Lactation Central NJ | Testimonials

Marninah,

We made it! Cooper and I enjoyed breastfeeding for a year- my ultimate goal! When it didn’t work out with my first son I was nervous to try again, but your encouragement and support was key to our success. Thank you so much for your help and for always making time for quick phone calls. We are doing great and hope the same for you and your family!

Thanks again & take care!

-Ashlie

As a physician I thought I knew enough about babies and the human body that I never sought out help when it came to breast feeding my first son. Well, that was a huge mistake, he never latched properly, my milk supply never came in and I went from supplementing with formula to giving up breast feeding completely within a few weeks. I felt like a failure. The second time around I knew I wasn't going to give up so easily. After coming home from the hospital, my second son was jaundice and didn't appear to be gaining weight. His latch was painful and would nurse for hours at a time. With a toddler and 3 day old I wasn't in a position to leave the house and go to an office to get help nursing. After calling numerous agencies afraid I would wind up like last time and not be able to breast feed we finally found Chaya. She came to our home on a Sunday morning with her scale and stayed until we had it down. Weighing the baby after teaching me different positions and latching techniques to make sure "the baby was getting enough" because that was my biggest concern. She offered to come back and was available to reach at anytime if we had questions or needed further help. Luckily it only took that one visit. She made me feel so comfortable and was very down to earth. Having multiple children herself and a medical medical background (pediatric PA working many years in the NICU) she was very practical and didn't make the baby on the breast to be the "be all end all" as some lactation consultants do. She understands what it's like to have a career and was open to pumping and pacifiers when other consultants were not. I owe my breast feeding success this time around to her. Our 2 week old boy is happily eating well and gaining weight - and my stress level has decreased dramatically. Thank you Chaya!

Janice, B.

Dear Marninah,

My baby is now four months old and I treasure the time we spend bonding together when I nurse him. Due to complications at birth, I was unable to nurse him for 12 hours and he got used to bottles right away. As a result, it took a while for my milk to come in. I really wanted to breastfeed but it seemed that I was set up for failure from the beginning. You helped me, suppported me and kept me going with your amazing tips and ideas. Thank you for all your help in making this amazing experience possible.

-Cheryl N.

Chaya Lighten, RPA-C, IBCLC, provided wonderful care for our pediatric patients from birth to young adulthood. Her specialty within our group as a lactation consultant involved promoting ideal breastfeeding practices and solving difficulties with breastfeeding for the well-being of both the newborn and mom. I continually receive high compliments from her previous patients on what a positive impact Chaya had on their breastfeeding experience. I am thrilled she will be available again in our community as a lactation expert.

- Boram Sung, MD, FAAP, Mid Jersey Pediatrics.

Getting my baby to latch properly initially seemed impossible. I was in a lot of pain and ready to give up. I was lucky enough to find Marninah and found her to be incredibly helpful and supportive. She helped with positioning (myself and my baby) and soon after, we got the hang of it! Initially it was very frustrating and emotionally draining, but with Marninah's help I stuck with it and nursed successfully until my baby was 13 months old. Two years later my next child was born. To my surprise I had similar trouble with nursing. Again, with Marninah's help, I figured things out and now, 9 months later, my baby is a quick nurser and is a chunky happy baby. My baby and I both love the experience! Without Marninah I would have given up right away. I am so grateful to have found her!
-Robyn S.

After testing out the physicians at our pediatrician’s office, we finally met and landed on Chaya Mueller-Lighten, PA, IBCLC. Chaya was everything we were looking for... for our children and our family. She always spoke directly to our children when asking “what was wrong” and was so respectful of our questions and concerns. Chaya is extremely patient, knowledgeable and balances her treatment approach with traditional and non-invasive remedies. We spoke countless times of which medicines were needed and I never questioned her approach knowing she always had our best interest in mind.

-Rachel L.

Both of my experiences with them were related to a decreased milk supply.

In 2016, I reached Chaya for my little baby girl, and she introduced me lots of methods to increase the milk supply, food, herb, and also pumping. It was very helpful, my milk supply got increased.

Last week, I noticed the same issue with my second baby. I tried everything and still not improved a lot, so I contacted Chaya again. Catherine came to see me this time. She was very patient when I told her what happened recently, then she watched me nursing, and reassured me that I was actually doing good! She also showed me how to nurse my baby in the side lying position to get some rest. Now I know building the confidence is very important to a successful breastfeeding.

I’m very happy with them.

Catherine C.

I met with Marninah a few days about one week post partum. She was incredibly helpful, and I have been so thankful for all her invaluable advice. I had great difficulty getting a latch without using a shield, and Marninah gave me techniques to maintain a good latch and I didn't use the shield a single time since our visit. I felt like I had an endless amount of questions regarding my breastfeeding experience, and Marninah patiently answered all of them. She also answered my questions over the patient portal after our visit and checked in to see how my son and I were doing. We had a follow up visit a few days later to solidify the latching technique and to discuss pumping. Marninah even assisted me in using the pump for the first time. I truly am so appreciative of the wonderful experience I've had working with Lactation Central and I couldn't recommend them more!

Mindy S.

I very appreciate Catherine and Lactation Central for the big help on my first journey of breast feeding. Both my son and I were frustrated on breast feeding when he was one week old. I contacted Lactation Central after I discharged from the hospital. Catherine responded immediately and offered me the first visit the next day even her schedule was already very full. With Catherine's help, I builded up faith on breastfeeding, and my son improved largely during every time Catherine's visit. Now my son loves breast feeding, and both of us enjoy the bounding moment of breast feeding. I highly recommend Catherine and Lactation Central.

Jiacan Y.

Chaya is literally a life saver. My daughter was not gaining weight and the doctors did not know what was wrong. Chaya figured out my daughter was tongue tied. She got me to the right doctor (after a visit to one that had me in tears). She helped me teach my daughter to nurse again (after 5 weeks of nursing incorrectly due to her inability to nurse correctly). She also helped me to increase my milk supply through changes in my diet and a combination of nursing and pumping. She is supportive and encouraging and excellent at what she does. I successfully nursed for over 14 months. My daughter has been at the top of the weight and height charts ever since.

-Lauren M.

I had an excellent experience with Lactation Central. Marninah was very supportive and easy to get in touch with. I was a little nervous and had heard horror stories about LCs but she was supportive and very nice. The office is very comfortable with a couch and other nursing support. I have already recommended her to some friends who are currently pregnant if they have and lactation needs. My LO ended up having a tongue tie and I was not only able to get advice from Marninah but also from a speech pathologist who was in the same office. It was a great experience for me and my baby girl!

Megan F.

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