We went to Melissa for our 2 week old, after some suspicion that his tongue was restricted. She was absolutely incredible during the entire process. She has such a sweet demeanor and was so kind and nurturing with our son. She is very knowledgeable and not only helped us diagnosis his tongue tie, but gave several helpful tips to have a better breastfeeding experience for both of us. She provided a wealth of information and we feel very empowered to make the best decision for our son.

Melissa was able to diagnose a tongue and lip tie after having latching and supply trouble. She helped us to find providers that would be able to release the tie and even went out of her way to chat with a new provider we found. After speaking to them she was able to help us feel confident in who we had perform the procedure for our son. Not only did she help with that, she also was available throughout the healing process as I had questions and concerns. So glad to have her!

I was having difficulty nursing due to excruciating pain. The hospital lactation nurse was kind and tried to help, the consultants at the mom/baby clinic were compassionate and full of tips; but Melissa was all that, and gave me answers. Melissa diagnosed a tongue tie and got my referral out asap. She then sent out another referral to a different provider who could see us sooner. I had ongoing text support and I never felt like I was bothering her. Thank you, Melissa, for helping us!

Melissa has been a huge blessing to my family. My son has a lip and tongue tie which has made breastfeeding very difficult. Before working with Melissa, I spent 9 weeks using a nipple shield. After one appointment, I was able to stop using it. I was amazed! Melissa has helped me connect with my son and has helped turn breastfeeding into an enjoyable experience rather than a dreaded one. I can’t express enough how much her guidance and support means to me. I am forever grateful for her.

My son has tongue tie but we were unsure if it was worth fixing because he is a micro preemie and has already been through so much. Melissa put my husband and I at ease right away that she could help us determine if the procedure was the right thing for our son and that she could help us make the post procedure exercises less stressful for our baby. She also believed in me and my baby that we could help transition him from bottle to breast. We are so thankful for Melissa & highly recommend!

I came to Melissa distraught. I had a 3.5 week old infant who couldn’t transfer milk from the breast, was struggling to gain weight, and had an undiagnosed tongue tie. And I was on a maddening triple feed since day 4. The LC support I received via Kaiser was awful and not solution oriented. Melissa came highly recommend and she proved to be a life saver. Melissa facilitated our baby‘s tongue tie procedure and aftercare and we are now exclusively breastfeeding. She is amazing!

Melissa is so kind, knowledgeable, and helpful! I was referred to Melissa because of her extensive knowledge around tongue ties. She was able to refer us for a release and follow up post procedure - all virtually - which was great as we are not located in Portland and are very cautious with COVID. I was feeling stressed about aftercare and healing, but Melissa offered awesome advice and support to make everything seem manageable. She also knows a lot about herbs and natural remedies!

Melissa is knowledgeable, kind, and compassionate. We had a rough time with delayed milk production, tongue tie, and supply issues. We had not been making much progress with 2 other lactation consultants before we found Melissa. Through a few weeks of working with Melissa, we went from painfully tiring triple feeds to exclusive breastfeeding with a good supply! Melissa was very patient and easy to communicate with during the visit and in between appts. We cannot recommend her enough 🙂

We’ve had such a rough breastfeeding journey, and finally found out about Melissa after our baby’s third tongue tie release. We had lots of concerns and uncertainly, and an enormous amount of anxiety. Melissa was extremely thorough, knowledgeable, and kind. She evaluated our situation with care and worked with us to make a plan on how best to move forward. We covered everything - wound aftercare, oral exercises, probiotics, volume/transfer concerns, pumping management..EVERYTHING. So grateful.

I have nothing but amazing things to say about my experience. I was at the point of wanting to just give up. Baby was tongue tied and has reflux issues, our local medical care did not offer lactation support. After weeks of frustration I stumbled upon Luna lactation. Melissa and her intern Melissa took the time to listen and really help us. We learned little tricks to help make our breastfeeding relationship so much better. I only wish I would have went sooner!

