A private lactation consultation on the Northern Beaches costs between $70 and $280, depending on where we meet and whether it is your first visit or a follow up. Everything is priced per session, so you are never signing up to a package or a block of appointments you may not need.
Below is the full price list, so you can work out what a visit would cost you before you enquire.
What does each type of consult cost?
An antenatal lactation consult is $220 for the initial session and $180 for a follow up. It runs for 60 minutes, in your home or online.
A postnatal lactation visit is $280 for the initial visit and $200 for a follow up. These run for 90 minutes and happen in your home.
A telehealth consultation is $100 for the initial session and $70 for a follow up, and runs for 30 minutes online.
Text support is $100 per week, daily between 7am and 8pm.
Practical support at home is priced by enquiry. It runs for 60 minutes in your home, and because what people need varies so much, it is easier to talk it through than to publish one number.
Why is a postnatal visit more than an antenatal one?
Time, mostly. A postnatal visit is 90 minutes rather than 60, and there is more happening in it. There is a baby to watch feeding, a body recovering from birth, and a household to fit around. The longer session means we are not rushing the parts that matter, and it usually removes the need for a second appointment.
Follow ups are shorter and cheaper because we are picking up a thread rather than starting from nothing. I already know your history, your baby and the plan we made, so we can get straight to what has changed.
Is there a travel fee?
Travel is free within 10km of North Manly. That covers most of the Northern Beaches. Between 10km and 20km a travel fee applies. I will always quote it to you before you book so there is nothing unexpected on the invoice.
If you are further out than 20km, ask anyway. A telehealth consultation is often a better fit, and at $100 it is the lowest-cost way to get a proper plan without anyone driving anywhere.
What happens if you need to cancel?
There is no cancellation fee. Newborns do not run to a schedule and neither do the people looking after them. I ask for as much notice as you can reasonably give, 24 hours where possible, and I will move you to another time at no cost.
What is included in the price?
The session itself, and a plan you can actually use afterwards. You are not paying separately for an assessment, a written summary, or the follow-up questions that come up in the days after. Everything you need out of that visit is in the price of the visit.
You will also receive an itemised invoice. Some private health funds cover lactation consultation under extras, so it is worth checking before you book. There is more on that in the article on private health cover.
Which one should you book?
If your baby has not arrived yet, the antenatal consult is the one that changes the most. When to book an antenatal consult goes through the timing.
If your baby is here and feeding is not working, the postnatal home visit is the one. You can read what happens during a home visit if you would like to know what you are booking.
And if you are not sure, ask. I would rather point you to the right session than sell you the bigger one.