Lactation, Breastfeeding & Infant Feeding Support
Judgement-free, in-home support that empowers you to feed your baby with confidence
Feeding an infant is tough, and it often doesn’t come naturally. There’s no shame in asking for help.
The biggest myth of breastfeeding is that when they baby comes, you’ll innately know what to do. We know that’s not true, and we’re here to help you navigate the new (and often really frustrating!) journey of feeding an infant.
Whether you’re facing challenges with breast/chestfeeding, curious about alterntive feeding options, or just want to make sure you have a solid foundation for your journey, we’re here to support your family.
Our lactation consultants are also non-diet registered dietitians. We offer non-judgemental, in-home support to make the feeding process easier.
While breast/chestfeeding is beautiful and natural, it’s not always easy. Babies grow so fast — sometimes it feels like as soon as you’ve figured them out, they’re in a totally different stage with a whole new set of problems. It’s exciting and terrifying at the same time.
Our International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs) are also Registered Dietitians (RDs). We’re trained in cultural humility, collaborative counseling, non-diet nutrition, and trauma-informed care. We provide shame-free, identity-affirming support that empowers you to make the best choices for your family.
Lactation support is great for overcoming feeding challenges, but it’s also helpful to have a consultation before giving birth.
During pregnancy (usually in the last trimester), a lactation consult can help remove some of the mystery around what will happen after you give birth. Don’t feel that you need to wait until challenges arise to start working with a lactation consultant!
Because our lactation consultants are also registered dietitians, they can address any postpartum nutrition questions you have. We practice from an anti-diet, weight-inclusive lens, which means we support you in establishing a healthy relationship to food and your body without diets or intentional weight loss. We know that so much of the post-baby advice out there is loaded with body shame, and we aim to be a safe, body-positive space.
We work with anyone who’s struggling with or concerned about:
- Supply issues
- Positioning
- Painful latch
- Whether baby is getting enough
- Nipple pain or damage
- Engorgement or mastitis
- Baby falling asleep at the breast
- Potential tongue-tie
- Baby gagging at the breast
- Green stools
- Baby experiencing GI discomfort
- Pumping and proper flange size
- Proper milk storing
- Returning to work
- Postpartum nutrition challenges for the birthing parent
How lactation services work
Step 1:
Reach out to connect with our lactation consultant
Fill out this appointment request form to tell us whether you are seeking a prenatal consultation (which we recommend!) or facing challenges with breast/chestfeeding.
Step 2:
Confirm your appointment, fill out the required paperwork, and verify your insurance benefits
Once you’ve filled out the appointment request form, we’ll reach out via email within 48 business hours with available appointment times, an introduction to our practice, and more about your lactation consultant. When you confirm an appointment time, we’ll schedule the initial appointment and send you forms to fill out prior to your session.
Before your first session, you’ll reach out to your insurance company to confirm your in-network benefits (if you have Blue Cross Blue Shield) or out-of-network benefits (if you have Aetna, Cigna, United Healthcare, or another insurer). Most Blue Cross Blue Shield Plans cover nutrition counseling in full, but it’s always best to check.
Step 3:
Have your initial lactation assessment or prenatal consult appointment
All of our lactation consultations will take place in your home. This helps our lactation consultant understand your environment, and helps you feel most comfortable.
If you haven’t yet given birth, your lactation will talk to you about what to expect and how to best prepare, including suggestions for what to buy or have ready for when the baby comes.
If you’ve already given birth, plan to breast/chestfeed during the initial 90-minute session so that your lactation consultant can help troubleshoot and collaborate with you on solutions.
Step 4:
Continue meeting regularly with your lactation consultant as needed
Sure, there are people out there who might need just one or two sessions. But in our experience, most people need ongoing feeding support for at least a few months. Depending on your situation and your goals, your lactation consultant might suggest meeting weekly, bi-weekly, or at another regular frequency. You’ll also leave with actionable strategies to practice in the meantime.
Because your lactation consultant is also a dietitian, she can support you in your own relationship with food as well. (Note that we help clients nourish themselves confidently — we don’t promote weight loss or dieting.)
Lactation and feeding support works best at home. We travel to addresses in Raleigh, Durham, Hillsborough, Morrisville, Cary, Apex, Holly Springs, and Chapel Hill.
Up to 60-minutes of roundtrip drive time is built into our driving convenience fee (included in the self-pay rate, and an additional $60 credit card charge for clients using insurance benefits). If your address requires more than 60 minutes of drive time from our Durham-based lactation consultant, the driving convenience fee may be higher. We’ll discuss this with you prior to your initial session. If you think your address is within a 30-minute (60-minute roundtrip) drive but isn’t in one of the places listed above, let us know and we’ll determine whether or not we can travel to you.
Fees and Insurance
90-minute initial session (in-home): $260*
90-minute follow-up session (in-home): $240*
30 or 60-minute virtual follow-up: $80 or $140*
*These are discounted rate for clients paying out of pocket on the day of service. They are not the full rates billed to insurance plans. In-home rates include the the driving convenience fee.
Ruby Oak Nutrition dietitians are in-network providers with most Blue Cross and Blue Shield insurance plans. Many BCBS plans cover the full cost of nutrition counseling and lactation consulting. If you’re using insurance for lactation consulting, you are responsible for paying a $60 driving convenience fee for each appointment, which your insurance will not cover.
To verify whether your insurance benefits cover our services, call the phone number on the back of your insurance card and use the script provided here.
Our dietitians are considered out-of-network providers for Cigna, Aetna, United Healthcare, and other insurance plans. That means you’re responsible for payment at the time of service. We know that getting reimbursed for out-of-network services can be a huge pain. So, we partner with The SuperBill, a company that will submit claims to your insurance company (for free!) and get you as much money back as possible. We’ll send more information about setting up a SuperBill account when you schedule an appointment.
Check out the FAQ page for more about billing and reimbursement.