We had a preemie who was having trouble breastfeeding. Melissa came highly recommended by our midwives and I am so glad we made an appointment with her! We found out that our baby was tongue-tied and got referrals from Melissa to get his tongue corrected. She also spent 1.5 hrs showing us different techniques and tools to help our little guy transition from a bottle to the breast. After one day of putting Melissa’s techniques to use, we can already see a huge improvement and I feel so relieved.

Melissa was a breath of fresh air after our experience with the mother baby clinic. She listened to all our concerns, successes, failures, and goals. She gave my son and me a thorough exam and assessment, tools we were able to use immediately, referrals for dealing with his tongue tie, and reassured me that I was doing the best I could. I left feeling better than when I went in. Thanks to her guidance my supply is increased, the tongue tie is resolving, and we're nursing successfully!

Melissa was so helpful, understanding and knowledgeable! She diagnosed my son with a tongue tie which is the answer to why he can’t transfer milk! I left the appointment feeling confident and empowered!

Melissa was recommended to me by multiple Moms in my moms group. We struggled with a tongue tie and difficult nursing from the beginning and the consultant provided by the hospital was fine but not as in depth as we needed. Melissa takes the time to listen and responds quickly with emails and texts. She helped us with the tongue tie revision and all areas of lactation. I appreciate the thought and care that she gives her clients. I would have stopped nursing long ago had it not been for her!

I came to see Melissa after my son was diagnosed with Laryngomalacia and a tongue tie. She was very knowledgeable about both conditions and helped me with my questions and concerns. I highly recommend her!

I can't recommend Melissa Cole and Luna Lactation enough. Melissa was instrumental in helping us after my daughter had her lip and tongue tie released. I truly don't think we'd still be breastfeeding now at 8 months if it wasn't for Melissa. The amount of care and dedication she puts into each session is incredible. She is thorough, kind, compassionate and a wealth of knowledge. Highly recommend!!!!

I came to Melissa with my 7 month old daughter after having a tongue tie release with hopes of restarting breastfeeding. After seeing another IBCLC that wasn't nearly as thorough, Melissa was compassionate and detailed in coming up with a plan for us. I left feeling hopeful and full of ideas to try with my baby. I would recommend her, fully!

Melissa is beyond amazing. My son had a tongue tie at birth and never really latched on. At our first session, Melissa did a thorough evaluation and identified the tongue tie as an impairment to his feeding. She immediately got us in to see an ENT to reverse his tongue tie and gave me a plan to slowly start introducing the breast again and ways to keep my supply up with pumping. I just wish I had found her earlier. She is the best!

Melissa was so helpful! We had a bumpy start to nursing and had gotten confusing information from multiple lactations consultants through the hospital. Melissa helped me realize that more was going right than wrong in nursing my son, and gave me some techniques to help him overcome his minor tongue tie and speed up a bit in his nursing time (because nursing for nearly an hour each time is a bit tiring!). So thankful for her help!

Wow, she was so kind and had great recommendations. I always feel like most lactation consultants make me feel like I am doing it all wrong but she was great with suggestions and looking at it from a holistic approach. Love that she knew exactly what to do and made it a very open conversation about whether to correct a tongue tie or not. She also had research that she was willing to give about laser surgery for tongue tie. So glad I went.

My son was born with a tongue-tie, which created major nursing issues. After so-so experiences with 2 other LC's, I feel so fortunate to have found Melissa. Within 2 sessions, my son and I were back on track. He is now 5 months old and I have not needed to supplement with formula since a week or after our first session. When I have mentioned Melissa to a number of medical professionals (my ND, our pediatrician, etc), all have recognized her name and said "she's the best". Highly recommend!!!

I loved my experience at Luna lactation. After struggling for 3 months, having tongue tie and lip tie, and worrying about possibly another procedure. I finally found Luna Lactation! Melissa was very knowledgeable and was able to explain exacting what my baby was doing and why, and had lots of advice. Everything was explained and demonstrated so by the time I left I really felt like I had the tools/ skills needed to be successful. And I understood my baby better! Don't struggle alone!

