Hi! Welcome here. My name is Abbie Bridges, and I am an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC), and mom of 2 with experience in assisting breastfeeding in all stages, from pregnancy to introducing solids to weaning. I graduated in 2021 from the University of Maryland with my Masters in Public Health and have been working ever since to advance community health through education, advocacy, and client support. Prior to opening my practice, I provided lactation care with a local pediatric practice and nonprofit aimed at addressing health disparities and supporting underserved communities. I currently live in Gaithersburg with my husband, 2 daughters, 2 cats, and 4 chickens! When I’m not with clients you can find me outside with my girls, baking a decadent chocolate dessert, or reading. I am very passionate about helping families succeed in an infant feeding relationship that is mutually beneficial, enjoyable, and meaningful for everyone involved. If you would like to learn more about my approach, you can read more here: www.bridgeslactation.com/my-approach. Please feel free to contact me here if you would like to chat for a few minutes before scheduling to see if we are a good fit, or book a visit here: bridgeslactation.as.me.
Masters in Public Health (MPH) (2021)
Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology (2019)
UCSD IBCLC Pathway 2 (2024)
International Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA)
United States Lactation Consultants Association (USLCA)
English
Home Visits - Get expert lactation support from the comfort of your home! Your visit includes a thorough review of medical history for you and your baby and how it may impact lactation, feeding assessment using an infant scale (accurate to 2g) to determine milk intake, breastfeeding education tailored to your needs, examination of breast anatomy and infant oral anatomy/function, and a personalized care plan for you and your baby. Office Visits - Get expert lactation support in my private office space located at 18205 Flower Hill Way Suite A, Gaithersburg, MD 20879. The office is located on the first floor and is accessible with a stroller. Your visit includes a thorough review of medical history for you and your baby and how it may impact lactation, a feeding assessment using an infant scale (accurate to 2g) to determine milk intake, breastfeeding education tailored to your needs, examination of breast anatomy and infant oral anatomy/function, and a personalized care plan for you and your baby. Virtual Appointments - For parents who are outside my travel radius, virtual visits are an excellent way to discuss your breastfeeding questions and concerns over encrypted, HIPAA-compliant video chat. We will work together to create a plan of care that is reasonable and mutually beneficial for both you and your baby. I recommend this option for pregnant parents interested in preparing for their breastfeeding journey.
Abbie is so wonderful! We did our first appt at home and a follow up in her office which was so comfortable and welcoming. As a FTM, Abbie helped me get setup for success with regular feeds and pumping. I wasn’t having and “issues” but wanted to be preventative and I’m SO glad I did, I learned so much. Also her follow up notes were detailed which was so helpful referring back to them for different things. Highly recommend!
- Lexy Broussard
Abby has been so wonderful to work with! Even as a second-time mom, I’ve learned so, so much from her. Every session leaves me feeling more confident and her guidance has made such a difference in my breastfeeding and pumping journey.
- Kerry Savercool
Abbie is compassionate and knowledgeable! She helps clients navigate through a precious and emotional process, while meeting them where they’re at! I know when I refer a client to Abbie they are in great hands. I can’t recommend her enough!
- Jane Townsend
I cannot recommend Abbie enough! I feel I truly owe my breastfeeding journey to her. My son was born premature and due to other factors, I was encouraged to formula feed in the beginning. Despite seeing two hospital lactation consultants, I was not producing milk and baby would not latch. Our pediatrician gave me Abbie’s contact and I’m so happy I reached out. She was encouraging and made me feel comfortable and at ease. She was able to give me practical advice and easy to follow care plans. Within weeks we went from essentially exclusively bottle feeding to exclusively breastfeeding. Her experience and expertise really made a difference for us and I’m so grateful!
- Kristal R.
Abbie’s expertise and compassion made all the difference for my baby and me. She was helpful during truly vulnerable moments in my early days of motherhood, and I’m so grateful for her!
- Caitlin VE
Working with Abbie was an absolute joy! I truly don’t know where I would be in my breast feeding journey without her expertise and guidance. She is not only a wonderful and kind person, but she’s also extremely knowledgeable and organized. During our work together, I felt so supported and validated in my experience with breastfeeding. Now my baby primarily breastfeeds when before we started with Abbie, He wasn’t able to latch. She helped us SO much and I can’t recommend her enough!
- Ciara Guihen
Abbie is very easy to talk to and provided expert advice! I appreciate that she offers evidence based support. She fit me for my proper flange size and since then my production instantly increased when pumping!
- Taylor Kemp-Johnson
The first few days of your baby's life can be chaotic, with hospital checks and initial pediatrician appointments on top of the major adjustment that this huge change in your life brings. Abbie was such a welcome presence in our home at that pivotal time and at every appointment since.<br><br>Abbie navigates the line perfectly between maintaining high professionalism while still being super warm, sweet, and easy to talk to. From our first conversation over email while I was still pregnant, I was really impressed by her deep knowledge and clear explanation of insurance benefits as they apply to lactation consultations (and we all know how much of a nightmare that world can be to understand).<br><br>During a visit, you can expect to get interesting insights into your baby's feeding behaviors and ability including taking a weighted feed if needed, as well as thorough and thoughtful answers to any questions you might have.
- Juliette Lemnij
Abbie was really helpful! Highly recommend especially for first time moms wanting to breastfeed
- emily em
Abbie has been such a core part of my positive postpartum experience. She is so down to earth and easy to talk to and I owe so much of my wonderful breastfeeding experience to her. She has so many tips and tricks and always sends a detailed follow-up of our visits which is helpful when postpartum brain fog is so real. She is a true professional and someone I’d love to work with again! I highly recommend her!
- Katie Pirone
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