Find a Certified Lactation Consultant in Portsmouth, VA

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Our lactation experts include IBCLCs, IBCLEs, CLCs and more. They are the best of the best and hold the highest standards of evidence-based, inclusive, and compassionate care. Each verified professional on Meela is vetted by a licensed medical professional and comes with multiple client recommendations, active certifications, and has extensive training and experience in perinatal care.

Found 4 Pros in Portsmouth, VA, USA | Lactation support
EXPERIENCE
0 50
Families served
0 3500
Birth fee
$0 $7500
HOURLY RATE
$0 $500
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Monica Romero

Virginia Beach, VA

4 reviews • 15 families supported • 2 years experience

4 reviews • 15 families supported • 2 years experience

My name is Monica. I’m a wife of 19 years and a mom to 4 beautiful girls. Being a military wife for 13 years, it was really hard not having the family support when my husband was on deployment or on debt. So I had to read a ton of books and learn from mistakes on the way. That’s when I wanted to become a doula. But I waited until my kids were all in school. So I did an in home daycare for 14 years. I started my doula journey in September 2021.

Care philosophy

From pregnancy to postpartum to breastfeeding I will make sure to give you emotional and physical support through your journey into motherhood. I will provide guidance so you will have a positive experience through your pregnancy, labor, postpartum and breastfeeding.

Areas served

  • Virginia Beach
  • Chesapeske
  • Norfolk
  • Portsmouth

Reviews

  • Lisa
    September 21, 2022 at 11:46 am | Client review

    When I had my second child Monica, was there helping me before I went into labor as well as when i got home. She helped me with different position to nurse my baby. Tips on how to help with burping him. She was great support system and was always there when i had a question or just needed a mommy moment

$ flexible
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Becki Peek

Newport News, VA

3 reviews • 11 families supported • 6 years experience

3 reviews • 11 families supported • 6 years experience

As a military spouse I have supported many friends through birth with and without their partner and family. I began just helping friends and realized this was something that brought me joy and life. I have since been trained by DONA and Madriella as a birth doula and am pursuing my postpartum certification as well. I have attended many births as a birth doula and helped the mother and her partner to find moments of peace and unity in what can be a fear filled and lonely process. I support birth plans of all types and work as a part of your care team to give you the experience you desire. This begins before birth with our prenatal meetings and planning. I help you create a birth plan and prepare for the unexpected. These conversations will help you to be more at ease during labor and delivery. I had babies earlier than most of my friends and have found myself being the example many turn to for how to raise their babies. I have helped over 10 families troubleshoot breastfeeding, sleep, and scheduling with their newborns and love helping each family find ways to communicate with their babies and the practices that work for their family.

Care philosophy

As a mother myself I know the need for you to make choices based on your own personal needs and desires. I aim to support the decisions you make for yourself while answering questions you may have about the process of labor, birth or raising babies. After having a high risk pregnancy and high need infant I understand the changing nature of this time and want to support you where you are.

Areas served

  • Yorktown
  • Hampton Roads
  • Williamsburg
  • Hampton
  • Newport News
  • Poquoson

Reviews

  • Abby
    July 4, 2022 at 10:48 am | Client review

    As a first time mom, I was really nervous about giving birth! Becki was SO helpful as we talked through hopes and expectations, making sure we understood all our options and the risks/benefits associated with each before we ever got to the delivery room. That education helped me feel calm and empowered going into our birth. Then on the day itself, Becki was the perfect coach for my husband and me. She knew when to step back and coach him as he supported me and when to give him a break so we could all make it through the marathon that is birth. She had this instinctive ability to know exactly what I needed at various points in labor – counterpressure, change of position, a pep talk, you get the idea. The whole experience was better than I ever could have dreamed. Did everything go “according to plan”? No! It never does! But Becki did something even better. She helped me feel supported in my decisions, on the same team as my medical providers, safe in the delivery room, and cheered on by both her and my spouse. Lastly, her follow-up postpartum has been incredibly helpful as we navigate the learning curve of the 4th trimester! If you’re on the fence about hiring her as a doula, trust me, she is worth every penny! 10/10 would recommend her to any mama (or new dad!) looking for an advocate in the delivery room!

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michelle wise

Hampton, VA

0 reviews • 1000 families supported • 20 years experience

0 reviews • 1000 families supported • 20 years experience

Comprehensive primary care for your newborn.