I can't say enough good things about Melissa. She pointed out tongue tie issues and helped me when I was struggling with milk supply. Melissa is always there for me and available to help. Many times I texted her desperately and she always had a solution. I am glad I found her!

My baby had her tongue tie revised twice. Her tongue re attached after the first revision and the first lactation specialist failed to notice the reattachment. That's when I switched to Melissa. I'm so glad I did because she has been so helpful. She also is very knowledgeable about herbs to help milk supply and remedies that help a fussy baby who has an upset tummy.

Melissa was very helpful to both my husband and me at our appointment. She helped me figure out how to nurse and pump more comfortably, and had products on hand for me to try. She also helped us with bottle feeding and exercises for my baby's mouth (she had a frenectomy). Melissa was easy to be around and to talk to, was extremely professional and encouraging, and very knowledgeable. We will definitely consult her again as needed and I highly recommend her services!

Melissa was wonderful! We came to see her one day after discharge from the hospital. She was extremely thorough, knowledgeable, and helpful. She was the only person who looked in our baby's mouth and noticed a severe tongue tie. She then took extra steps to help us get into an ENT specialist as soon as possible. She really helped us make breastfeeding as smooth as possible until the frenulum was snipped. Afterwards, we saw her for follow up care, and again she was wonderful! Highly recommend!

Melissa has been such a blessing to our family. She helped get my sons tongue and lip tie diagnosed for a quick reversal. Not only did she help with latch and bottle feeding tips she was very helpful giving herbs to help both of us with our needs. I highly recommend Luna Lactation and Wellness every chance I get.

It only took 16 weeks and 4 days but my baby finally latched and nursed correctly. This was only 3 weeks after my first appointment. We had multiple issues & were repeatedly told that it was a feeding issue, not a breastfeeding issue. I have nursed my other 3 kids for a total of 80 months (that's over 6 years experience breastfeeding) and was a peer counselor but with this baby we were at a loss. He was born at 36 weeks, tongue and lip tied, recessed chin, odd palate, torticollis, and weak suck.

Our biggest regret with our first baby (who had a lip and tongue tie) was not seeing Melissa sooner. Life would have been much less painful if we had. With baby#2, we rushed to see her right away and it was so helpful again even without the tie issues. If you are having any troubles at all, I would go see her immediately!

We went to two other lactation specialists to no avail before a friend recommend Melissa. She diagnosed our son's tongue tie right away, and is helping me work through my supply difficulties in a calm, humane way that makes it a lot easier emotionally. She really knows her stuff AND has a great bedside manner. Highly recommend!

Melissa is fantastic. I was offered lactation services through Providence with both of my children, and both times I was blown away by the difference in expertise and knowledge between the hospital services and Melissa. Her adjustments helped me successfully breastfeed my daughter (who had lip and tongue tie) for over two years, and her recent advice on positioning and support has put me on the path to success with my newborn son. There is no one I trust more when it comes to lactation support.

I first saw Melissa over 3 years ago when I experienced excruciating pain while breastfeeding my first child. She helped diagnose tongue tie and helped us get the frenotomy needed to allow my child and I have two beautiful years of breastfeeding. With my second child, Melissa helped me relearn how to breastfeed a newborn and diagnosed tongue tie again. After our second child's frenotomy, breastfeeding is getting better. I felt very comfortable in Melissa's care. Thank you!

Melissa gave me so much more information than just how to latch my baby. We had a tongue and lip tie release she gave us exercises that have already shown major improvement. But she didn't stop with that. We talked about momma and baby's whole body health. I left feeling to much more confident as a mom. Thank you!

She helped me breastfeed my older son who had latch and tongue-tied issues. I just brought my newest son to see her and she provided great support and education! She is the best lactation specialist I have seen over the years!

