Andrea Syms-Brown, IBCLC
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Reviews (53)
three week old baby - still no latch - need help
Andrea Syms Brown with Baby in the Family is an amazing amazing lactation consultant. She changed my life, really. I struggled for 8 weeks when my daughter was born, and was able to really turn things around after meeting her. And I’m still able to call on her whenever I need to. She also runs a free breastfeeding support group twice monthly through the manny cantor center. She also has resources regarding night nurses that might be helpful.Review from the Spring 2022 Birthing Survey
Andrea Syms Brown is an IBCLC who is amazing - she completely changed my perspective on nursing and my relationship to my baby. I went to her about 3 months in after some issues came up...within a week, issues were mainly resolved, I felt empowered, baby was happy. She was extremely helpful and WELL WORTH it for our family. I cannot recommend her enough, she has an intuition and breadth of experience like no other.Lactation Consultant Rec?
I've been working with Andrea Syms-Brown and cannot say enough good things about her. I think I've had every breastfeeding issue there is (and have sworn it off at least twice), and she has been with me the whole time to troubleshoot, support, etc. We 100% would not still be nursing if it weren't for her.Suck training for breastfeeding?
I second Andrea Syms-Brown! She took away the anxiety and helped us get into a good, chill breastfeeding groove. I recommend her wholeheartedly.Suck training for breastfeeding?
Andrea Syms-Brown helped me with breast feeding everything. She’s truly wonderful: andrea@babyinthefamily.comReview from the 2020 Birthing Experience Survey
Super responsive and knowledgable. Andrea has magic powers. She can look at you through zoom in average resolution video and immediately knows what’s wrong—with your latch, posture, nipple damage, muscle tension, etc. You can tell she is very experienced. She asks questions about how you feel or how things look to be able to tell what’s going on. She’s responsive around the clock and has a calm demeanor. She prefers natural remedies but when medication is necessary she doesn’t hesitate to recommend them, which I appreciate.feedback/recs for cranio-sacral therapists for newborn nursing issues
This sounds exactly like my story. We went to Flower of life chiropractics and did many sessions after my sons tongue tie and lip tie was released. We also went to see Andrea Syms-Brown IBCLC after trying many others. Not sure if it was time, the therapy or Andrea but eventually we got there. Good luck!!!Review from the 2020 Birthing Experience Survey
Amazing. Even during a virtual consultation she was able to see the issue and correct it. She is super attentive, supportive and knowledgeable and helped fix the issue right away.Review from the 2020 Birthing Experience Survey
We loved Andrea Syms-Brown. Highly recommend--she is a dream consultant!ISO: Primary Care Doctor (GHI - Emblem Health)
Andrea Syms-Brown is awesome. She used to do a breastfeeding lime at Doris but it's now moved virtual and she is doing virtual appointments but check her website for the latest info.Review from the 2020 Birthing Experience Survey
Newborn care classes: Andrea Syms-Brown / Baby in the Family (My doula recommended the classes taught by Andrea and her husband Peter and I cannot express how amazing they are! Without their support we would have been clueless how to care for a newborn in the first 30 days. Classes are super affordable and accessible, and Andrea also offers breastfeeding support circles for mothers of all stages.)Review from the 2020 Birthing Experience Survey
She saved my nipples. I was dealing with a bad latch and nipple blebs and she got me and my son turned around and back on track. She’s pricey but I think very worth it!Review from the 2020 Birthing Experience Survey
Newborn care classes: Andrea Syms-Brown / Baby in the Family (My doula recommended the classes taught by Andrea and her husband Peter and I cannot express how amazing they are! Without their support we would have been clueless how to care for a newborn in the first 30 days. Classes are super affordable and accessible, and Andrea also offers breastfeeding support circles for mothers of all stages.)Review from the 2020 Birthing Experience Survey
Andrea is a wonder. She knows so much and was able to help my excruciatingly painful latching baby latch and nurse 100 times better within 2 hours. I thought I knew how to breastfeed, since I had nursed my first son. In reality, I soldiered through the first month of breastfeeding pain with him. For my second baby, I couldn't do it and a friend referred be Andrea. I recommend her whole-heartedly and think she's fantastic.Review from the 2020 Birthing Experience Survey
