mothers and babies and her own personal experience. Gemma is extremely passionate about what she does and her kindness and love for mothers, babies, and breastfeeding are undeniable. We are very fortunate to have such a reliable, knowledgeable, professional, compassionate lactation consultant in the area. I know that my success in breastfeeding is directly related to the help that Gemma provided me. I would recommend Gemma to anyone: friends, family, coworkers, etc. If you want to succeed in breastfeeding, recruit Gemma as part of your team! She is absolutely the best!
~Nicole Lang RN (Nicky Rosenbaum)
Gemma was such a blessing to us! With our third son, she helped figure out that he was both tongue and lip tied. He was not able to get adequate milk with breastfeeding or a bottle, so she taught us to use a small cup until the surgery could be done. Thanks to her helpful guidance and coaching, we were able to take care of the issue and continue breastfeeding! I really appreciated her caring follow-up and sweet encouragement. She is extremely trustworthy and really does want to see moms and their babies bond well through breastfeeding. Gemma is the best breastfeeding resource there is and I cannot recommend her enough!
~Liz Carpentar
Becoming a mom and learning how to provide for my baby was difficult for me. With Gemma's experience and knowledge, she was able to guide through the breastfeeding process. She was able to give details about a variety of things including: proper baby latching, how to look for lip/tongue ties, baby's milk needs, and mom's milk supply. I was comforted by Gemma's soothing nature and calm demeanor. I am forever thankful for Gemma's guidance as she assisted me to become more confident in breastfeeding and raising my child.
~Cristin Newby
Words simply cannot do you justice for all your help over the years. I have known Gemma for 3 years. I first met her at a breastfeeding support group that I attended as a first-time mom, exhausted and anxious that something wasn’t right. My first had a lip tie and my nipple split in three. Gemma worked with my daughter and me to get a better latch. She coached me through my doubts and cheered for our successes. Being a mom is hard. Working full-time is hard. Doing both while navigating breastfeeding seemed impossible. Gemma helped me work through my anxiety and mom guilt with her knowledge and compassion. Getting through motherhood and nursing one day at a time changed to weeks and then months with Gemma. I kept mini goals in mind with the ultimate goal being a year (due to all the “recommendations” you hear as a FTM). My next wave of anxiety came when I found out I was pregnant with my second blessing when my first was 8 months old. I didn’t want to quit breastfeeding. I went back to Gemma for guidance. I had a million questions. What do I do? Nurse while pregnant? Can you do that? Do I have to stop at one year? What happens when the new baby comes? Can you nurse two? Over the course of my pregnancy Gemma empowered me to do what felt best and natural for me! She encouraged and provided her expertise along the way. I am extremely grateful for Gemma because I can proudly say I have exclusively breastfed my first for 3 years and counting. I breastfed through my pregnancy, and I have tandemed nursed for 18 months and counting. I have survived tongue and lip ties, shallow latches, oversupply issues, low supply issues, anxiety, and motherhood with Gemma’s help. I have become passionate about breastfeeding and support others because it takes a village. I have been blessed to have Gemma in my village and I highly recommend her as an addition to yours!
~Heather Steinhofer RN
Gemma is such an excellent resource for breastfeeding. She gave me several in-home consultations and came up with a plan tailored to me and my baby to make us successful.
She made me more effective as a nursing mom by giving ideas on feeding techniques and oral development exercises. Her unique perspective and one-on-one approach helped my little boy go from just surviving to thriving, I cannot recommend Gemma enough!
I’m on my third baby but had never been able to breastfeed due to tongue ties in all my children, I was finally able to exceed my feeding goals thanks to Gemma’s kind, gentle, and knowledgeable support.
~Kendra & Elliott Anderson (Pharmacists)
I have had the pleasure of knowing Gemma for about 4.5 years. She was one of the AMAZING lactation consultants at the Nursing Nook when my 4.5-year-old and 1.5 year old were infants. I did not have the most enjoyable start to my breastfeeding journey. Both of my babies were severely constricted with movement in their mouth and ended up having an upper lip and posterior tongue tie revision at 7 weeks and 5 days old. Gemma was the first person that assessed my babies and encouraged me to get an opinion from a specialist. Gemma is so knowledgeable about breastfeeding and is extremely patient and professional with every new mom that walks through the door. Her passion for breastfeeding is remarkable. When I had my 1.5-year old I knew something was not right with his nursing. Gemma made herself easily accessible and approachable. I was able to call her at 2100 at night, frustrated, in pain, and my emotions running high. She was so encouraging to me, helping me troubleshoot some of my problems and meeting me at the Nursing Nook the very next day. I think my passion for breastfeeding stemmed from the support I received from Gemma. As new moms, we are already scared and to have someone there to answer questions whether it is through text, over the phone, or in-person can help create a beautiful breastfeeding story. She is always expanding her knowledge, which I respect, especially with the ever-changing health care system. Thank you, Gemma, for your dedication and passion for us new moms.