Melissa spent a great deal of time with us after my son had his tongue and lip tie cut helping us improve our nursing relationship. She showed me different ways to hold him so his latch was better & showed us a gentler way to stretch the tie sites as well as other exercises to strengthen his tongue. I feel like I got a lot more out of this visit then I did with other lactation consultants in hospitals.

I have seen a total of 3 LCs in Portland, and Melissa Cole was by far the best. Extremely thorough and very knowledgeable. And even follows up with you! Neither of the other LCs did that. The second LC I saw had decided that the pain was due to a tongue tie issue. I was very unsure about having a procedure done on my 8 weeks old infant and found the expert, Melissa. She figure out the issues and knew we could work through it w/o the procedure. She was right. I wish we would have found her first.

Nursing our first child was excruciating and no one (pediatricians, LCs, ENTs) helped until we met Melissa! She saved my nipples and helped me to nurse my lip and tongue-tied daughter. Our second child had her own nursing challenges but it was Melissa again to the rescue! Melissa helped us when other resources were stumped. I was tired and sore and desperate. She is a kind, calm, knowledgeable professional who listened and taught me how to comfortably feed my kids. She's a lifesaver!

Melissa is the only person I ever went to that gave me breakthrough answers. I'd seen various medical "specialists" ranging from pediatricians to lactation consultants and even a tongue doctor but they provided no answers of hope for my nursing challenges. Turned out my son had a very obvious tongue and lip tie, which no one caught, except Melissa. She got us on the fast track to him being able to nurse again and exclusively so that I didn't have to supplement anymore!

We were referred to Melissa after our son had a tongue-tie release. I needed help weening our son off of a nipple shield and back onto the breast after having no luck on my own. Feedings were extremely frustrating for my son and it was totally heartbreaking for me. Melissa was able to give me some tips and tricks to get him back onto the breast and he latched on 3 times and fed during the appointment! We have had increasing success since our appointment and feedings just get easier.

My baby had a lip-and tongue tie surgery and we went to visit Melissa for post-op check-up and some advice on breastfeeding. She was very warm, nice and helpful. She gave us some helpful tips, was very holistic about the whole breastfeeding and was able to point out my baby's GI issues. After that I got off dairy and eggs my baby sleeps better. I recommended her service to a lot of people after my visit.

I first met with Melissa when my baby was a week old and had lip and tongue tie issues. She helped me and my baby re-learn nursing after his frenectomy. I sought her help again when at 6 months my baby and I developed thrush. She walked me though several different treatment options and sent me home with plenty of homeopathic remedies. I am so blessed to have been referred to her. She has been a tremendous help!

I loved my visit with Melissa. She's very knowledgeable, she acts like a specialist, and you can tell she's very research based yet completely took my feelings of what is happening into account. She's ideally what every Ibclc should be. Can we clone her??!! I'm already referring friends to her. After 6 weeks of recovery with a tongue tie baby I felt I was making little headway and wanted a second opinion as I got some red flags from another Ibclc. Going to Melissa was a breath of fresh air.

I've seen Melissa several times to help with breastfeeding my first child. She gave me information before my delivery regarding the medications I take and their effects when breastfeeding. After my daughter was born she recommended a wonderful ENT to help with my daughter's tongue and lip tie. She replies to email questions and has so many wonderful suggestions that my confidence has increased significantly. If you are having any problems or questions about breastfeeding call Melissa!

I am a repeat client at Luna Lactation because Melissa made it possible for me to breastfeed my first after she had been tongue-tied and couldn't get enough to eat. My second had the same tongue-tie but I was able to recognize the signs and went to Melissa right away. She gave me some tips and information that made me feel confident that I could breastfeed him without any issues. She is amazing and I recommend her to everyone I know who has a new baby.

I had a wonderful experience at Luna with Melissa. She was so patient and always answered all my questions and concerns. I highly recommend her to any new mama that's experiencing difficulties with breastfeeding. I especially recommend her if there is a suspected tongue or lip tie - she has incredible expertise and advice! Thank you Melissa - you helped breastfeeding go from a tolerable activity to one of my favorite things to do with my baby!