Wonderful! She saved my breastfeeding relationship and helped my girl get more milk (she was underweight). Thanks to Andrea I was able to breastfeed for 8 months, and she never judged that I also bottlefed with formula.Review from the 2020 Birthing Experience Survey
Kind, but very expensive, missed identifying my newborn’s tongue tie and then went out of the country so could only follow up remotely when I was having lots of problems. Very disappointed. Later saw Jane Weiser who is sort of curt but helpful.Review from the 2020 Birthing Experience Survey
I couldn't speak more highly of her or find the right words to express my immense gratitude and satisfaction with her and her services. Notably, she has a one-time high rate (our insurance reimbursed a portion of it), but then she is available by text for the rest of your breastfeeding journey. I could literally text her months later with any issue or concern and have - even now a year+ later to give the good news that our breastfeeding journey has continued. Sometimes she would hop the phone so that she could see what was happening, again, months after our first meeting. She really gave us incredible help and made breastfeeding possible for us. The ongoing support (she has FREE breastfeeding circles + texting/video support) was fabulous.Virtual Lactation Consult?
We used Andrea Syms-Brown. She’s pricey but amazing. Nursing is a tidally different experience since our session. https://www.breastfeedinglime.com/Lactation consultant
I worked with Andrea Syms-Brown to help with some breastfeeding issues when my son was just born. She is incredibly knowledgeable and helped me so completely when no other lactation consultant I talked to could. She doesn’t accept insurance but does provide private clients with ways to get reimbursed by insurance. She also holds free, monthly group lactation consultations in Chinatown: https://www.breastfeedinglime.com/our-story (December 2019)Lactation Consultant who takes GHI/Emblem Health
That being said the most helpful person to help with my latch issue was actually a women who runs a free breastfeeding circle in China Town. I know you're thinking no way not Manhattan but trust me she's worth it. You can also pay for her to come to you if you prefer but that's not free. Her name is Andrea Syms-Brown. https://www.breastfeedinglime.com/groups I saw 6 different LC's in my breastfeeding journey and I can happily say my 8 month old is still going strong and loves to nurse. Andrea was the last one I saw so I attribute my success to her but maybe it was just that time needed to pass and my baby had to be ready.ISO Breastfeeding assistance
I also wholeheartedly recommend Andrea Syms-Brown!ISO Breastfeeding assistance
I also recommend Andrea Syms-Brown! We went to her group at Doris (Fulton and Classon) and it was so supportive - she takes video during the consult so you can watch it when you’re home alone.ISO Breastfeeding assistance
My incredible IBCLC, Andrea Syms-Brown, does free breastfeeding support groups. https://www.breastfeedinglime.com/groups2019 Birth Survey
I only have incredible things to say about Andrea. I was at a loss in my breastfeeding journey. My baby had a tongue tie for the first 3 weeks so I was feeding and pumping around the clock. After we corrected the tongue tie, Andrea came in and basically taught me and my daughter how to breastfeed. She completely empowered me and changed the game for us. And, here I am still breastfeeding at 10 months, getting closer to my goal of 1 year. I'll always be grateful to her for her help.2019 Birth Survey
AMAZING. Our son would not nurse in the hospital. After 10 minutes with Andrea, he was nursing like a pro. I have had 7+ months of breastfeeding thanks to her. She is not cheap, but absolutely worth every single penny.2019 Birth Survey
I found her breastfeeding support groups (she calls them Breastfeeding Limes) really helpful2018 Birth Survey
Andrea was not my favorite. I felt that everything she did and said was ticking off a list that she did for everyone. Her suggestions didn’t stick and her personality unfortunately was not our favorite so we stopped working with her. Freda was amazing- very knowledgeable.2018 Birth Survey
Andrea is amazing! She has been such a stress reliever to me with breastfeeding our first born. Before Andrea: I felt anxious before/dreaded every nursing session, was in pain, had neck and back pain from uncomfortable nursing positions, fantasized about exclusively pumping instead of nursing, and felt a bit defeated by breastfeeding. After Andrea: I felt more confident with nursing, eventually experienced very little/ no pain, got to learn comfortable nursing positions without pillows etc, and dreaded pumping. Andrea was responsive when we sought her out and had appointment availability shortly after we contacted her. I dithered about whether I should spend the money to hire her for a private session, but she was absolutely worth it. She offers unlimited follow-up text/phone support, which seems like just an added bonus, but in truth was critical to implementing what we learned and then making further refinements.2018 Birth Survey
