10. Lactation Consultation
In-house services are designed to offer guidance within the comfort and familiarity of your own living space, which puts both you and the baby most at ease and takes away the burden of traveling with potential malfunctioning boobs. They address problems such as low milk volume, babies not gaining enough weight, and latch-on difficulties. They also offer guidance on equipment use and your diet.
An in-home lactation consult visit can cost upwards of $150 to $300 per visit. These are typically provided by doulas and lactation consultants. Unfortunately, many health insurance plans do not cover the service if provided outside a lactation clinic or doctors office. Some insurers will only cover it when provided by a physician or midwife.
You’ll want to carefully research what your insurance covers and any stipulations involved so that you can budget accordingly.
In closing, the truth is that breast milk is free but breastfeeding isn’t always free. That’s in no way to advocate for formula feeding. The truth there is that it’s often even more expensive. Of course, science has also proven that there are a plethora of health benefits to breast milk. The above is simply information for you to plan accurately and with as much knowledge as possible. The efficiency and ease the above tools offer can’t be ignored as a factor in the cost, especially if you’re planning or adhering to a monthly budget.
