Rachel O'Brien, IBCLC

Rachel O'Brien, IBCLC Lactation consultant in Wayland MA
I help you feed your baby (IRL or virtual)
No guilt, no shame!
(1)

Rachel O’Brien is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) who earned her Master of Arts degree in human lactation in 2015. Rachel prides herself on providing real-life, guilt-free breastfeeding help and specializes in low milk supply, latch difficulty, bottle refusal, tongue tie and lip tie, and LGBTQIA+ lactation. When she isn’t doing office or virtual visits for breastfeeding help Rachel is often blogging about lactation or mentoring other private practice IBCLCs. She uses her expertise, warmth, and sense of humor to help families to meet their breastfeeding and chestfeeding goals. When she’s not working you can find Rachel at home in Sudbury where she is always either playing with her three children, knitting, or watching drag queens.

01/29/2026

Breastfeeding should not hurt, but sometimes it can be uncomfortable in the beginning. It should never hurt more than 5/10 n the pain scale. Pain is your body asking for support- and early help can make all the difference. 💛

PostpartumSupport BreastfeedingEducation MomTok

01/29/2026

Breastfeeding should not hurt, but sometimes it can be uncomfortable in the beginning. It should never hurt more than 5/10 n the pain scale. Pain is your body asking for support- and early help can make all the difference. 💛

Feeding your baby can bring up questions, emotions, and uncertainty, and you don’t have to navigate it alone.I offer gen...
01/28/2026

Feeding your baby can bring up questions, emotions, and uncertainty, and you don’t have to navigate it alone.

I offer gentle, evidence-based, judgment-free feeding support for new parents, whether you’re breastfeeding, formula feeding, or doing both.

If you’re looking for reassurance and guidance, I’m here.

🤍 DM to book a session with me.









Newborns don’t follow schedules, and that’s normal. We expect newborns to eat around 8-12+ times in 24 hours, but that ...
01/27/2026

Newborns don’t follow schedules, and that’s normal. We expect newborns to eat around 8-12+ times in 24 hours, but that doesn't mean they'll always space it out evenly- and it DEFINITELY doesn't mean you should ONLY feed your baby 8 times.

When we say "around 8-12 feeds per day" what we really mean is that your baby should be eating at LEAST 8 times, or every 3ish hours. For a newborn, this can often mean you have to wake them up to eat if they are super snoozy.

This is why breastfeeding families are often told to avoid a pacifier. We want to make sure that sucking on the pacifier isn't keeping baby from being fed!

Hunger cues can very from baby to baby, but if your newborn is chicken pecking at your shoulder, repeatedly shoving their fist in their mouth, or fussing, it'e time to offer them a meal.

Whether you’re breastfeeding or bottle feeding, responding to these cues builds trust and supports healthy growth.









Here’s something many parents aren’t told early enough:Doing some nursing and some pumping & bottle feeding is incredibl...
01/26/2026

Here’s something many parents aren’t told early enough:

Doing some nursing and some pumping & bottle feeding is incredibly common.
Using both breast and bottle doesn’t mean you’ve failed—or that you’re “confusing” your baby. Your body needs to know when to make milk, but I hear families saying that they didn't pump in the first month because they were told they shouldn't.

There's no shouldn't! You can do both, you just need to understand the best way to make it all work together.

Feeding doesn’t have to be all or nothing. It gets to be what works for your family.







If you’re a new parent wondering whether nursing or exclusively pumping is “better,” let me gently remind you of this:Th...
01/23/2026

If you’re a new parent wondering whether nursing or exclusively pumping is “better,” let me gently remind you of this:

There's no "better", there's just what works best for you.
Your baby needs nourishment.
You need support.

Both directly latching and exclusively pumping (or a mix of nursing & pumping) can offer comfort, bonding, and connection. What matters most is that feeding feels sustainable for you and your baby.

There is no gold star for exhaustion and this isn't a competition to see who worked the hardest.

There is value in feeling confident and supported. 🤍








The #1 question I get about breastfeeding newborns is: “How do I know they’re actually getting milk?”And I get it — you...
01/22/2026

The #1 question I get about breastfeeding newborns is:

“How do I know they’re actually getting milk?”
And I get it — you can’t see ounces at the breast, so your brain starts spiraling.
Here’s what I look at: diapers, behavior, and weight trends.

Diapers:
Babies should p**p at least once on day one of life, at least twice on day 2, 3 p**ps on day 3, and days 4+ should be p**ping at least 4 times per 24 hours. This goes on for weeks… if not months 😅

Weight gain:
ALL babies lose weight after birth, but we want babies to stop losing weight by day 5 of life. Baby should be back to birth weight by 2 weeks old. After that, we expect babies to gain about an ounce a day for the first few months.

