Frequently Asked Questions
Lactation FAQ's:
Most Aetna, BCBS, Cigna, UMR, and United Health care plans cover your lactation visits fully. These payors can vary in coverage, but for most of them, we can verify your coverage before you are set up with an appointment, so you don’t have any big surprises. No copay is associated with visits when insurance agrees to cover your costs on the front end. The only out-of-pocket fee you will have is a travel fee, which we charge for all patients (requesting a home visit) within NWA and surrounding areas. This fee is $25 per visit seen in-home. This fee helps us defray the additional expenses associated with bringing our expert consultants to the comfort of your home.
You have 4 options.
1. We can come to you in your home.
2. You can come to our clinic located in Fayetteville at 2211 Main Drive, Fayetteville AR 72704.
3. You can come to our clinic located in Rogers at 3625 West Chestnut Street, Rogers AR 72756.
4. We can do a virtual visit.
At Arkansas Lactation, we strive to provide exceptional care and support to all of our patients. For home visits within our initial radius of Northwest Arkansas and surrounding areas, we charge a travel fee of $25 per visit seen in-home. This fee covers the cost of bringing our expert lactation consultants directly to your doorstep, ensuring convenience and personalized care in the comfort of your own home. If you live over 40 miles from our radius of 2211 Main Drive, Fayetteville AR, a specified travel fee will be agreed upon prior to your visit. We appreciate your understanding and look forward to assisting you on your breastfeeding journey.
Yes! Bring your baby(ies) unless you are planning to exclusively pump. We have a breastfeeding pillow you can use. Bring your pump if you would like us to fit you for your flange size or teach you how to use it. Our clinic stays stocked with the essentials, so if you forget something, we have you covered!
Generally, it’s best if you can have your baby interested in feeding at the time of our visit. If your baby gets hungry, feed 5 minutes at the breast or 1 oz by bottle an hour before your visit. Make sure you fill out the questionnaire that is sent to your email prior to your visit. This ensures that we have all the necessary information to serve you well. Be sure that you upload your insurance cards into your profile so that we can submit visits on your behalf, giving you the best chance for owing nothing out of pocket. If you have been using a nipple shield, bring it. If you would like us to size your pump flanges to fit you, bring your pump and accessories. We provide a breastfeeding pillow to use and extra disposable diapers/wipes should you need them. Otherwise, nothing!
We work with a wide range of feeding difficulties and all of our consultants are trained in depth to assess your baby and implement a specific feeding strategy to meet your goals.
BEFORE THE APPOINTMENT
Before we meet, we will have you fill out a few forms that will help us maximize our time with you. We know it can be intimidating having someone come to your house, but relax, don’t clean your house for us (we promise we don’t care) and don’t dramatically change anything before we come. We want to see you in your comfortable space, even if that means you’re used to feeding in an unusual space.
Start making a list of all the things you may want to ask about before we come. But also remember if you forget something, you have two weeks to call/email after a visit.
It’s ok for your partner/friend/kids to be home during a visit. Remember, your comfort is most important to us. Please plan to put your dogs away, if possible.
DURING
First and foremost, we will not be rushed. We know that babies are not on our schedule. We can do our very best to schedule a visit during a normal feeding, knowing that our plans might get tweaked a little. That’s okay! You can expect us to wash our hands, spend some time talking with you about your history, how your birth went, and how the initial and current breastfeeding has been going. Then we will have you show us exactly how you normally do things, and we will go from there. We will do an oral assessment, assessment of your breast tissue and the babies latch. You can expect to have all of your questions answered.
AFTER
We will provide you with documentation to submit to your insurance company for reimbursement, if your visit is not already covered at %100. We will also provide you with a care plan to begin working within 24 hours of our visit. Remember, just as learning any new skill takes time, so does breastfeeding. There is no immediate cure to all breast feeding issues. Often, nursing issues can be complex and take multiple steps to see progress. This is normal (and frustrating), but we will support you and encourage you all the way through it! Utilize your calling/emailing for 2 weeks after the visit. You will never be a bother. We appreciate your honesty throughout the process, as we can’t help you if you don’t express what you need help with. If you feel like something isn’t working for you- tell us! And vice versa, if you feel like you’re making great progress, we love hearing that too. It’s our joy to celebrate with you.
