About

About Me

Hello, I'm Aki Sugaya, a dedicated International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and Certified Lactation Education Counselor (CLEC) serving the dynamic San Francisco Bay Area. Fluent in Japanese and English, with over a decade of experience in the hospital’s lactation department, I offer personalized in-home visits and virtual consults for comprehensive lactation care. Drawing upon advanced clinical knowledge and management expertise, it's an honor to be a trusted member of maternal healthcare, supporting mothers and babies, and families.

I grew up in Japan and moved to the U.S. I earned a Bachelor's degree from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a Master's degree in health field from San Francisco State University. Additionally, I completed post-graduate work at the University of California, San Diego Lactation Consultant Program.

During my clinical internship at Stanford Children's Hospital and UCSF Medical Center, I gained hands-on experience working directly with patients of mother-baby dyads. I am a mother of two children and a former NICU family member, I bring firsthand experience to navigating the complexities of breastfeeding, chestfeeding, and human milk feeding.

As a member of ILCA, USLCA, BALA, and a La Leche League Leader in-progress, I am committed to providing evidence-based practice to empower you with the knowledge and techniques needed for a successful nursing and bonding experience for both you and your baby (babies).

No question is too big or too small. Feel free to reach out whenever you need lactation help, ensuring both you and your babies have a positive start. I'm here to support you at every stage of your personalized lactation journey, helping you reach your goals together!

What my stories

Testimonials

Fanny & Baby William

"Thanks to Aki's expert guidance and unwavering support, I not only overcame breastfeeding challenges but also developed a strong and beautiful bond with my baby – forever grateful!"

Danlu & Baby Nevin

"I was so glad to have Aki to be my lactation consultant. I felt very frustrated and helpless when my baby had problems with breastfeeding. But I was lucky to get connected with Aki. She fit me into her schedule immediately and came to my house the next morning. Aki is quite knowledgeable and communicative. She provided many useful tips, tools, and resources to help improve my baby’s latching and increase my milk supply. She is also quite professional and responsible. She wrote very detailed and informative notes and summary for each in-house visit or online video meeting, and offered incredible follow-up services so that we wouldn’t miss any point. She cared a lot for both mom and baby-always there to solve issue or answer question we had. One day, I had server plugged ducts and I was so nervous and clueless on how to handle that until I reached out to Aki, who responded very quickly with detailed care plan and materials. After following her guidance, I was fully recovered. With Aki’s caring and helps, I feel totally ensured and pampered."

Linda & Baby Han

"I met Aki when my baby was just 5 days old. In the first 2 days of my child’s life, the pediatrician told us that we needed start supplementing with formula and triple feeding due to my milk taking too long to come in. As a new mom, this was quite stressful and lactation issues was not something I prepared for before birth. I had no idea what triple feeding was or how to implement it and had a lot of trouble finding help. Luckily, I found Aki and she was super flexible and quickly scheduled an in-home visit. She explained to me triple feeding, observed my breastfeeding, showed me how to use a breast pump, and demonstrated paced bottle feeding. Most importantly she gave me confidence in the plan and put my mind at ease. Within a week or two, my baby was exclusively breast feeding and we no longer had to supplement/pump. I don’t know whether I would have been able to do that without Aki’s support!"