This is a good price right?

MrMrsandBaby · July 2014

I found a Birth Lactation Consultant who will come to the hospital after baby is born, and with unlimited phone/visit consults including placenta encapsulation. Her cost is $410. She is also a doula but I'm not using her for those services since my hospital is over an hour from her home - the travel cost would be too much. But she will come to the hospital the day the baby is born to help with latch (that was an issue with DD) and I can go to her any time for weighing/questions/support. Plus the placenta encapsulation...

Is that a decent price? There isn't a timeframe on it - she is there for as long as I'm BFing - be it six days or six years.

Emerald27 · July 2014

What is her certification? Is she a CLC (certified lactation consultant) or an IBCLC (international board certified lactation consultant)?

Does your hospital have IBCLCs on staff who will visit you at your request (even if you have to wait a bit) and for free? What kind of lactation training does your hospital's postpartum nursing staff receive?

What sort of access to breastfeeding help is there within your community? Are there breastfeeding support groups, counselors, or chapters of LLL or Breastfeeding USA nearby?

These are all questions I would ask before committing $400 for this service. It may be extremely helpful and beneficial to you, but in the DC area where I am, this is how much you might pay for a postpartum doula, who offers those services and more...

Depends on where you are (price-wise) and what sort of comfort and confidence having someone like that accessible gives you.

PBJellyTime · July 2014

Sounds like a good price to me. Placenta encapulation runs about $250.00 itself (at least by me), so $160.00 for unlimited BF Consulation sounds like a fair price!

Emerald27 · July 2014

Another thing to keep in mind is that LLL Leaders and Breastfeeding USA counselors (while not IBCLCs) visit in-home for free, and are available by phone, text, and email every day. Some will even arrange to visit you in the hospital, if you attend meetings prior to baby's birth and request a visit.

This may or may not be something available in your area, but it might be worth inquiring about locally if you think that might give you some peace of mind.

lisamahrt · July 2014

Only thing I would suggest is if you haven't done so already is look into your insurance to see if it will help pay for the lactation support.

Maggie6424 · July 2014

It seems a little steep to me, but placenta encapsulation here is $150. Our hospital has a few LC's, so one is always available. Plus you can see them or call them as much as you want.

edit: used the word plus too much..

AppleGrapeMSTK · July 2014

I am in a metro area, and I have seen placenta encapsulation for around $150. Plus my hospital offers free LC support at any time and offers twice-weekly breastfeeding support groups run by the LCs. I would not pay $400 for those services, but that is because I know I have free options.

ETA: HOWEVER. If it is $400 for those services, regardless of how long you use it (cost does not increase over time), and you end up needing to rely on her for years, I think that the money would be more worth it. I would probably think about how long you would realistically need her help when making a decision like this.

cozybluebear · July 2014

My hospital has a lactation consultant on staff at all times who can also be contacted after leaving get the hospital... all at no cost. Might want to look into what services your hospital offers.

MrMrsandBaby · July 2014

Ok, so here is some more info! Her certifications are IBCLC, RLC, CLD, CPD. I have met her once in her office and we get along well, she was recommended by a friend who uses her services.

The encapsulation is $250 of the price. We JUST got a LLL chapter near me - the first meeting isn't even scheduled yet (sometime in August) but I am in touch with the leader. I didn't think to ask her if she would do this for free! My local community is under 8,000 residents - no support locally, the LLL chapter is about 30 minutes away.

Hospital does offer LC's for free while I'm in the hospital. There is also a weekly BFing support group but I went once with DD and was made to feel like such an outsider I never went back. Also, the LC's at the hospital are nurses first so are not always available when I would need/want them. And I have some issues with some of the things they helped me with (like giving me a nipple shield on day one, DD would never latch without that thing). One on one is charged per 15 minutes after I'm discharged and my insurance doesn't cover it.

I may keep looking for someone else to do the encapsulation more locally - at least more locally than she is (she is 45 minutes away - I live in farm country!).

Thanks ladies! Awesome ideas and things to think about...now I'm off to email the LLL leader!

eta: I'm about an hour from Chicago and my area thinks we are a suburb so everything is higher priced than it really should be - we are NOT a suburb!

MrMrsandBaby · July 2014

So I've been googling all afternoon and sent emails to 4 new encapsulation ladies, two LLL leaders and one other Lactation Consultant! Thanks for all the tips ladies! You rock

Emerald27 · July 2014

MrMrsandBaby said:
So I've been googling all afternoon and sent emails to 4 new encapsulation ladies, two LLL leaders and one other Lactation Consultant! Thanks for all the tips ladies! You rock

I hope you find the source of support, encouragement, and info. that gives you the most comfort and confidence heading into the birth of your baby! Whether that's the free services available to you or the IBCLC you've found. Great for you for doing all of this planning in advance!

Want a personalized experience?

This is a good price right?

Re: This is a good price right?

Choose Another Board

Search Boards