Reviews from Sylvia’s Satisfied Clients
7 months of praise for Sylvia
In the 1st month (8/9/2008):
Our baby had problems breastfeeding. We called Sylvia Boyd to get physical therapy for our little one. After 3 consultations, she is nursing so well, it doesn't hurt me anymore, I get more sleep because she is not nursing 24/7 after the treatment, and our baby is so much happier and more relaxed. Besides the actual treatment, we got so much advice on how to handle our baby. Seeing Sylvia with our baby was so helpful. Without her, I would have probably given up breastfeeding!
In the 5th month (12/8/2008):
The treatment was so helpful that our baby is now almost 6 month old and has never had anything other than breastmilk. Thank you Sylvia.
In the 7th month (2/17/2009):
As our baby will turn 7 months next week, Sylvia still supports us with her free Mommy & Me class every month. Sylvia is always there for us and supports our mom to mom exchange. I love Sylvia! She rocks!
M R., Newark, CA
“There is some magic in her hands”
If you are reading about Sylvia in search of a nursing
consultant for babies and good tips for moms, I’m glad somehow you found her
name because you came to the right place and your search can end here. There are
tons of good things to say about Sylvia, her service, suggestions, physical
therapy for babies, etc.
My wife has almost decided to give up breastfeeding, but when we
saw Sylvia, and saw the way she treated our baby, and the tips/training given to
the mom, (holding the baby etc), we were so surprised to see the results in our
baby. We cannot define in the words of how good we felt for her service. We
felt there is some magic in her hands :-). Now I believe in all her experience
and her knowledge in pregnancy. Bottom line: look no further if you need
breastfeeding help. Go see her, and you’ll know what I am talking
about.
Also for the expecting moms, I highly recommend taking her
classes
at St. Rose Hospital.
Thanks, Sylvia, for your excellent help. I wish you can conduct
some training sessions for those who want to be in your career.
--Srini M., Fremont, CA
8/15/2008
I definitely owe my success in breastfeeding to Sylvia
I had tremendous difficulties nursing my firstborn. Although I had plenty of milk, my baby didn't latch on properly and she had lost much weight and was dehydrated when we called Sylvia for help. Sylvia immediately helped me with pumping and finger-feeding and we managed to get my baby eating and gaining weight while we worked on her latching. It took six weeks of hard work and three cranio-sacral therapy session to get my firstborn nursing right, and throughout this time Sylvia worked along with us, with care and devotion way beyond the coverage of her fee. She kept in touch, providing us with very helpful information and support throughout my second pregnancy and the first months of my second baby's nursing period.
I definitely owe my success in breastfeeding to Sylvia. She is highly experienced and informed, and she is very caring and devoted to helping infants breastfeed. I highly recommend her services to any mom who wants to breastfeed.
Talila G., Castro Valley, CA
8/20/2008
(For Talila's full story, including pictures, click her Testimony)
“Sylvia is very knowledgeable and is kind”
My baby girl has a latching on problem and, although I was
able to breastfeed shortly after she was born with the help of a nipple shield,
the following 2 days after her birth, I was unable to breastfeed her and had to
supplement her with formula.
I was really distraught after getting discharged from the hospital
on a Sunday afternoon that I was still unable to successfully breastfeed my
baby. So Sunday, I remembered that my husband and I took a birthing class from
Sylvia and she had a lactation office. Sylvia told me to come on over on a
Sunday night (at 7:30 p.m. none-the-less!) in order for us to get a consultation
with her.
Sylvia was thorough. She took notes, asked questions about my
pregnancy, and did some infant therapy with my daughter who she noticed was
"tense," perhaps from the long labor I went through.
Sylvia was comforting and she suggested that I pump 8 times a day
until my milk fully came in. She also suspected that my daughter had a tongue
tie which may have been affecting her ability to latch on. (My daughter's
pediatrician had also stated that it seemed like my daughter had a slight tongue
tie, which we can get taken care of if she still continued to have issues with
latching on). She also showed me how to hand-express my milk in order to
stimulate it to come in. And she showed me an alternate position from the
normal "cradle" position in order to feed my daughter.