After working with lactation at the hospital and associated with the hospital to no avail, meeting Melissa was a welcome relief. Our son struggles both a tongue tie and lip tether. She was recommended to us by the M.D. who performed the procedure to correct these two conditions. Leaving Melissa's office, we breathed a sigh of relief and had more hope since we left the hospital. I would recommend Luna Lactation to anyone struggling with Breastfeeding difficulties.

The LCs I had seen all told me to do the "c" hold and shove baby on. Melissa taught me a different, more loving, technique that helped baby latch better. I think the biggest difference is she evaluates people on an individual basis and tailors advice to what they need, rather than just repeating the same spiel. Our son has tongue & lip tie, which Melissa had a lot more experience and knowledge about, which is why we went to see her. I highly recommend her to anyone trying to breastfeed!

After many months of major difficulties with feedings including trials of rx meds for "reflux", specialist evaluations including other lactation consultants, and an almost frenulectomy, we were referred to Melissa for a "confirmatory" 2nd opinion before the procedure. We are so glad we saw her! She spared our 4.5 mos old the surgery, and offered up several non-invasive/more holistic strategies instead. We were so reassured by our experience and would absolutely recommend her!

Melissa was fantastic. We met her for the first time when my son was 8 weeks old. She fully understands the tongue tied issues we've had. She has a great technique to help make the exercises more fun and manageable for both the baby and parents. She gave us a very realistic plan to help improve our breastfeeding experience. I would highly recommend Melissa.

Melissa was so great with our son. She made the mouth exercises fun for him and talked to him with so much enthusiasm and playfulness he didn't mind a bit! Had some great suggestions post lip/tongue tie revision.

We were referred to Melissa by Dr. Ghaheri ENT after our daughter's tongue tie/upper lip tie treatment. She is very good with babies and worked with us to create a care plan that really helped us. From breastfeeding, to nutrition to mouth exercises to a different way to wrap the baby in the Moby, she covered it all. I felt like I finally found someone who listened to what we were dealing with and had good solid answers to help with our issues. I can't recommend her enough.

I wanted to write you quickly to just say thank you for our appointment yesterday. I’m not sure if anything has helped so far (hopefully), but it was definitely appreciated to be listened to and then not get any judgmental feedback. When Dr. G told me I had to see a lactation specialist if he was going to perform the tongue tie reversal, I was worried. I have had such terrible experiences with them...that I asked if I had to meet with one after [my baby] was born. I was thankful that you didn’t spend our appointment shaming me for not trying to breastfeed longer than I did or make me feel terrible for not breastfeeding. You listened to the issues I’m currently having with [my baby] and gave helpful potential solutions. I also really appreciated that you asked me how I was doing when you were helping me to my car.  You saw an exhaustion and overwhelmed mom and not just the baby. I want nothing more than to help [my baby]! I know that him getting help will also help my well-being. Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you and I appreciate your help and kindness.

I just wanted to update you on how [my daughter] has been doing and express my deepest gratitude for your help! She's been a nursing champ lately and the pain is 95% gone (until she cuts a new tooth, but then it passes quickly again). We just took our first plane ride and she nursed on the plane without issue and nursed extra for comfort last night after a long weekend. We are so proud of our champion nurser! Just wanted to say thank you so much for all your help and persistence. She turned 10 months old today and I am so grateful to have gotten to this point and what seemed like the impossible goal of getting to one year is now upon us, and next goal is 2 years! The work you do is so valued!