- 90 min in-home visit $200 ($225 with the travel fee)
- 60 min clinic visit $200
- 60 min virtual consultation with an IBCLC $150
We provide flexible self-pay rates because we never want finances to stand in the way of you getting the support you need. We can provide you with a receipt of services called a super bill that you can submit to your insurance for reimbursement if you would like. Most of the time, they will reimburse partially. We also offer virtual consultations for moms with Medicaid or without insurance coverage at a rate of $50. Our certified lactation counselor offers these virtual consultations. CLCs are professionals in lactation counseling who have demonstrated the necessary skills, knowledge, and attitudes to provide breastfeeding counseling and management support to families who are thinking about breastfeeding and have questions or problems during lactation. IBCLCs have more advanced training and are used in complex breastfeeding cases.
Yes! We offer a FREE support group every Thursday at 10 AM and Friday at 10 AM, open to all moms. Our support group on Thursday is held at First United Methodist Church in Bentonville ( 201 NW 2nd Street). Our support group on Friday is held in Fayetteville at our clinic (2211 Main Drive.) We also have an Instagram page filled with educational resources and a blog page covering hot topics. If you need or know somebody needing items for feeding their baby (bottles, pumps, breastfeeding pillows, nursing bras, etc.), visit our Donation Closet page. We provide a safe space for moms to grab the items they need free of charge.
Lactation-Informed Infant Physical Therapy FAQ's:
There are truly many scenarios in which physical therapy can be beneficial for your baby, either to prevent issues from arising later on or to more quickly resolve issues when introduced early. Listed below are some examples in which we recommend scheduling a PT evaluation for further assessment.
- Your baby was breech at any point during your 3rd trimester.
- You had a precipitous labor in which your baby was born in less than 3 hours from the start of your contractions (this can lead to complications for mom and/or baby).
- Your pushing stage of labor lasted longer than 1 hour.
- You had an assisted birth where the use of forceps or a vacuum device were used to help with the delivery of baby.
- You noticed a hematoma (bruising) on top of baby’s head after delivery.
- Your baby spent any length of time in the NICU.
- You notice your baby’s head is always tilted or turned in a specific direction in their car seat, bassinet, baby swing, etc.
- You notice frequent milk leaking from baby’s mouth when breastfeeding or bottle-feeding.
- You notice your baby’s head shape is not even or has some flattening.
- You notice your baby does not tolerate being on their stomach or doing tummy time for any length of time..
- You have concerns your baby may not be meeting their motor milestones such as controlled head movements, rolling, sitting, transitioning, crawling, pulling to stand, etc.
This specialty service is specifically provided to work directly on and with babies that are demonstrating dysfunctional breastfeeding or bottle-feeding. This service will not take the place of a lactation consultation, and we HIGHLY encourage you to work directly with an IBCLC in order to receive an assessment and care plan specifically for yourself with your baby. With the breastfeeding dyad, there are two clients, the mom and their baby, and BOTH have to be addressed in order to achieve the best outcomes.
Our infant PT services are lactation-informed because we believe that in order to effectively address breastfeeding concerns with babies, you have to understand the whole process and how everything works together and impacts one another to successfully achieve this first movement milestone of breastfeeding.
Some signs and symptoms that may indicate dysfunctional breastfeeding in babies can include:
- Painful breastfeeding
- Damaged or misshapen nipples after feedings
- Difficulty getting baby to latch or stay latched
- Issues with oversupply or low milk supply
- Frequent issues with clogged ducts, mastitis, engorgement, nipple blebs (blisters)
- Slow or fast weight gain for baby
- Blisters on baby’s lips
- Clicking/noisy breastfeeding or bottle-feeding
- Difficulty keeping baby awake at breast or bottle
- Baby never seems satisfied after feedings
- Frequent or excessive reflux (spitting up)
- Frequent issues with “colic”, gas, or explosive poops
Presently, all infant physical therapy visits will be held at Arkansas Lactation’s clinic in Fayetteville on the second floor.
