Birth & Baby: Lactation Support

While breasteeding is the biological norm for human babies, it isn’t always easy and our culture often makes it much harder than necessary. Breathing Space lactation classes and services are dedicated to helping parents navigate their breastfeeding journey with evidenced based information and support.
Group Classes

Preparing to Breastfeed
Our prenatal breastfeeding class prepares parents for what to expect in the first days and weeks with baby. Learn how breastfeeding and milk-production works, the non-breastfeeding partner and family members can help, and what to do when things don’t go as expected. This class is part of the 4-part Preparing for Baby series.
All our Preparing for Baby classes are currently offered as self-paced online course.
One-on-One Support Services

Lactation consultations and postpartum doula support can help when things aren’t going as planned or families just need a bit of extra support.
IBCLC Support
An International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) can support parents through the normal course of breastfeeding or when families face challenges.
Frequently Asked Questions
Individual Support Visits
Lactation Consultation (Self Pay, First Visit) – $180
In this 60-90-minute visit by our IBCLC will work with you to assess breastfeeding challenges, answer questions, and develop a care plan.
- 2 weeks of virtual support for follow up questions
- Baby weight check
- Insurance-friendly receipt to submit for reimbursement, subject to your plan rules.
- Travel fee may apply outside of our home service area*
- Follow up visits may be booked for $150
Weaning/Toddler Visit (babies older than 6 months) – $120
In this 45-60 minute visit, our IBCLC will discuss breastfeeding the older baby, troubleshoot challenges, and discuss strategies for continuing to nurse or weaning. Includes 2 weeks of virtual support for follow up questions
Phone/Video Consult – $60
Current clients needing to discuss issues beyond the scope of our 2-week virtual support may choose to do a follow up phone or video consult.
- 25-30 minute phone or secure video consultation for current clients only
If we establish within the first 5 minutes of a phone call that the issue merits a follow up visit instead, you will not be charged for the call. Phone consults are typically not reimbursable by insurance.
All times are approximate. We will not rush; no charges for going over estimated time.
Support Packages
Support packages consist of multiple services and make a great shower gift for an expecting couple:
Prenatal/Postnatal Lactation Support Package – $350
This support package is due date dependent and requires pre-authorization to confirm general availability around your expected due date. The package is both prenatal education and postnatal support to ensure you are prepared and help breastfeeding get off to the best possible start. Includes:
- Our Beyond the Bump Preparing to Breastfeed class or home study plus a 30 minute prenatal consult to answer questions,
- 2 Breastfeeding Support Home Visits, with the first ideally scheduled 4-6 days after baby’s birth,
- Virtual support for three weeks following baby’s birth, including video chat if needed.
Homebirth Support Package – $350
This support package is due date dependent and requires pre-authorization. Families who have an out-of-hospital birth benefit from the same kind of dedicated early lactation support and intervention that a hospital lactation team provides for hospital births.
- We will do an initial home visit, ideally with in 36 hours of your baby’s birth, to answer questions, work on positioning, and hopefully head off potential problems.
- Two follow up visits as needed or within one week to really make sure breastfeeding gets off to an optimal start and when baby is 4-6 weeks old discuss breastfeeding beyond the newborn period.
- Virtual support for three weeks following baby’s birth – includes text, email, and brief phone support.
- Discount of 10% off additional phone/video and follow up consults for baby’s first 6 months.
- Optional, but strongly recommended add-on: Preparing to Breastfeed ($50 per couple) or Preparing for Baby ($160) group class – 20% off regular class prices
Does not include any applicable travel fees outside our home service area.
Additional Benefits for Lactation Support Clients
All our lactation services clients are eligible for a 15% discount on any Beyond the Bump classes. This applies to self pay clients only.
Private Classes
Our lactation consultant or instructors can customize many of our classes as an individual in-home lessons. The following are most popular:
- Preparing to Breastfeed – $120
with Jen Mueller (IBCLC) or Ariel Rubin (postpartum doula and CLC) – 1 hour - Baby Care Basics – $120
with Jen Mueller (IBCLC), Ariel Rubin (postpartum doula and CLC), or Katie Baxter (birth/postpartum doula) – 1 hour - Birth Partners: Comfort Measures for Labor & Delivery – $250
with Katie Baxter (birth doula) – 2-3 hours
Learn more about private classes.
Classes may be reimbursable by insurance and an insurance-friendly superbill will be provided upon request. Private classes with IBCLCs may fall under your lactation support benefits. Doulas cannot bill insurance for lactation benefits but would be classified as childbirth/prenatal education, so check with your insurance company for benefit details.
Registration
Please make sure you complete your intake forms:
Payments
If you haven’t yet made payment, you can do so here.
If you landed on this page and don’t yet have an appointment scheduled, please visit the services page to learn more.
Health insurance is required to cover lactation support but not all plans have in-network lactation consultants available to assist. If a provider is “in-network” they can bill on your behalf without any upfront payment from you. If not, you must pay and then request reimbursement from your insurance company. Breathing Space is not in network with any insurance companies.
Aetna, United, and some BCBS plan clients:
Jen also consults with the Breastfeeding Center of Greater Washington. Aetna or United clients needing in-network services can check with them and schedule an appointment with Jen (see BCGW insurance FAQ).
If you use the BCGW online booking request form, please request an appointment with Jen in the description field or you will be assigned to the next available consultant (recommended for urgent cases if Jen is not available soon enough).
Any appointment booked through Breastfeeding Center of Greater Washington is subject to BCGW’s pricing and appointment policies. Breathing Space policies do not apply.
If you are seeing availability on Jen’s schedule here that isn’t reflected on BCGW calendar, let the BCGW admin team know to check with Jen about additional appointment options. Contact BCGW.
Breathing Space birth and baby service providers are based on Capitol Hill DC and just over the Maryland border, so our service area focuses there.
- *No travel fees inside our home service area:
- DC’s SE and SW quadrants,
- south of Michigan Ave and east of Rock Creek Park in NE and NW DC.
- $50-100 travel fee for service beyond our home area. Travel fees are not typically reimbursed by insurance.
Travel Fee – Zone 1 – $50
Zone 1 Service Area includes:
- DC north of Michigan Ave and west of Rock Creek Park,
- Arlington VA,
- Alexandria VA, and
- within the beltway and east of 390/97 in MD’s Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.
See Zone 2 for limited availability further out. Travel fees are not typically reimbursed by insurance. Travel fee is due a the time of appointment.
Travel Fee – Zone 2 – $100
Contact us by text message or email us before booking to confirm availability.
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