I just wanted to send you an update and thank you yet again. My son just turned 17 mo old and is still breastfeeding. We made it here largely because of you! When I think back to the first couple of months of his life and the exhaustion and complete incompetence of medical staff before seeing you I am brought nearly to tears. You were the one bright light during that time in our journey among nurses and doctors pushing formula instead of breast milk. You immediately assessed his tongue tie, my Raynaud’s, and got us on our way to a revision and healing. You treated us with gentleness, respect, and expertise. Months later when it became apparent that [my son] was demonstrating dairy and soy protein intolerances and the pediatrician again urged formula I was so thankful to talk with you and discuss possible solutions. Thankfully we made it past the intolerances and his GI system seems much happier now. Breastfeeding [him] provides me with such joy that I have begun the process of becoming a La Leche League leader in hopes of helping others and contributing to a community with others in Portland who have the same goals.

I loved my visit with Melissa. She’s very knowledgeable, she acts like a specialist, and you can tell she’s very research based yet completely took my feelings of what is happening into account. She’s ideally what every IBCLC should be. Can we clone her??!! I’m already referring friends to her. After 6 weeks of recovery with a tongue tie baby I felt I was making little headway and wanted a second opinion as I got some red flags from another IBCLC. Going to Melissa was a breath of fresh air.

As a pregnant mama, I didn’t give a thought to the “how to of breastfeeding”. I was sold on breast milk and had no plans for any other method of nourishing my baby…Turns out it wasn’t that simple for us in the beginning… Laura Dunn, IBCLC, concluded that we had a possible tongue tie issue and referred us to Melissa Cole a lactation consultant in the Vancouver/Portland area. ..Melissa has worked with a number of tongue tie cases and helped us meet this challenge by confirming the tongue tie and referring us to an ENT that would perform the clipping…Melissa taught us how to do oral exercises and re-train Meara’s tongue for breastfeeding…Laura and Melissa worked together in harmony with us to meet our ultimate goal of exclusive breastfeeding…Both Laura and Melissa provided valuable emotional and practical support via email and phone contact…This journey was not easy. I shed many tears and we worked very hard together. Without the support of my husband and sister and the help from our midwife and lactation consultants we wouldn’t have achieved this goal. I’ve found that often times the most difficult things in life are the most rewarding. This has been the most difficult thing I’ve ever done and I’ve done many difficult things. I can honestly say it’s also been THE MOST REWARDING! I am so thankful to be able to provide my baby with the best nutrition and to share the sweetest moments bonding with her. Patricia, Laura and Melissa, thank you for working together so beautifully and helping us reach our goal! Meara and I love breastfeeding! ”

When I had my first child two years ago, I was determined to only feed her breast milk. However I never seemed to be able to produce enough milk to satisfy her. Eventually I felt like I had no choice but to supplement with formula. During this time I met twice with a Lactation Consultant that was recommended by my Pediatrician. I was in a pattern of feeding>pumping>feeding>pumping again. I was exhausted and still not producing enough milk. At about the 4 month mark I gave up, and just fed formula. I felt a lot of guilt about this. I wondered if I’d just tried harder, pumped more frequently, or had never introduced formula if things would have been different. When our son was born last month, I was determined once again to just breast feed. Once again I met with a Lactation Consultant at the hospital who told me everything looked great. When I got home though, I felt things were going down the same path as before. During a late night-no milk-panic session I emailed Melissa. She not only replied the next morning, but came out to our home.I could tell right away that this consultation would be different from those I had in the past. Melissa went out of her way to make sure that we were both comfortable and relaxed. She really took the time to evaluate my son in detail. She discovered that he had a tongue tie which was interfering with his ability to nurse effectively. Over time this would affect my milk supply. I had her examine my daughter, and sure enough she had the same issue. We arranged for a simple procedure with an ENT to fix this.My son is now a month old, and nursing like a champ. I already have 20oz of breast milk stored in the freezer, and have not had to supplement once. I attribute all of our success to Melissa. I would wholeheartedly recommend her to anyone who’s struggling with breastfeeding to meet with her. Don’t assume that if you’ve already met with a Lactation Consultant, that you wouldn’t benefit from meeting with her. For me it was a night and day difference. We did have to pay for her service out of pocket, but the money we’ll save by not buying formula more than covers it. My only regret is that I didn’t know about her when I had my daughter.