Care philosophy

Your natural wholesome breast milk is a living substance, that efficiently provides nutrient active elements that are absorbed to promote the best health for your infant. I am to to help support you and your newborn with this natural process.

Areas served

  • Hampton, Newport News, Williamsburg, Richmond
$ flexible
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Nichelle Clark

Chesapeake, VA

0 reviews • 500 families supported • 5 years experience

0 reviews • 500 families supported • 5 years experience

Hi, my name is Nichelle Clark and I am a Certified Breastfeeding Specialist. I came to fall in love with lactation after the birth of my son, my SonShine. After years of trying and 2 losses, my husband and I would finally conceive our Rainbow Baby. As a first generation breastfeeder, breastfeeding was all new to me. I decided before he was born, at 4 months pregnant, that I was going to exclusively pump. And so I did. During this time, I began to research everything breastfeeding and all things pumping. I obtained my Certified Breastfeeding Specialist certification and currently mentor under multiple International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs) as I seek my IBCLC certification. I am a community lactivist, working with local organization HR-BEAT (Hampton Roads Breastfeeding Advocacy Team) and organizing local breastfeeding events (World Breastfeeding Week, Black Breastfeeding Week, etc.). I am here to help you navigate and avoid some of the pitfalls or overcome them should they arise. By listening to your concerns and collaborating with you, I can help you meet or exceed your personal breastfeeding goals. Because every family is different, I offer judgement free guidance and advice on the best attainable way to meet your family’s specific needs. Contact me to discuss how I can help serve you and your family.

Care philosophy

IBCLC and Postpartum Doula serving their Hampton Roads, VA community. https://www.sonshineandrainbowslactation.com/schedule

Areas served

  • Virginia Beach
  • Suffolk
  • Norfolk
  • Hampton
  • Chesapeake
  • Newport News
  • Portsmouth

Lactation Consultant: FAQs

A certified lactation consultant is a professional that helps parents address and solve their breastfeeding problems. Many new parents believe that breastfeeding is easy, only to find more obstacles than anticipated. 92% of parents say they are having problems with breastfeeding their new baby within only 3 days.

Nursing doesn’t always come naturally.

Breastfeeding can be overwhelming and all-consuming. A lactation consultant in Portsmouth, VA can identify issues such as low milk supply, latching problems, or nipple engorgement. They also offer advice and techniques to help parents understand existing issues, improve how they read their baby’s cues, and feel empowered about breastfeeding despite existing social norms.

Every parent’s journey is unique, and there might be specific challenges or obstacles in your particular situation. The ultimate goal of a lactation consultant is to support parents who choose to breastfeed their children. A lactation consultant in Portsmouth, VA can often save parents time and energy, and also give them some peace of mind.

Many mothers also face issues where they cannot breastfeed in the workplace or lack the family support or time to ensure that their child is breastfed correctly. A lactation consultant in Portsmouth, VA can also provide a significant amount of moral support, diagnose breastfeeding issues, and solve latching, positioning, and scheduling issues.

To find a lactation specialist in Portsmouth, VA, most parents recommend creating a job post on Meela and having uniquely qualified lactation experts near you (in your budget) reach out to you through the Meela app.

You can interview and chat with as many lactation specialists as you wish and hire a lactation consultant with confidence. It is completely free to create a job post on Meela and find a lactation consultant. There are no commitments to hire any of the qualified and expert vetted experts Meela brings you.

Here’s how it works in 3 easy steps:

  1. Post a job for free: Answer some questions and receive responses from top-rated lactation specialists near you. It takes less than 30 seconds to post your job.
  2. Get your list of lactation consultants: In a few hours, you will have a collection of lactation consultants near you who are qualified to meet your needs. You can compare pricing, experience, and read reviews. You can chat with each lactation specialist to learn more about them.
  3. Hire a lactation consultant with confidence: Schedule virtual or in-person interviews with your top choices. Hire your top lactation specialist and start getting the care you deserve.

To find a lactation consultant, you can also browse the available professionals near you in Portsmouth, VA and read reviews, compare pricing, experience and fit. Send the lactation consultants you are interested in a message, introducing yourself and setting up an interview. We recommend reaching out to and interviewing at least three lactation consultants before hiring a lactation specialist near you. After interviewing, hire the most qualified lactation specialist near you and start getting the care you deserve.

