Lactation Consultant / Breastfeeding Support
in the Kansas City area

Breastfeeding is "natural" and should be easy, right? Sometimes...but not always. Breastfeeding challenges can arise at any time, and you may need a little extra support. I can help! I provide breastfeeding consults in the comfort of your home. Some of the concerns I can help you with include:

• Sore nipples / painful latch
• Oral restrictions (aka tongue tie and/or lip tie)
• Plugged ducts
• Mastitis
• Low supply / over supply
• Exclusive pumping
• Preterm / late preterm babies
• Bottle feeding
• Weaning
• And much more!

From latch issues and nipple pain to pumping and supplementing/bottle feeding and everything in between, we can come up with a plan that works for you! See below for insurance information.

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Lactation Consultation (in home) | $225*
Receive breastfeeding support from me in the comfort of your home. See insurance information below.

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Telehealth/Virtual Consultation | $175*
Telehealth/Virtual consultations are available. This option does limit my assessment and does not offer hands-on assistance. 

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When you work with Kay, you will be receiving breastfeeding support from an expert with over 24 years of experience in the perinatal field. 

Payment must be made at time of booking, in order to confirm your appointment.  See below for insurance information.

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Breastfeeding Support FAQ

These are just some of the questions that I am asked on a regular basis. If you have a general question that's not listed below, please contact me to ask!

​Do you bill insurance?
I do not bill insurance, but I am partnered with a company that does. If you have BCBS PPO, Anthem BCBS, Cigna PPO, Humana PPO, Multiplan, PNOA, VA CCN, and other insurance plans, you may be eligible for insurance covered breastfeeding consultations with me at no out of pocket cost to you (other than any applicable fees). Eligibility must be verified prior to scheduling your visit. Click HERE or on the button below to verify your insurance plan.

VERIFY INSURANCE

For those with insurance plans not covering visits:
HSA and FSA cards are accepted for payment of consult fees.
I do not bill insurance plans. Clients must pay when the appointment is scheduled, in order to confirm the appointment. Upon request, I can provide a receipt (superbill) for you to submit to your insurance company for reimbursement. This is the only form I can provided, and it has all the information your insurance company should need to process your reimbursement. I do not guarantee reimbursement. Sometimes it takes a call (or many!) to them, and submitting your claim multiple times for them to reimburse you. The National Women's Law Center has more information on breastfeeding benefits covered under the ACA.

How can I schedule an appointment?
It's easy! Just contact me here, and we will get an appointment scheduled for you. I am able to be fairly flexible with appointments, and can usually see families for day or evening appointments, during the week or on the weekends. I've even been known to sometimes see families on holidays. I do book up quickly, but am sometimes able to see moms within 24 hours.

What is an IBCLC?
An IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant) is a healthcare professional who specializes in the clinical management of breastfeeding, providing expert lactation care. IBCLCs function and contribute as members of the maternal-child health team, and work tirelessly every day to help families meet their breastfeeding/ lactation goals.  An IBCLC must complete many requirements to earn those credentials, which you can read more about HERE. In addition to that, after much studying and preparing, they must pass a board exam. It's definitely not a process for the faint of heart!

I do also want to note that not all IBCLCs are created equal, so to speak. We have varying experience, training, education, and expertise. For instance, if you are concerned about tongue ties, you'll need an IBCLC who has additional experience and training in that area. Also, there are some who use the title of "lactation consultant" who are not actually IBCLCs. There are MANY significant differences in the training, clinical experience, and more. Again, IBCLCs are health care professionals, clinical providers. Other breastfeeding helpers are lay professionals or peer counselors. Don't hesitate to ask them to clarify and/or show proof of their credentials, training, certification, etc. You can confirm their credentials on the IBLCE website here. If they are not listed there, they are not an IBCLC.

Breastfeeding is supposed to be "natural." Why would I need an IBCLC?
Once baby is born, they should just go right to the breast, latch on perfectly, and suckle well, all while a soft light shines down from the heavens over mom (who has a serene smile on her face) and baby (who is perfectly content). It's such a peaceful picture, and you can even hear the faint sounds of angels singing. And the breastfeeding continues perfectly from then on, right? Well, maybe...but it doesn't always happen that way. While breastfeeding is "natural" and both mom and baby have built in instincts to help, most moms have no idea how to actually go about it. We have quite a few generations that were not breastfed, so most moms today didn't grow up seeing breastfeeding, and likely didn't learn much about it. That's where breastfeeding support professionals (like me!) come in. Taking breastfeeding classes can help you be prepared for breastfeeding, and having the support of an experienced lactation consultant can help you reach your breastfeeding goals and troubleshoot any potential challenges that arise.

Do you diagnose?
​No. It is out of the scope of practice for an IBCLC to diagnose any potential issues with mom or baby. I can tell you what I find via my assessments, but can't provide an official diagnosis. 
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Do you tell me what treatments I should use or what I should do?
Absolutely not! It's not in my scope of practice to tell you what to do. I'm a consultant. I may offer some suggestions and guide you towards information and resources, but I don't tell moms what they should or shouldn't do. This is your experience, your baby, your family. I provide information and support you in what YOU choose to do.

You mentioned scope of practice. What is that exactly?
In short, the scope of practice (SOP) tells me what I can and can't do as an IBCLC. I take my work seriously, and am careful to work within my SOP. The SOP is there to protect you and your baby. It's also there to protect me as an IBCLC and my profession as a whole. You can see the full SOP of an IBCLC here.

