I’m Barbara Cohen, IBCLC, RLC, LLLL (retired), and I have been supporting breastfeeding families for over two decades, as an active volunteer La Leche League Leader, Postpartum Doula and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. I’m a member of the New York Lactation Consultant Association (NYLCA), the International Consortium of Oral Ankylofrenula Professionals (ICAP), the Association for Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology and Health (APPPAH) and the United States Lactation Consultant Association (USLCA).  I’m the mother of three breastfed children, now all adults, each of whom taught me lasting lessons about mothering through breastfeeding.

I help with these issues:

  • Feeding multiples

  • Feeding premature infants

  • Feeding special-needs infants

  • Insufficient glandular tissue (IGT)

  • Reflux

  • Pumping and working

  • Exclusively pumping

  • Elimination diets and food sensitivities

  • Breast/Bottle refusal

  • Feeding refusal

  • Feeding aversion

  • Weaning

  • Pumping/ flange fitting

  • Nipple pain

  • Nipple trauma

  • Painful latch or inability to latch

  • Toddler nursing issues

  • Habilitation around Tethered Oral Tissues (TOTs)

  • Plugged ducts/mastitis

  • Low supply, oversupply

  • Weight gain issues

  • Relactation and adoptive feeding

  • Breastfeeding/chest feeding

  • Feeding when mom or baby is ill

  • Postpartum Nutrition and Wellness

Parents can be anxious, depressed and unsettled when feeding isn’t going well, at any stage. They often feel unheard and will rely on friends and social media for feeding support.  Pediatricians are not feeding specialists and it can often seem that meaningful support is elusive.  


When you are facing a challenge feeding your baby, having a skilled and compassionate IBCLC come to your nest and spend two hours really listening can be life changing. Parents need and deserve time, energy and attentiveness to their feeding issues and this is what they should get from an IBCLC.

Let’s sit down for TEA

Time

  • A comprehensive intake by phone the day before we meet

  • A two hour visit in your home

  • A full month to be able to ask questions and tie up loose ends

Energy

  • A written report on the same day as our visit

  • One week later we will connect by phone for a follow-up

  • You can reach out with questions or concerns anytime

Attentiveness

  • Mindful of your unique feeding goals in all aspects of feeding support

  • Aware of your family situation

  • Committed to listening to YOU as the expert on your baby

Dr. Google, Instagram, Facebook and mom groups seem to be the go-to resources for so many new parents. They are trying what worked for their friends.  But this is not the individualized, nuanced care that is often needed when facing a feeding challenge.

An IBCLC is the only provider of clinical lactation care.  A Lactation Consultant can be a CLC, CLE or a CBS or even your uncle Joe.  Yup, anyone can hang a shingle and call themselves a Lactation Consultant!  But only an IBCLC is board-certified with a scope of practice that allows for clinical support with years of pre-exam education, training and ongoing continuing education under our belts.  

Stop scouring the internet - let’s work together and reach your feeding goals!

IBCLC Clinical Competencies Guide

  • My family and I reached out to Barbara when our then 3-month old daughter was struggling to nurse. Barbara came to our home for a few hours and was able to identify the issue. She wrote a very thorough report and gave us many recommendations. We were so relieved to finally have a path forward! Barbara’s services were extremely professional and specific to our baby’s needs. Her approach was very respectful, warm and gentle. She was also very responsive, available via texts, and was following up constantly for the few months we worked with her. She truly is the reason why I was able to have a successful breastfeeding journey. She exceeded all of our expectations and she is not only an expert in her field but also has a network of wonderful pediatric professionals that can help with other related matters. Fast forward a few months later, our baby girl is now a pro at breastfeeding, she is now in the 35th percentile and as healthy as can be. We are so glad we reached out to Barbara for help! We are definitely planning on reaching out to her sooner for our next baby!

    — Virginie

  • Barbara Cohen is a rare and essential resource for mothers! She helped me exclusively nurse my 5 lb twin boys, which was no easy task. After not being able to have the natural childbirth I had hoped for, nourishing my children and creating a strong mother-child bond with each of them was extremely important to me. She came to my home and helped to curate several comfortable places and positions for me to nurse them in tandem. We had a follow up in person session to make sure that they were nursing efficiently at each feeding and developed a good pumping schedule to help increase my supply. She was also very accessible when I had questions or issues with cracked nipples, clogged ducts, etc. At a moment where I felt like I had no control Barbara equipped me with essential knowledge to succeed. I also attended the LaLeche League meetings she led in New York for over a year. She and the community of mothers she had there were very helpful in sharing advice on introducing foods, taking care of my breasts, and dealing with all of the unexpected loops and turns that come with being a new mother. I have referred Barbara to my friends and family. She has gone above and beyond to help 3 of my sisters and 3 close friends with varied issues (over supply, under supply, tongue tie, etc.) successfully nurse their children. She’s truly a gift and is passionate about caring for mothers and babies.

    — Adrienne

  • Do not hesitate to hire Barbara! She is a miracle for lactating mothers and their children. My daughter was born in February of 2020 with tongue and cheek ties that went unnoticed by several lactation and pediatric professionals. After two terrible IBCLCs, I found Barbara through my local LLL group, and my daughter is still benefiting from her help! Barbara's caring assessment of our situation covered some of the following with wisdom, research, kindness and flexibility: lactation health and ability, oral health, suck health, body structure/strain health, and our family's overall wellness. Barbara has an amazing set of resources ready to help. She was able to recommend breastfeeding and bottle feeding techniques, oral surgeons (used and loved him), chiropractors (we still use them!), oral exercises, maternal supplements, bonding activities, lactation tools like correct flanges and bottles just to name a few of the many, many ways she helped! It truly feels like this woman knows EVERYTHING and cannot be stumped or bothered (her texting is kind, thorough, and immediate). There were times when she would recommend something that I just didn't want to do (like it was too hard or took too much time or I found frustrating) and Barbara always found another way to solve the problem! I only used her virtual help because of the the pandemic and was beyond impressed by how effective she was. Her tech skills are amazing! Hiring Barbara for our next child was my biggest priority. I really only trust her to tell me how my breastfeeding is going! Again, do not hesitate to hire Barbara. It will be some of the best money you will ever spend on your baby!

    — Shara