~Sarah Hardman BSN, RN, CMSRN
As a first time mom, I thought the only difficult thing about breastfeeding would be the amount of time spent doing it. I just thought it would be exhausting! It was very unexpected when my daughter and I encountered several issues. She didn’t gain weight as fast as they expected because she had tongue and lip ties (first suspected by Gemma!) which caused her to be unable to transfer as much milk as she needed. We got the ties released but not before my supply took a hit. Gemma was there for my family through it all. She knew how important it was to me to breastfeed my daughter and she always had another suggestion on what I could try when something else didn’t work. I would not have made it 18 months and counting if it wasn’t for Gemma’s care and support! I will be forever grateful for her guidance during those first few months.
~Michelle & Ethan Marosz
Gemma Regan was like a God-sent angel to us after the birth of our last child. Although I had successfully nursed my first four children, I realized my fifth newborn was different. He had trouble nursing right from the beginning, while we were still in the hospital. The lactation consultants there suspected that our little one had a tongue and lip tie and that he would likely need a small surgical procedure to repair it. After a traumatic c-section, and in the midst of a difficult recovery, this news felt overwhelming to my husband and me. The lactation consultants heartily recommended that I reach out to Gemma for help. They commended her to us as an expert in this particular nursing issue. Gemma graciously came to our house the morning after we got home from the hospital. Her soothing confidence, vast experience, and obvious intelligence put us immediately at ease. She stayed for around two hours: inspecting our son’s mouth and weighing him at various points throughout a nursing session to ensure he was getting enough food. Most importantly, she patiently walked us through the process of where to get a tongue and lip tie and what to expect from that procedure. We were able to have the procedure done within days and two minutes after the procedure he began nursing properly! Gemma followed up with us several times, including offering expert advice on the best nursing products (it had been almost four years since I had had a baby and the technology has changed for the better!) and other tips on motherhood. I am so grateful for her experience and help during this season of our lives and I heartily recommend her!
~Jill Olmstead
I’m a Family Doctor who sees moms and babies, and Gemma has been my go-to resource for breastfeeding questions. She has walked many of my patients (both new and experienced moms) through the challenges and rewards of nursing. Gemma has been instrumental in helping to assess latching, milk transfer, and milk production issues. I fully trust her, and my patients love her!
~Dr. Justin Schwalbe (Family Physician)
Gemma is a fantastic resource to help with many breastfeeding issues. As an IBCLC and with a long career in breastfeeding services, she has helped many mothers meet their breastfeeding goals. Her particular knowledge of oral restrictions has helped us treat and manage breastfeeding problems related to TOTS for the last five years. I highly recommend her for knowledge and expertise.
~Dr. Rachel Poulsen, DDS
My experience with her was wonderful. I was a first-time mom to a baby that was born 13 weeks early. I was so nervous and she helped me relax and gave me all the support I needed to have a successful experience. With everything that I had going on it would have been so easy to give up on nursing, but she gave me hope and encouragement to keep at it. I am very thankful to have had her help and support!
~Shannon H.
I can’t say enough wonderful things about her and the support she gave me through those early weeks of motherhood and breastfeeding. At a time when things were new, challenging, and when I felt my most vulnerable, she was there to empower me and answer all of my questions related to breastfeeding and beyond! We faced many challenges on our nursing journey, and she was always so incredibly responsive and offered tricks, tips and support that helped me keep going through some pretty difficult times. Breastfeeding was so very important to me, and it is evident that it means so much to her as well. She cares deeply about this work, and the families she supports. She respected and honored each of our family and really contributed to our success. My daughter is now 15 months old and we’re still nursing strong. It’s no longer a struggle(well except for when my little toddler turns into a monkey mid-nursing session!!) and I can honestly say it’s been one of the most rewarding and beautiful aspects of motherhood for me. I know that I can still pick up the phone and call her, even to this day, and she’ll gladly help answer any questions or concerns that come up. I highly recommend working with a lactation consultant on your journey-and she is one of the very best!!!
~Katherine N.
I have worked with her for 5 years as a Lactation consultant in the NICU. I was a staff nurse prior to taking this position but was always interested in lactation. She was a big influence on my decision to start a career in lactation. She has worked as an LC for many years, and her experience and knowledge is endless. She has the compassion and understanding that I think it takes to be a good consultant. A couple of years ago, my grandson Zander, was admitted to the pediatric unit. My daughter and I were exhausted. She was amazing. She stepped right in and gave my daughter the pointers and encouragement she needed to help her through a difficult time.
I wish her much success in her future lactation business and I know the mommies will love her as much as we all do in the NICU!
~Sheryl Meiser, R.N. IBCLC
I am so grateful for Birth & Lactation Connection. Gemma has helped me tremendously by giving me so much information and teaching me many new skills for a successful nursing journey. They are always there when I’m in need and always have answers and solutions for any issue I faced. 5/5 stars, I would give more if I could. Even though our 2020 quarantine, they were able to provide the care and the attention of my family and I needed.