The cost of a lactation consultant can vary based on a variety of factors, including their experience, their services, and their skills or specializations. Overall, the average cost of a lactation consultant in Portsmouth, VA is $185 per hour based on a survey of 120 lactation specialists in the Portsmouth, VA area.

Under the Affordable Care Act, many insurance companies should be covering the cost of lactation services. However, there are a number of factors that determine whether insurance will cover the cost of a certified lactation consultant in Portsmouth, VA. You should contact your insurance company for more information.

Here are some factors to consider regarding insurance and your lactation consultant cost:

  • Your insurance provider
  • Your individual health plan
  • The type of lactation specialist
  • The specific service provided

Meela’s network of lactations specialists in Portsmouth, VA offer both in-home lactation support sessions or virtual lactation support sessions. Both types of sessions typically last between 1 and 3 hours. In your sessions, your lactation specialist will spend time understanding the issues you are facing and work with you and your baby to diagnose the issues have and also provide specific guidance and hands-on practice and exercises.

Lactation consultants help parents understand the best way to comfortably breastfeed their baby and help them navigate breastfeeding social norms. They can also help reduce stress and anxiety about breastfeeding, or help with specific challenges (such as breastfeeding twins, for example). Other parents might just want emotional support that doesn’t currently exist within their family, workplace, or network or friends.

Certified lactation consultants can also help with specialized issues that may arise with premature children or sick children. A parent may not have thought about breastfeeding help until they notice that their baby isn’t gaining weight properly, and finally realize that they might need some support and knowledge before continuing to breastfeed. On the other hand, some parents might prepare with a lactation consultant months before the baby is born.

Whether you are planning ahead or are thinking about a lactation now that you are having breastfeeding issues or concerns, a lactation consultant can be incredibly helpful and useful for parents.

Lactation counselors in Portsmouth, VA can often help parents with breastfeeding and offer breastfeeding advice, training, and troubleshooting. Many of these counselors have taken the CLC exam, or the Certified Lactation Counselor exam. A certified lactation counselor has typically undergone 45 hours of training.

On the other hand, a certified lactation consultant in Portsmouth, VA has undergone a specific amount of clinical training hours, which is not a requirement to become a lactation counselor. These lactation consultants are certified by the International Board of Certified Lactation Consultants, as well. A lactation consultant typically has a bachelor’s degree in a health field and has undergone 90 hours of training and has somewhere between 300 and 1,000 hours of experience with parents.

Lactation consultants in Portsmouth, VA are often working with other healthcare teams in collaboration with postpartum nurses to ensure that parents understand how to breastfeed their babies. Both lactation consultants and lactation counselors can provide support, develop feeding plans, and offer actionable advice with respect to breastfeeding.

The best approach is for parents to hire a lactation specialist early in their pregnancy so that they can help you prepare both mentally and physically. Parents don’t need to wait until your baby is born to begin thinking about breastfeeding support and education.

Some parents might be anxious about breastfeeding in public or feel like they want access to a breastfeeding expert to help both inform and support them. A lactation consultant in Portsmouth, VA can also help young professional parents schedule their breastfeeding efficiently so that they can return to work quicker, while others might specialize in helping with breastfeeding anxiety issues.

It is never too late to hire a certified lactation consultant in Portsmouth, VA. These breastfeeding consultants can also offer emotional breastfeeding support that can be valuable to those who lack family or workplace support. A lactation consultant can also be critical in identifying warning signs that might indicate more serious growth or developmental issues.

There are many documented benefits to breastfeeding, and parents often believe that it will be an easy and natural experience. Unfortunately, many parents run into issues such as low milk supply, nipple engorgement, or latching problems that can affect their baby’s health. These lactation specialists can be useful for troubleshooting, advice, or emotional support.

Certified lactation consultants can strengthen the bond between parents and their babies through breastfeeding advice, tips, and support. This might include showing parents how to help their baby latch properly, establishing feeding schedules, or dealing with sore nipples or engorgement. A lactation consultant can help new parents better understand their baby’s needs in general, and monitor the baby’s growth and development.

Lactation specialists in Portsmouth, VA also offer emotional support and help parents breastfeed more efficiently so that they can get back to work and allow them to better manage expectations. Many parents face issues where they cannot breastfeed in the workplace, or do not have the family support or time to ensure that their child is breastfed properly and with care. These expert consultants can also provide a significant amount of moral support, diagnose breastfeeding issues, while also solving issues such as latching, positioning, and scheduling.

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