What if my doctor told me to do something that I don’t agree with? What will you do?
As an IBCLC, I will not go against anything that your doctor has recommended, nor will I undermine your doctor in any way. I can provide resources with information and some possible options for you. I will encourage you to look at your options, advocate for yourself, and make the best decision possible for your situation. I encourage you to establish care with a doctor that you can trust and with whom you can have open, honest conversations. If you don't feel you can with your current doctor, then maybe it's time to consider changing providers. Bottom line: I am a healthcare professional, and I work with, not against, your healthcare team. ​​

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I've scheduled my in-home visit. Now what?

Here are some tips to help you get ready for our visit.

Things to do:

• Fill out the intake form I send you prior to the visit. This gives me information on your situation and helps us be able to focus our time together on your specific questions. 
• Make a list on your phone (or on paper, if you want to go old-school!) of breastfeeding related questions that you have on your phone. It can be difficult to remember them in the moment, so having a list can help you remember what to talk about with me while I am there.
• Prioritize your questions/concerns. We may not be able to address all of your questions during the visit, due to time constraints. For instance, if you have a newborn and are struggling with a painful latch, discussing pumping for your return to work in three months is a lesser priority for the initial visit. 
• If baby is hungry shortly before our visit time, give him/her a little snack, but not a full feeding. Baby needs to eat, and it's next to impossible to get a frantic, hungry, screaming baby to latch on the breast! That snack can help keep baby satisfied a little while longer, and baby will likely still want to eat while I am there.
• If you have any breastfeeding related tools that you are using or have questions about, please have those nearby.
• If you have questions about the pump that you are using/planning to use, have it out and ready for us to work with.
• Pets: please secure pets in another room so that we can focus during the consult.
• Older siblings: have an activity or plenty of toys around for the older kiddos and/or have extra help there to take care of them so that we can talk freely.
• Family and other support people: your spouse, partner, support person, grandma, doula, etc. is welcome to be there. Sometimes having an extra ear to hear what we talk about can be helpful for you! I also find that they love learning how they can best support the breastfeeding relationship.

Please DO NOT:

• Don't clean the house! I will be there to work with you, not to be entertained or impressed by your awesome house cleaning skills. I'd much rather you take that time to relax skin to skin with baby, which helps get that oxytocin flowing, so that you are both rested and ready for the appointment!
• Don't hesitate to tell me if something isn't working or just doesn't feel right. Also, don't hesitate to tell me when something IS working or feels right. I am there to help you come up with a workable plan, so I need to know what is/isn't working for you.

What to expect.

At the appointment:

• I will wash my hands or use hand sanitizer soon after arriving. You will also see me getting out latex-free gloves to wear as I complete baby's oral assessment.
• I will ask you to do your usual breastfeeding thing. Observing how you usually do things can help me see little things that may help you and baby. It also gives me the opportunity to see how awesome you are already doing!
• I will ask before touching you, your breasts, or your baby.
• I will examine your nipples before and after baby latches. This helps me see if there is any damage to the nipples and to see how baby has treated the nipple during the feedings.
• I'll be asking you questions throughout our time together.
• I'll also be doing lots of listening! This will help me get a better picture of how things are going for you and baby.
• I will be jotting down notes throughout the visit. This helps me remember things a little better, both during and after our visit.
• I'm passionate about helping mamas and babies, and one of the ways I do that is through education. I'm a born teacher, so expect quite a bit of information. I will try not to overwhelm you!
• Definitely expect lots and lots of encouragement and support!

One thing in particular that I would like to mention...
Many moms find that while I'm there, things just "magically" seem to go well. They almost seem frustrated that the struggles they were having just an hour before I arrived seem to have disappeared completely when I come in the door. It's almost like I come in and sprinkle magical boob dust over the room! Seriously though, this is just the way it goes. I find that this is generally because mom (and dad/partner) seems to relax quite a bit when I'm there. Just having someone that is knowledgeable about breastfeeding and what you are dealing with, someone who is there to help and support you, helps you become more calm. This is one of the reasons why I tend to be more hands off--so that you can see that you CAN do this, and you can become confident in your own abilities. They are there--sometimes you just need someone to help you recognize them and bring them out!

After the appointment:

• I will send any additional information to you that we talked about during the appointment, usually later the same day.
• If you are eligible for coverage, information will be sent so your insurance can be billed. 
• If you would like another visit, we can get that scheduled! Most families want me to come to their home again to reassess the situation, check in, talk about the care plan, answer further questions, etc., even if things are going well. We can get that scheduled as well! All visits (initial and follow up) have the same applicable fees, which are listed towards the top of this page. Virtual/telehealth consultations are also a great option in some circumstances. 

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​Click HERE to see our Notice of Privacy Practices (aka: HIPAA).

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*There will be an additional fee added if you are more than 15 minutes from me. There will be an additional fee for multiples.
There may be a surcharge if the consult is on evenings, weekends, or holidays. 
There will be a $75 cancellation fee for consults canceled >3 hours prior to the appointment time. If canceled <3 hours prior to the appointment, the cancellation fee is $100. Consults must be canceled no less than 1 hour prior to the appointment time, or will be considered a missed consult. Missed consults/no shows are not eligible for a refund, and will not be refunded in part or in full.

Kay Miller | Heaven Sent Support LLC has been proudly offering breastfeeding/lactation support and other perinatal services for families in the Kansas City Metro Area for over 24 years!

Email: kay@heavensentsupport.com

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