Gemma and the team at BLC are my new nursing family! Gemma is so caring and made sure I had every tool available to make my nursing journey successful. She helped me through the pain of the first few weeks of nursing and through my daughter’s tongue tie. Even though this is my second child, I still gained new information and skills that makes nursing second nature now.
~Angela Snyder
I would recommend her to someone needing the care of an IBCLC. I am so pleased with the help I received! She put my mind at ease with decisions I have made and that is huge as a new mom with anxiety!! She answered everything about my concerns.
~Heather Pace
She was incredibly helpful when I reached out for advice with a potentially clogged duct. She offered various suggestions and checked in on me often. She is knowledgeable and so very kind.
~Stephanie Molnar
When I first had the privilege to experience her gentle kindness as a lactation consultant, I had just given birth to my fourth child. One might assume after nursing all of the previous children I would know how this goes. But as the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child (and a small metropolis to raise 4). With each delivery, and each new baby, there are new and unexpected challenges, so even this fourth-time mama didn’t have all the tricks I needed when that last little bookend joined our family and expected to be fed.
For some the challenge is the latch; for others their supply; for others yet, there are simply not enough arms to wrangle the older kids while stirring the pot of macaroni and cheese and nursing the baby all during that chaotic “witching hour”. She gets it from every conceivable angle, as a mom of 4 herself and woman whose true calling in life is pouring into other moms with her knowledge and her gifts of compassion, empathy and care.
Whatever the challenge a new mom faces in the beginning, one thing is clear: this practice of breastfeeding, which seems like it should be so instinctual and natural, still comes with its challenges. She addresses each delicate concern with such tenderness and dignity for the new, scared, excited, and exhausted mama, and I speak from grateful experience to the calm reassurance she brings in addition to her sage wisdom and kindness.
For me, specifically, she was my guide and my answer key when it came to knowing which of my prescription medications were safe while nursing. Having suffered a stroke in the years prior and undergoing a few questionable procedures involving medicines that fell into a grey area for breastfeeding, this was a delicate dance that she handled with caution and confidence as she advised me and comforted me via text or phone at all hours.
Additionally, she was able to suggest nursing and pumping products that this old-timer mom had never even heard of. Apparently, between my first and fourth child being born, there had been a few INCREDIBLE pro-nursing products released that she was incredibly helpful to suggest (Team Haaka!).
I am immeasurably grateful for her calling, her giftedness in her field, and her willingness to share it selflessly with others. She is, without a doubt, a part of that village that it takes to raise a child, and I’m so grateful to have had her in my corner during such beautiful and challenging days with my youngest.
~Courtney Shultz
There are so many things I had thought would be instinctual and natural when becoming a mother. Breastfeeding is one of those things. After starting induction on a Thursday evening and delivering on a Saturday morning, it took my milk some time to come in. Between the delayed milk and cluster feedings, as new parents we were drowning. Many of the lactation consultants I had spoken with made me feel guilty and broken when all I really wanted was to be able to feed my son. She was so gentle and kind with this mama who was struggling physically and emotionally. She sat with me and listened, asking questions to make sure she understood what I was asking or experiencing and making it known that we had options we could try out and that she would help us find a path forward. Her gentle approach made me feel comfortable to be vulnerable and honest. Being someone who is definitely shy about exposure, she was slow in her approach and always explained what she was looking for or why she was suggesting any adjustments. I felt so relieved after our first session together, but her kindness didn’t end there. She continued to check in on our progress sending positive messages and truly cheering us on. We are now 7 months into our breastfeeding journey and so much of that is thanks to the expertise, guidance, and encouragement she provided our family so early on
~Sheri, Kyle, & Hatcher Robertson
I first met her at a breastfeeding support group through the hospital with my first daughter. She was so approachable at the group and her desire to help mamas radiates from her. With my second daughter, she was the lactation consultant working during my hospital stay. Seeing her walk into my hospital room instantly made me relax. She answered all of my questions and addressed any concerns I had at the time and has continued to address any breastfeeding concerns I have as they pop up. She has an approach to breastfeeding that is positive, knowledgeable, and free from pressure.
~Rachel Norman
She is truly wonderful. She is knowledgeable and shares it in a way that is accessible, understandable, and easy to implement. You can tell she is passionate about breastfeeding, infant development, and supporting mothers through their journeys in how quickly and empathetically she responds to any and all concerns. Being a first-time mom, I felt underprepared for taking on newborn care and especially learning how to breastfeed. I found myself confused with conflicting lactation information from nurses in the hospital, overwhelmed with fatigue when I got home, and distressed with abnormal newborn screening results. Without fail, she helped me navigate my confusion, fear, and health of my son as we had to switch to formula for five days as we awaited the results. She ensured my milk supply remained strong through teaching appropriate and effective pumping strategies and alleviated any concerns I had about my son's ability to manage these transitions. On top of this, having delivered my son during the pandemic and living out of state, she provided all of this care to my son and me remotely. She responded quickly, and even through written support and instructions, I found great success in all that she provided. I would highly recommend she and plan to continue seeking her services as I grow as a mother. She is a true baby and breast whisperer!
~Callie Kelly
