A lactation consultant home visit runs for 90 minutes in your own home, and it is built around whatever you need that day. There is a conversation, a feed watched together, an assessment of your baby, and time for the practical things nobody warns you about.
You do not need to prepare anything. Here is how the time usually goes.
How does the visit start?
With a conversation. How your birth went, how your recovery is going, and what is worrying you most right now. That last question usually decides where we focus the rest of the visit.
There is no form to fill in first and no list you need to have ready. If you have been awake since 3am and cannot remember what you wanted to ask, that is normal and it is fine. I will follow what comes up.
Do you watch a feed?
Yes, a full one. Watching a feed from start to finish tells me more than any description can. We look at latch and positioning together and adjust as we go, so you can feel the difference while I am still there.
I also do an oral and breastfeeding assessment, looking at your baby's mouth and how they are feeding, to see what is working and what needs refining.
If your baby refuses to feed on cue while I am there, that is completely normal. It happens constantly and we work around it.
Is the baby weighed?
Yes. Weighing gives useful context alongside feeding patterns and your baby's age, and it often settles a worry on the spot. We talk about what the number means rather than just reading it out.
We also cover sleep and settling cues, reading what your baby is telling you, and understanding their behaviour for the age they actually are.
What practical things are covered?
The everyday ones. Babywearing and safe carrier use, bathing, and general baby care. These are the things that look simple in a video and feel impossible the first time you do them with your own baby at 6pm.
Because we are in your home, we can use your carrier, your bath and your setup, which is far more useful than a demonstration on someone else's equipment.
Do you need to tidy up first?
No. Please do not. I have three children and I know exactly what a house looks like with a newborn in it. I am not there to judge your house.
Can other people be there?
Yes. Partners are very welcome and often get as much out of the visit as anyone. They are usually the person holding things together at 2am. Your mum, a friend, other children in the room: all completely normal, and none of it disrupts anything.
Is this only for breastfeeding?
No. Bottle feeding, mixed feeding, expressing and weaning are all part of what I do. The goal is a feeding plan that works for your family and your body, not a particular method.
If you are feeding in a way that works for you and you just want it checked, or you want to change how you are feeding and do not know where to start, both are good reasons to book.
What happens afterwards?
You are left with a plan you can use, and you can book a follow up if you want one. A postnatal visit is $280 initially and $200 for a follow up. The rest of the prices, including travel fees, are in the article on what a lactation consultant costs, and it is worth checking whether your fund covers it beforehand.
If your baby has not arrived yet, an antenatal consult covers a lot of this before you need it.