Andrea hands down was a game changer for us. I had waited to contact a lactation consultant -- maybe because I thought pain was supposed to be normal? But I finally broke down around week 5 and contacted Andrea. I really wished I contacted her sooner because the pain basically disappeared within days after we had met and she showed me proper breastfeeding techniques. She is warm and friendly, and really spent the time to show me everything about breastfeeding and pumping. Her advice was completely spot on! She's also available via text/phone and has in-person group classes, which is great. Highly recommend!2018 Birth Survey
SHE IS AMAZING. Seriously, if you have issues breastfeeding that you'd like addressed I can't recommend her enough. She's thoughtful, a great teacher, she still communicates with me today and promptly answers questions. I also enjoyed her group activities. I got my insurance to pay for her services - I had to fight for it, but she's worth every penny.2018 Birth Survey
Andrea is amazing. She got me breastfeeding without any props immediately, and really boosted my confidence in this field.2018 Review
We just had a terrific experience with Andrea Syms-Brown at her Breastfeeding Circle, and I want to pass on her info as several people have mentioned the challenges of breastfeeding. Andrea teaches natural breastfeeding methods and positions (no pillows or props) and shares evidence-based research for everything that she does. The circle is led “speed-dating” style, as she calls it, where you hang out with others (the Brooklyn location is in an off hours bar) until it’s your turn for a one-on-one with Andrea. Her advice was a game changer. I can not recommend her highly enough!2018 Review
I highly recommend Andrea Syms-Brown! She came to my apartment for a LC visit and helped me turn a corner with breast feeding.Review submitted via the PSP Birth Survey
Andrea is great. So far we have only visited to her during one of her breastfeeding circles, but it was a wonderful experience. Thinking of hiring her for private consultation, but her rate is very high. Based on a October 2017 birthing experience.Review submitted via the PSP Birth Survey
Andrea is a godsend. She spent two hours with me and my husband going over the particulars of how to get breastfeeding going and even helped us make our own tutorial videos of how to get into positions that worked. I loved her group meetup at a bar the next week as well, for some ongoing check-in care. Based on a August 2017 birthing experience.Review submitted via the PSP Birth Survey
That my child and I are nursing at all, I owe to Andrea. We found her after struggling for days. By this point, I had started to exclusively pump, but I held out hope that we could still nurse normally. Over the course of one private session, we went from 0 to 60. Andrea observed our attempts, and examined me and my baby individually. We tried different techniques until we finally got the hang of it. Once we had it, she had me rinse and repeat several times, to be sure we could continue to nurse on our own after she left. Then she made us a video report and asked me to nurse exclusively for the next 24 hours. Good thing she did, because it was still quite an adjustment and I was so close to giving up so many times, but 24 hours seemed so attainable. Once we got through that hurdle, things continued to improve. It took work for my child and I to actually become good, competent nursing partners, but with Andrea's support, we did it. Andrea has remained available over the phone and in-person at her support group meetings. I have texted her on various occasions with new issues and concerns, and she always replies promptly and thoughtfully. We've also been to one of her breastfeeding limes (support group meetings), which was very useful too. We got to weigh our our baby before and after nursing, plus spend a bit of one-on-one time with Andrea. That kind of follow-up care makes a huge difference. Based on August 2017 birthing experience[June2017babies] Lactation Consultant Recommendation
My wife and I recently worked with Andrea Syms Brown who is great! She was recommended by our doula (Megan Davidson) and our pediatrician (Philippa Gordon). Our (now) 6 week old was gaining slowly, and she helped me improve my shallow latch. She's also super fun to work with.Review submitted via the PSP Birth Survey
