We started seeing Jessica when our son was just 5 weeks old. We were having some issues with bottle feeding and body tension and needed support.

Immediately, we could tell we’d made the right choice by working with her. She was so warm, patient and engaged, not to mention extremely helpful. We ended our first session feeling like we knew how to move forward, with exercises and an action plan to work on. We saw her one or two more times and by the end, we were bottle feeding with no issue.

We started seeing her again a couple months later when our son was around 4 months old. We were hit HARD by the 4 month sleep regression and knew that part of the problem was lack of body control. Not only did Jessica provide numerous exercises and tips that helped get us through to the other side, but she showed genuine care and compassion for us and for our son.

We’ve been seeing her regularly for 2 months now and every time we do, we walk away having learned SO MUCH (small adjustments to make in our play to make it more developmental, ways to provide support as our son learns to sit, crawl, climb, etc., products to assist with feeding solids and oral development) and feeling more confident in ourselves and our son’s developmental progress. We also just have a blast every time we visit her - she has the best toys and the coolest equipment in her home office.

While we have “technically” graduated from needing further OT, we plan to keep seeing her for regular check-ins for all of these reasons. If you’re looking for a pediatric OT / feeding specialist who provides personalized, fun, and educational support, look no further.

-Divya F.

After my baby was born, a lactation consultant from a different professional background caused bloody nipples, mastitis, and a baby who screamed and pushed away during breastfeeds. This nearly starved (and hospitalized) my baby, nearly killed my milk supply, and caused us to emergently start on formula bottle feeds, which was a whole other mess that lead to a dairy intolerance diagnosis. As an OT, Jessica’s expertise in lactation, breastfeeding, mothering, early child development, and the family unit provided these observations and skilled interventions:
•my baby had multiple oral-motor restrictions, difficulty regulating alertness states, and nearly absent reflexes on one side of her body, causing asymmetric muscle movements in her trunk, neck, and mouth. My baby couldn’t open her mouth wide enough for a good latch, something 2 previous lactation consultants failed to even assess.
•where to find the most milk in my breasts and how to appropriately stimulate them, to prevent overstimulation, clogged ducts, and mastitis.
•pumping schedule with my hubby and mom’s support in bottle feeding baby, so I could rest a bit.
•nutritional support to increase milk supply.
•infant massage for calm, positive bonding moments with my baby.

In addition, Jessica explained how the advice I’d received + my labor and delivery complications were the cause of my late milk supply, not anything I was doing wrong. She ensured me that I was a good mom and not failing my child. In just days, I went from pumping just drops to pumping 2-3oz. Because of the foundation Jessica gave us, a year later, I have a good solids eater, am still comfortably breastfeeding, and baby is thriving!

- Emilie K.

I was stressed, needed a professional second opinion and guidance to handle the situation. I worked with Jessica and she made a lot of difference in our lives. I am very happy I reached out!

Baby's tie release was less stressful, we got a lot of support around eating solids and straw-drinking.

Improvements on baby's sleep, my own mental health, and confidence in my decisions are among the successes I can name as a result of working with Jessica.

- ZAHRA N.

Before contacting Milk Stories I was at a loss and desperate for help. Jessica was so amazing in helping my exclusively breastfed 4 month old to take a bottle. It has been such a relief to have this issue resolved but she also helped with so many other things (OT is so awesome). The appointments were about an hour long and Jessica did a lot of hands on work as well as teaching me what to do during the week to encourage growth.

Jessica is great! Being an occupational therapist with a doctorate degree and advanced training in infant and maternal health makes her one-of-a-kind in the Austin area. Jessica is highly knowledgeable and always educating herself on the latest research. Beyond her clinical expertise, Jessica is kind, communicative, and approachable. Her passion for helping others is evident through her collaboration with other local perinatal professionals, including hosting free events so that parents can ask questions, learn about resources, find community, and have fun! As a first-time mom, Jessica’s in-home evaluation and recommendations helped me navigate the first week of nursing my baby boy. Thank you, Jessica!

-Katrina B.