After our 2-hour meeting, Sylvia was open to having me call her
with any questions I had, including how to deal with engorgement when my milk
finally came in and other questions I had. Today, when I forgot my nipple
shield while visiting my parents, I called Sylvia to ask what I could do as my
daughter still wasn't latching on without it, Sylvia came over to my house and
gave me a nipple shield to use! I was so amazed that she did that and am really
grateful!
In sum, Sylvia is very knowledgeable and is kind. She seems to care
greatly for the mothers and infants she works with and insists on having the
mothers follow up and ask questions. I highly recommend Sylvia's Lactation
Office.
Margaret O., San
Mateo, CA
8/23/2010
“Today my baby nurses like a champion”
If you are on this webpage, dejected and frustrated and
almost ready to give up breastfeeding, let me tell you one thing: DON'T GIVE
UP. Seek help.-Go Meet Sylvia.
My baby had a rough start - my delivery was vacuum assisted and my
baby had breathing difficulties at birth-I barely touched my baby after birth-we
were separated for nearly 4 days (she was in the incubator) and that had a huge
impact on my milk supply and breastfeeding efforts. I suffered from low milk
supply, my baby was introduced to the bottle in the hospital and thus suffered
from nipple confusion and had latching problems.
I was so depressed and, when I called my hospital to meet a
lactation consultation, I was told: "The first available appointment is next
week!!!" ONE WEEK----!! What!! When suffering from breastfeeding
problems-waiting for ONE WEEK is WAY TOO LONG---!! And even after a long one
week wait-the appointment was useless, leading to more frustration.
I am so glad I found Sylvia. She quickly understood the urgency of
the situation and agreed to see us the same afternoon I called. She was very
understanding and helped us greatly. There was a glimmer of hope after visiting
her, and further determination finally led to breastfeeding success.
Today my baby (14 weeks) nurses like a champion, and we both
absolutely enjoy the experience and the bonding.
THANK YOU SYLVIA and keep up the good work. Please continue
helping struggling new moms and babies out there!!
Shruti H., Fremont,
CA
9/29/2010
“My pain while nursing went from a 9 to a 3 after ONE session with her”
Sylvia is a miracle worker when it comes to
improving latch, decreasing pain/discomfort with breastfeeding.
Sylvia goes beyond what most lactation consultants do, she also does
craniosacral therapy (like infant massage) on the baby to help loosen and soften
their mouths to improve latch.
She helped me learn to lie down and breast-feed with my daughter.
This side-lying nursing position helped me get some rest while my infant was
nursing all night long. I was able to enjoy 25 months of a wonderful nursing
relationship with my daughter thanks to Sylvia!
I thought after nursing her for over 2 years that breast-feeding
the second kid would be a breeze. Boy was I wrong. I had awful issues with
latching, cracked nipples, mastitis and severe pain the first few weeks while
nursing my second daughter. I went to free latch clinics in Fremont and paid
for private sessions with a lactation consultant in Fremont. She was lovely but
did nothing to improve my pain. She confirmed what I knew: my baby was getting
what she needed, but I was in excruciating pain. I knew I'd do whatever it took
to continue nursing (including enduring the pain if I had to), so I persevered.
I then remembered Sylvia and called her. I was so relieved to see
her. Sylvia worked with me and my little one and softened up her mouth.
Honestly, my pain while nursing went from a 9 (on a scale of 10) to a 3 after
ONE session. It was amazing.
I cannot recommend Sylvia highly enough. She loves what she does
and is wonderful at it.
I hope you enjoy years of a nurturing, nursing relationship!
Melissa B., San
Lorenzo, CA
Oct. 2, 2010
“It is very rare to find someone who is so knowledgeable”
Sylvia was a Godsend for me and my son. My baby had
difficulty latching when he was born, and I had tremendous pain while nursing
him. I continued for a month with the pain determined to breastfeed. (I had
similar issues with my firstborn who I ended up feeding pumped milk for 9
months). Due to improper latch and weak suck, my supply went down at the end of
the first month.
I finally got Sylvia's contact from the breastfeeding support center
at Eden Medical and called her. Sylvia was very warm and offered to see me and
the baby as soon as possible. She gave me tons of tips, and taught me to
breastfeed lying down (which is a life saver), and did therapy with my son.
