Professional Lactation Services

How we stand out:

Our top priorities when working with clients:

• To support you in meeting your unique feeding goals, completely judgement-free.

• To provide evidence-based, compassionate support & guidance.

• To help make feeding your baby enjoyable with minimal effort.

What does a Lactation Consultant do exactly?

We can provide evidence-based, proven strategies for managing:

• Pain associated with latching or nipple damage

• Increasing or decreasing supply

  • Most critically identify the WHY behind the issue

• Uncomfortable or ineffective pumping

• Interventions such as nipple shields or supplementation

• NICU to home transitions

• Anatomical challenges, including:

  • Prior breast surgeries

  • IGT (insufficient glandular tissue)

  • Inverted or “flat” nipples

  • Baby’s cleft lip or palate, tongue and lip ties

• Clogged ducts and mastitis (breast infections)

• Slow weight gain

• Multiples - twins, triplets or more

• Returning to work

• Bottle preference & also refusal

• Pretty much anything related to breastfeeding challenges - we have the solutions!

***Exciting News!***

Full Hearts Collaborative has partnered with The Lactation Network to quickly and easily approve SIX free consultation visits for those with the following:

• Blue Cross Blue Shield

• Anthem

• Cigna

• Aetna (Multiplan)

• United HealthCare (Multiplan)

• PNOA - Provider Network of America

• ChampVA

Once your coverage is verified, you will be contacted within hours to set up your visits.

In urgent cases, you can typically obtain approval and an appointment in the same day.

Insurance Companies are required to provide (no cost to you) breastfeeding services through the Affordable Care Act, but it’s often confusing to use the benefits. The Lactation Network specializes in maximizing your coverage and handles all the details for you, so you can concentrate on what is most important - those amazing newborn snuggles. ♥♥

Prenatal Lactation Consultation

90 minutes | $150 | Virtual

In-home by request only at this time

This private virtual session is perfect for ensuring confidence during pregnancy, and will set you up for breastfeeding success with your newborn. The content is tailored to your specific needs, and can include:

• Setting goals, and identifying support to help you meet them

• Involving your partner (if applicable)

• Individualized breastfeeding education

• Discussion & demonstration of key techniques like latch, positioning, ensuring baby is getting enough

• Common challenges & solutions

• How to best establish your supply

• Newborn feeding expectations 

• Breast pump 101

• Formula supplementation & why it would be used

• …and lots more! 

A prenatal session is essential for those with a history of:

• Breast/nipple surgery

• Flat or inverted nipples

• Insulin dependent diabetes

• PCOS and infertility

• Significant difficulty breastfeeding in the past

• Planning to induce lactation

Follow Up: Two weeks of secure messaging through your portal is included, so that any questions, concerns, and progress can be discussed.

In-Home Initial Consultation

90-120 minutes | $250 | In-home within New London County & immediate surrounding areas

(For distances greater than 10 miles from Mystic, CT a $25 travel fee will apply)

Patients with Lactation Network Coverage: Your in-office or virtual consultation fee will be covered in full, but for in-home consultations an additional $50 fee is billed directly to the patient (not covered by insurance).

A typical Lactation home consultation takes around 2 hours, sometimes longer when necessary, and can even take place in your hospital room if requested. We aim to identify the cause behind the challenge at hand, recommend strategies that improve the feeding experience for both lactating parent and baby, and to support and nurture the family through this time of change and growth.

Some examples of what happens during a lactation home visit/consultation:

• We will spend some time going over the health history of the lactating parent and baby, current challenges, and goals you may have for our visit.

• I will observe a feeding/milk expression, whether that is baby nursing, taking a bottle, and/or a pumping session.

• If baby is breast/chestfeeding, we can do a weighted feed to see how much milk baby takes in over the course of a feeding, using the gram-sensitive scale I bring with me.

• I may ask to assess the lactating parent's anatomy, as well as the baby's oral anatomy, to help me create the best possible care plan for your family.

• You will be supplied with recommendations and strategies to make feeding enjoyable for everyone involved.

• We will work together to make a Care Plan that you will receive in your client portal once our visit is complete,

• I will often send a Pediatrician Report as well, so the full healthcare team is involved with the assessment and plan.

  Follow Up: One week of secure messaging through your portal is included, so that any questions, concerns, and progress can be discussed.

  Payment Policy: It is advised for anyone with health insurance to check their coverage through the Lactation Network first. If your insurance is not accepted, you have the option to self-pay at the time of the visit, and then request reimbursement from your insurance company. I will supply you with an itemized medical receipt called a Superbill, which will have the appropriate medical coding and documentation of our visit in order to be reimbursed. You may want to discuss this process with your insurance company prior to our visit. For self-pay clients, you must enter your payment information when booking your appointment, but you will not be charged until the time of the visit. You have the option to pay with cash or credit card at that time, or you can use the payment method on file. Stripe, our payment processor, will accept all major credit cards, as well as FSA/HSA debit cards.

  Cancellation Policy: Appointments must be cancelled 24 hours prior or rescheduled 12 hours prior to the time of your session to avoid a $50 administrative fee, which will be charged to the payment method on file. 

Virtual Initial Lactation Consultation

60-90 Minutes | $150

Research and experience has told us that vast majority of benefits of an in-person lactation visit can also be found during a virtual visit. One benefit the pandemic had on the professional lactation world was putting this to practice, when we had almost no choice but to see our clients virtually. Some examples of challenges that can be addressed are: Painful latch, recurrent clogged ducts or mastitis, slow weight gain, nipple shield use, pumping issues, oral or breast anatomy concerns.  

During a virtual visit, we will do the following:

• Review the lactating parent & baby's health history, with how it pertains to breastfeeding

• Discuss the challenges being encountered

• Form goals for our visit and beyond

• Observe a feeding or pumping session - if possible, having someone else hold the camera/phone/device would be helpful.

• Based on my observation, I will give suggestions and feedback to help optimize the comfort level and effectiveness of your feedings.

• I will demonstrate techniques and equipment using my wide array of teaching tools such as dolls, fabric breasts, nursing pillows, pumps, and much more.

• I may walk through some aspects of assessment on the lactating parent's anatomy, as well as the baby's oral anatomy, to help me create the best possible care plan for your family.

• We will review the strategies to help address the challenges that brought you to this visit

• Soon after our appointment, your care plan will be electronically delivered to through your client portal, and will also fax a copy to your baby's pediatrician with your consent.

  Follow Up: Two weeks of secure messaging through your portal is included, so that any questions, concerns, and progress can be discussed.