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Pat Shelly, Pat Shelly, what is she the breast whisperer?
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Anonymous
| A recent post asked for a lactation consultant and so many people suggested Pat Shelly. Why are there so few good LC's and really - how amazing is Pat Shelly? I wish we could see a few other recommendations in addition to Pat Shelly (no offense, but why such a limited pool of people to choose from)?! |
Anonymous
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She is terrific, that's why!
I am not sure how she became known to so many, but she is singularly dedicated and knowledgeable. I think I took an intro to breastfeeding seminar with her while I was pregnant and called upon her once after each baby was born (second had serious health issues and she was experienced in even that regard). I credit her with my having been able to push on through the difficult and discouraging parts of learning to BF, and with having been able to give both kids what I consider a real gift! |
Anonymous
| A friend of mine had a bad experience with her. there are others. |
Anonymous
Like who? At least give some names if you want to help. |
Anonymous
Several friends warned me away as well. We used our pediatrician's LC instead - Nancy Hoover. There are a few in Virginia that get recommended a lot, but I can't remember names. They'll come, I'm sure. However, if you want someone else, why not try your local la leche league leader? They don't get paid, which I think is a good thing. They're not making money of of you, they're doing it because they want to help people breastfeed and are willing to do it for free. www.llli.org |
Anonymous
| I had a bad experience with her--saw her for a prenatal apt and she told me that I might not be able to BF so of course I obsessed about it for the rest of my pregnancy. Everything was fine. And I don't care for her personality at all. I went to a bunch of the classes (mostly for socializing) and she bugs me. I saw Margaret at the breastfeeding center, my midwife, and the LC at our pediatrician's office for any troubles. |
Anonymous
PP here - One thing though - the LC at our pediatrician's office does say that if there is a problem she cannot solve, she recommends Pat. Love her or not, she does seem to know her business. I think in a desperate situation like the message this seems to be spun off of, I'd recommend calling Pat, but warn the OP that Pat may chide her for not calling sooner, which is so unnecessary when a mom is feeling bad already. |
Anonymous
| I can only speak to my experience. I had extreme, ongoing bf issues with my first child. Pat Shelly saved my bf relationship with my son. I will forever be grateful! It's been four Years and dh and I still think of her fondly. Oh & yes she is paid, but the bf center is nonprofit, so I doubt it's a real money maker. |
Anonymous
| She's wonderful! Meaning she knows her business but personally I don't like her. She's harsh and sometimes rude. |
Anonymous
| I delivered 2x at GUH and the LCs there were great. You can call anytime and if you leave a message they will call you back ASAP. |
Anonymous
| also, i think she tells LOTS of people that the babies fenulum (?) needs to be clipped. I have no idea if this is good advice or not, but she seems to recommend it alot. |
Anonymous
| Pat is very strange. But I wasn't looking for a new BFF, I was looking for someone who could help me with a tough BFing situation. And she did not disappoint. I'm sure there are other good ones out there but she really is the guru. |
Anonymous
| Pat helped me out a lot and gave me confidence and some super great ideas. I highly recommend her, and didn't find her a bit strange. |
Anonymous
| She is tough, but empathetic. Also, her first concern is feeding the baby, she she had no problem with my formula feeding. (I had to, I had serious supply issues). I wouldn't have kept BFing without her nor would I have been able to ramp up my supply. The LC at GW was nice, but useless. |
Anonymous
| Pat reminds me of some fiery Irish aunts on my mom's side of the family. Maybe not warm and cuddly, but passionate and knowledgeable. She talked me through some ROUGH situations with my son. I also give her tons of credit for being the driving force behind the BF center. Those new moms groups were my sole social outing in the first few weeks, and allowed me to gain tons of confidence nursing in public. |