After following her advice, I was able to revive my milk supply and was able to
successfully breastfeed him. She also detected the minor tongue tie that the
baby had. Correcting that helped him to suck better as well.
As others have mentioned, Sylvia's genuine care goes way beyond her
fee. She followed up with me over phone and email to make sure everything was
going right, and was always ready to help with words of wisdom and
encouragement. I felt so reassured after meeting her… almost like meeting an
elderly member of my own family. Such was her warmth and care. She is truly a
great blessing for breastfeeding mothers who need help! It is very rare to find
someone who is so knowledgeable and, at the same time, cares genuinely for every
client. She is dedicated to making the breastfeeding relationship work for her
clients.
Ragini R., Castro Valley, CA
12/29/2010
“I could not breastfeed for a month”
Sylvia is very ready to help any young families. Just by talking to her, I gained a lot of knowledge. I could not breastfeed my first child for a month. After consulting Sylvia, I stored a freezer of milk!
Lily from Hayward Plunge, Fremont, CA
1/4/2011
Sylvia's knowledge of babies is amazing!!!
My husband and I were in Sylvia's Lamaze class and later used her lactation services. Having had difficulty with breastfeeding, we consulted Sylvia. Our children were breastfed for over a year, and we're happy to report that they are as healthy as the studies have reported. Sylvia's knowledge of babies and of the different reasons why they are not feeding is amazing!!! What is most amazing is her expertise and experience. She truly cares for her patients, follows up and gives plenty of advice for moms and dads about babies. I would recommend Sylvia's services to any mom that is having problems with breastfeeding. We are very lucky to have had the opportunity to work with Sylvia.
Reina G., San Leandro, CA
1/18/2010
“I was so surprised… I saw and felt a difference in the first meeting”
Sylvia is a life saver!! My son is 3 1/2 weeks old and I had breastfeeding problems from the moment he was born. At the hospital before I came home I met with a lactation consultant and she sent me home with a nipple shield to help with the breastfeeding. A few days later I was in so much pain and I called the hospital’s lactation consultant again and asked for advice, since both of my breasts were in pain and bleeding. She ordered me a breast pump to release the milk and still be able to feed him that. She never followed up with me and I was still in pain. I contacted Sylvia and met with her. She did some therapy on my son and I saw and felt a difference in the first meeting and was so surprised!!!
She has helped us so much and, if it wasn't for her help, I probably would have given up on breastfeeding. I am so glad that I received help from her because breastfeeding my son was something I wanted to succeed in :).
Rebekah G., Union City, CA
1/25/2011
Every time Sylvia worked on my baby, she latched well
I can't say enough about Sylvia. First she is very
unconventional, but she really knows what she is doing, so she is very
effective. But most importantly of all, she loves and is passionate about the
well beings of babies.
With my firstborn (who was 6 weeks early), the Washington Hospital
lactation consultant just kept on telling me to keep on trying. It just got so
frustrating for both my son and I, we just gave up. So, I pumped and
supplemented for 9 months. It was really exhausting and expensive. And I felt
guilty for giving up.
And then I met Sylvia... she said it was not my fault! Preemie
babies needed extra time to develop more muscle, and there are exercises that we
can do to help them strengthen those muscles. So, when I had my second child,
Sylvia helped me latch my baby girl by giving her craniosacral therapy which
relaxed her, and also taught me to strengthen the needed muscles for her to have
a proper latch. This is very different than the other lactation consultants (3)
that I've been to, who kept on telling me to try different positions and just
keep on trying... Every time Sylvia worked on my baby, she latched well, and
the latch was not as painful.
Because the latch was successful, we saved so much money on formulas,
saved so much time & energy from washing bottles, sanitizing... and my diaper
bag was now just my purse - because all I needed was a diaper. And most
importantly, it was such a special bonding time that we really cherished.
Thanks Sylvia.
Akomom K.,
Fremont, CA
2/4/2011
In Good Hands
I have to say that finding and working with Sylvia felt like a God Send. She is friendly, insightful and wise. I immediately felt comfortable and that my baby and I were in good hands.
Janet L., Hayward, CA
3/1/2011
copyright © 2011 Sylvia Boyd. — Updated June 15, 2011
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