I love Andrea. She is not cheap, but she is extremely accessible - I can text her any time and she will get back to me by phone or skype or text. She holds a lactation support group in Brooklyn and Manhattan where I ca get additional personal consultations. She's been extremely helpful to me and is great especially for someone who needs more than a one and done meeting. Based on 11/2016 birth experienceReview submitted via the PSP Birth Survey
Andrea Syms-Brown is basically a breastfeeding miracle worker. I had a very hard time with breastfeeding for both of my children and went to tons of different support groups and talked to various lactation consultants with my first (some of whom were supposedly the "best" in the city), but none of them provided the expertise and support that I got from Andrea when I finally found her. I did a home consultation with Andrea when my 2nd was 1 week old and I hadn't been able to get him to latch. I only wish I used her for my 1st as well as I feel it would have completely changed my breastfeeding experience with her. I loved Andrea's gentle vibe and approach and she was able to teach me positions and techniques for getting my son to latch. She is very thorough, taking photos of your positions, giving you a written recap and extremely good at following up, answering any questions and keeping in touch. Even though it seems expensive, keep in mind that continuing support is included and it is worth it for her expertise. And she has twice monthly support groups that I went to for follow up as well that were great, a great way to check in and a great way to find support from other moms. Based on September 2016 birth experienceReview submitted via the PSP Birth Survey
Awesome. Love(d) her. I learned A lot from her Based on December,2016 birth experienceReview submitted via the PSP Birth Survey
I have gone to her group sessions and the information is invaluable and has been an integral part of my successful breastfeeding journey. One of the best parts of the group is hearing other people's questions so I am more prepared when hiccups arise. Based on August 2016 birth experienceReview submitted via the 2016 Birth Survey
I had a good, but not great experience with Andrea. She was good at helping with positions, but she overlooked the severity of my son's tongue-tie despite multiple appointments and as a result he didn't have it fixed until he was 8 weeks old. She also had a habit of telling me how I was feeling, which was incredibly annoying and unhelpful. I think we were mainly a temperament mismatch - she works from a very emotional/supportive place and I prefer a more detached/problem-solving approach (I didn't need her sympathy, I needed her guidance). She also is very straightforward about being very baby-centric (she will literally say the baby is her client) but as a result I think she tells people some not very helpful things such as to always feed the baby every single time he or she wakes up at night no matter how old they are, that there's no problem with feeding your baby to sleep, etc. She doesn't see parents needing sleep as a priority. I would have liked a slightly more balanced approach or at least an acknowledgment that getting babies to sleep longer is not her expertise and she can't give advice about it. Based on January 2016 birthing experienceReview submitted via the 2016 Birth Survey
A lifesaver. The Lenox Hill consultants were a joke and I was in a really bad place with the breastfeeding when Andrea came to my home - she has such a great manner and immediately put me at ease. She is confident, sympathetic, funny... I was breast feeding 15 minutes later. I was pretty unlucky and got mastitis twice and breast yeast infections twice early on... Andrea was so much more knowledgeable than my OB who basicLly just told me to quit. He had to give me prescriptions though... Andrea was also very helpful in coaching me to get what I needed from him without bruising his ego. Based on Nov 2016 birthing experienceReview submitted via the 2016 Birth Survey
Good! Andrea did a home visit for us about 1-week post birth when we were having big challenges and were close to collapse. She was patient, kind, and got everything back on track. I liked her style, and I had been afraid she was going to make me feel bad, or like I was doing things wrong - and instead she really instilled confidence. Her follow-up care I'd say was mixed...but I know she is following many many mothers. I sometimes texted or emailed a question and she didnt' get back for a few days - which in the early days can feel like forever. Also to note - she is very baby-centered, so she will consider the thoughts and needs of the baby first. Which is really nice, but good to realize if you are asking about something to save the parents sleep or time, because she may not prioritize that! Based on May 2016 birthing experienceSUMMARY: Lactation Consultant recs
