Guide · before you book
Questions to ask before you book a lactation consultant
A few minutes of questions tell you what you are paying for, whether insurance will cover it, and whether the credential is real. None of them is rude, and a good practitioner expects them.
Last checked .
What is your credential, and can I check it?
“Lactation consultant” is a job title, and in most states anyone may use it. IBCLC is a certification issued by an independent board, and it can be checked in a free public registry by the practitioner’s name as certified or their L-number. How to check it · What the other letters mean
Do you need a licence to practise in my state?
5 states require one: Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Oregon and Rhode Island. In those states, ask for the licence number as well as the certification. Everywhere else there is no state licence to ask about. Your state’s rules, with sources
Will my insurance or Medicaid pay?
Most private plans must cover lactation support; the catch is usually whether the consultant is in network. How insurance coverage works. Medicaid depends on the state: of the 27 we have researched, 11 let a lactation consultant who is not a nurse bill in their own right. Medicaid, state by state
Where will the visit happen?
Home visits, office visits and video calls are all common. If the consultant is based in another state, and either state licenses lactation consultants, ask whether they can see you where you live.
What will it cost if insurance does not pay?
Ask for the price of a first visit and of any follow-up before you book, and whether they give you a receipt with the codes you would need to claim the cost back from your plan.
What to bring
A few days of feeding records help a consultant see what is actually happening. The consultation prep sheet puts these questions on one page, and the feeding and sleep log is free to print.