Your baby’s prognosis and estimated total visit length will be provided to you at the time of your initial visit. Visit frequency and duration are very individualized and dependent upon multiple factors, including baby’s age, severity and duration of impairments, comorbidities or other complications, parental/family support, and adherence to home program recommendations. However, if no progress is being made within 2-3 follow-up visits, a reassessment and discussion will be had on the best next steps, including potential referrals to additional providers to ensure yours and your baby’s needs are fully addressed.
- All visits are intentionally and skillfully individualized to address your specific concerns and feeding goals for you and your baby. We believe in a whole-body and multi-system approach; therefore, your baby’s visit will encompass a variety of skilled therapeutic interventions in order to achieve the best outcomes.
- Interventions can include developmentally appropriate, gentle, and safe hands-on bodywork techniques to address muscular, fascial, and joint restrictions as well as assist with managing baby’s nervous system regulation. These interventions are aimed at facilitating more efficient, calm, and comfortable feedings, regular stooling, improved tummy time tolerance, addressing body asymmetries and tension, and reducing or managing symptoms of reflux or colic.
- We know that the success of these hands-on techniques are enhanced when paired with more active interventions, including targeted strengthening and facilitated active movement exercises, as well as neuromuscular retraining of these tissues for more long term results.
- Visits will also always include in-depth discussion and education for mom/parents, as we want to empower you to be an active participant in your baby’s care as you know your baby best.
We really value other healthcare providers and believe they have an important role in assisting to address infant concerns and being a part of baby’s care team. Physical therapy is unique in that we are able to provide a wide range of interventions, not just the hands-on bodywork techniques but also the active interventions facilitated by the therapist but performed by baby, that are again so important to achieve the results desired from those more passive techniques. More importantly, every physical therapy session focuses on providing mom/parents with the tools and education they need to help their baby and achieve their own breastfeeding goals.
In the state of Arkansas, you do not need a referral for a physical therapy evaluation (initial visit). However, some health insurance plans may require you to have a referral from your baby’s primary care provider before they will pay for any speciality services (typically, this includes any physical therapy services).
We accept all forms of payment, including cash, credit/debit cards, check, and HSA/FSA cards.
When you schedule an appointment with us, that specific time slot is reserved exclusively for you and your baby. If you cancel with short notice, fail to attend, or arrive significantly late, it represents valuable time that could have been allocated to another mom/parent and baby in need of care. While we acknowledge that unforeseen circumstances can arise in everyone’s life, we uphold the following policies to demonstrate respect for all our clients and to sustain a viable practice. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in this matter.
– Cancellations: To ensure smooth appointment management, we kindly request a 24-hour notice for any cancellations or appointment rescheduling. This advance notice gives us the chance to accommodate clients on our waitlist in your reserved time slot. If you are unable to provide the required 24-hour notice, you will be invoiced half of your visit fee ($100) and will have 30 days to complete payment before we charge the card we have on file for your account.
– No Shows: Should you forget or intentionally opt to skip your scheduled appointment, regardless of the reason, it will be classified as a “No-Show,” and you will be invoiced half of your visit fee ($100) and will have 30 days to complete payment before we charge the card we have on file for your account.
– Late Arrivals: If you arrive significantly late (25 minutes or more) for your appointment, your visit may be shortened and concluded at the originally designated end time to accommodate already scheduled subsequent clients. Regardless of the duration of the visit due to the late arrival, you remain responsible for half of your visit fee ($100) for your scheduled appointment. In consideration of Arkansas Lactation and our other clients, we recommend arriving a little early, allowing time for office location, and making use of our waiting area to ensure you take full advantage of your visit duration.
Currently, we are in-network with & accept Blue Cross Blue Shield commercial insurance plans and can submit claims on your behalf upon request.
Please visit our infant physical therapy services page for more information or contact us for additional questions, as we would love to speak with you and see how we can support you and your baby!