Swallowing:
If you’re not sure baby is getting anything when they’re latched, look and listen for swallows. You’ll see a bigger, deeper jaw drop and hear a soft “kuh” sound like a puff of air through their nose.
If you’re tired of guessing and want real reassurance, this is exactly what lactation consults are for.

👉 Send me a DM to book an appointment and get personalized support for you and your baby.










You'd think that newborn feeding was straightforward, like filling a gas tank or mixing a pitcher of Kool-Aid.How can so...
01/21/2026

You'd think that newborn feeding was straightforward, like filling a gas tank or mixing a pitcher of Kool-Aid.

How can someone so tiny cause so much confusion?

Whether you’re breastfeeding, bottle feeding, or both, you deserve feeding guidance that feels supportive, calm, and respectful.

And as I like to tell my clients... as long as you're feeding your baby an appropriate baby food (and not Kool-Aid) that's what matters.

If you’re ready to feel more confident and less overwhelmed, I’m here to help.







Closed eyes doesn't mean asleep.And honestly... some babies sleep with their eyes open 😂Babies don't ALWAYS need to be e...
01/20/2026

Closed eyes doesn't mean asleep.
And honestly... some babies sleep with their eyes open 😂

Babies don't ALWAYS need to be enthusiastically alert while they're nursing!
What matters is whether baby is swallowing, and whether they're keeping up with their weight gain and frequent p**py diapers.

Now, newborns are notorious for latching and immediately falling asleep- but you'll know because your newborn won't be swallowing (those little "kuh" sounds like a puff of air through their nose are swallows).

If your baby is constantly sleepy at feeds and weight gain is slow, we can absolutely troubleshoot. But please don’t panic just because they got cozy. 💛










Most people don't put a lot of thought into bottle feeding a baby, but it's a skill just like breastfeeding. If you're n...
01/19/2026

Most people don't put a lot of thought into bottle feeding a baby, but it's a skill just like breastfeeding. If you're nursing your baby, bottle feeding them a certain way can protect breastfeeding.

Paced bottle feeding (aka baby-led bottle feeding) helps your baby:
✔ stay more comfortable
✔ reduce gulping
✔ recognize fullness
✔ prevent overfeeding

If you want me to make a quick video showing how to do paced bottle feeding, comment “PACED” below.










Breastfeeding is a workout.For your baby and for you. 😅It takes coordination, strength, and practice… which is why it’s ...
01/16/2026

Breastfeeding is a workout.
For your baby and for you. 😅

It takes coordination, strength, and practice… which is why it’s so common for feeding to feel awkward at first.

If you’re thinking, “Why is this so hard?”, it’s because your newborn is literally learning a new skill from scratch.

And so are you. 💛

Cluster feeding is one of the biggest reasons parents tell me, “I think I’m not making enough.”But most of the time? It’...
01/15/2026

Cluster feeding is one of the biggest reasons parents tell me, “I think I’m not making enough.”

But most of the time? It’s completely normal.

Babies cluster feed to:
🍼 build supply
🍼 comfort themselves
🍼 cope with growth spurts
🍼 do baby things

It’s exhausting. It’s intense. And it’s usually temporary. Remember, sucking is the ONLY thing a baby can do to comfort themselves. Usually as the day goes on they get more & more unsettled and they want to just be connected to you and calm- which leads right into the "witching hour", and thus babies tend to cluster feed in the evenings.

Grab some one-handed snacks, your water bottle, and the TV remote and settle in to the couch for a marathon nursing session to keep both of you calm & happy.

If you’re in it right now… I see you. 💛

Want help figuring out what’s normal vs what needs support? DM me.

Address

260 Boston Post Road, Ste 2
Wayland, MA
01778

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 12pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 12pm

Telephone

+16172319089

Website

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Breastfeeding can be hard; I can help.

I’m a International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) who earned my Master of Arts degree in human lactation in 2015. I pride myself on providing real-life, guilt-free breastfeeding help and I specialize in low milk supply, latch difficulty, tongue tie and lip tie, and LGBTQIA+ lactation.

I use my expertise, warmth, and sense of humor (and sarcasm) to help families to meet their breastfeeding and chestfeeding goals- whatever those goals may be. My lactation services are evidence-based and judgement free.

When I’m not doing in-home visits for breastfeeding help or working as a lactation consultant at UMASS Memorial Hospital in Worcester, I’m often blogging about lactation or contributing as a breastfeeding expert on Romper.com and FitPregnancy.com. When I’m not working you can find me at home in Sudbury where I’’m always either playing with my three children, knitting, or watching drag queens.