Andrea was beyond amazing and a life saver. One thing that I really appreciated was that she did not have a set formula for everyone. She is like a baby whisperer. Also that you pay an up front fee and after the hours long consultation you can email, text, call or Skype her as many times as you want for no extra fee for the entire time you are breast feeding. I can't say enough good things about Andrea.Based on a 2014 Birthing Experience
Member Review: Andrea was a lifesaver! I was having such a hard time breastfeeding and just felt an emotional mess when I got home from the hospital, she really helped me pull it together and believe in myself. Andrea helped me formulate an approach to breastfeeding tha Insurance details: The initial payment was out-of-pocket but United HealthCare reimbursed me a portion of the visit. Andrea was prompt in getting me all the appropriate paperwork for submission.Based on a 2014 Birthing Experience
Member Review: Andrea helped me with getting my baby to latch about a week after birth. She spent a lot of time with me and my husband and enabled me to have a successful breastfeeding experience in the days that followed. (Review submitted via the 2014 Birthing Survey)Based on a 2014 Birthing Experience
Newborn Care Member Review: The newborn care class with Andrea Syms-Brown at the 14th Street Y was great. Andrea is also a lactation consultant and a great resource! (Review submitted via the 2014 Birthing Survey) Insurance details: was not covered by insurance.Summary: RE: Lactation consultant
Andrea Syms-Brown is the best. She helped me with both of my children and she makes herself fully available as long as you're breastfeeding if you hire her for an initial consultation. She'll even Skype with you to see what's going on.Summary: RE: Lactation consultant
Andrea Syms Brown is AMAZING!!! Thoughtful, gentle, very knowledgable. She also holds a regular breastfeeding circle/support group at Gumbo on Atlantic Ave.Summary: RE: Lactation consultant
I just had a baby in August and was recommended Freda by my pediatrician. She didn't have availability so she referred me to Andrea Syms-Brown. That woman was worth her weight in gold, cannot say enough good things about her.Summary: RE: Lactation consultant
Congratulations!!! I remember those early days of nursing too well. I had a miserable experience with nursing...bleeding nipples, fissure through the nipple, clogged ducts, etc. I ended up with a lactation consultant who was of no help, but then someone recommended Andrea Syms-Brown. I LOVE HER!!!! Andrea taught me how to nurse. Period. Without it hurting. She taught me how to nurse without pillows, in multiple positions, standing up, lying down, walking around. She spent hours during her visit- she conducted a thorough assessment and didn't leave until I felt comfortable giving it a go on my own. She taught me how to control my flow, how to clear my clogged ducts. What I loved even more about her was that she was supportive and available whenever I needed her, and that was often :) We spoke on the phone, emailed, and texted. She would respond immediately and I knew I could rely on her. She also runs a nursing support group. It used to meet at Gumbo on Atlantic, but I believe she's now somewhere in Park Slope. I learned so much about the myths and truths of breastfeeding and motherhood during those groups. Anyway, I highly highly highly recommend Andrea. I wouldn't have been able to continue nursing without her.Lactation Consultatnt Review- Andrea Syms-Brown
I highly recommend Andrea Syms-Brown as a lactation consultant. I saw Andrea for the first time 4 days after having my child when I was frustrated, struggling and in pain from trying to breastfeed. Andrea turned things around for us almost instantly. Her approach is gentle, intuitive and very supportive. Within minutes she had helped me to have my daughter latch and we have been able to maintain all of the gains since her visit. After meeting with her you have access to her via phone, text, and video until your child is weaned. Andrea takes your progress very seriously and doesn't leave you on your own after the home visit. We have spoken daily since meeting and texted multiple times a day. She comes up with a very specific plan for you and your baby and then continues to tweak it accordingly. I cannot stress enough how helpful Andrea has been. Without her I would have further damaged my breasts and likely been forced to give up on breastfeeding. One final note: if you are having trouble with breastfeeding, as so many women do, reach out to a lactation consultant sooner than later. I damaged my nipple in just two days. Time is of the essence.
