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Virtual Consultations
Initial Assessment
Investment: $75CDN / 50 mins
Breastfeeding and lactation support is important in the first week postpartum. Pain, milk-transfer, latching difficulties, pumping concerns (+more), these are all important in having a lactation professional assisting you with your milk feeding goals.
(approx. $56USD)/ 50 mins
Prenatal Lactation Guidance
Investment: $50CDN / 25 mins
(approx. $37USD)/ 25 mins
Preparing for your baby's arrival and understanding more about what to expect right after birth is important. Not everyone will get seen by a lactation consultant in the hospital due to timing or day you deliver. There's also certain situations where you may be cleared by your doctor to start expressing before your little one arrives. Dr. Ashton will help you navigate while you prepare for childbirth.
Service Name
Weaning Guidance
Investment: $50CDN / 25 mins
(approx. $37USD)/ 25 mins
Weaning is a special time in any lactation journey. No matter your reason for weaning from the breast/chest/body or pump, there's no judgment here. Dr. Ashton will help you wean in a way that is safe, milk storage and safe feeding from here on out.
Secure App
Flange Sizing
Investment: $20CDN / 60 mins overall time
(approx. $16USD)/ 60 mins overall time
Flange sizing is important to an exclusive pumper. Nipple size can change throughout the lactation journey! Dr. Ashton can check, double check or even triple check your nipple size to provide an estimate to help you pump comfortably. Dr. Ashton has over 40 pumps available and extensive flange knowledge to support your pumping sessions.
Exclusive Pumping Start-Up
Investment: $75CDN / 50 mins
(approx. $56USD)/ 50 mins
Dr. Ashton believes in starting off with good practice in exclusive pumping. Within this session you will receive a tailored exclusive pumping schedule, discussion surrounding decreasing pumps, a flange size fitting and the fundamentals of using your breast pump. A customized 20+ page guide will be provided.
Pumping Support
Investment: $50CDN / 25 mins
(approx. $37USD)/ 25 mins
You've got EP questions, and Dr. Ashton has got EP specific answers based on lactation education, exclusive pumping research and lactation advancement theories. Since 2018, Dr. Ashton has helped hundreds of exclusive pumpers better understand exclusive pumping through EP support groups and EP consultations.
Nipple Pain, Trauma or Damage
Investment: $55CDN / 25 mins
(approx. $41USD)/ 25 mins
You shouldn't have to pump in pain. Bleeding, cracking, thrush, wounds, pinching, itching, inflamed, puffy nipples after several weeks + months of ongoing treatment with no relief? This consultation is for you. Even if the pain is new and pumping feels unbearable, this consultation is for you.
Oversupply Guidance
Investment: $50CDN / 25 mins
(approx. $37USD)/ 25 mins
Dr. Ashton specializes in supporting individuals with oversupply decrease to a supply that is more manageable, which may reduce the risk of plugged ducts and mastitis. Whether your supply is 40 oz per day or 100+ oz per day, Dr. Ashton has extensive experience helping oversuppliers reach a more manageable supply.
In-person Home Visit Consultations
Niagara Area (Welland, Niagara Falls, St. Catharines, Fonthill, Port Colborne, Dunnville, Fort Erie, Lincoln, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Wainfleet + Grimsby)
Initial Assessment
Investment: Email for more information
Breastfeeding and Lactation support is important in the first week postpartum. Pain, milk-transfer, latching difficulties, pumping concerns (+more), these are all important to getting a lactation profession to assisting you with your milk feeding goals. Weight check and flange sizing will also be performed.
Follow-up Consultation
Investment: Email for more information
Support with a lactation professional can help increase your duration in breastfeeding / human milk feeding. Each situation is unique and may require more time than the initial 50 minute consultation. Follow-up weight check will be performed, if necessary, new breast pump flange size will be reviewed.
Lactation Texting Support
Includes breastfeeding, chestfeeding, bodyfeeding, triple feeding and exclusive pumping support
Lactation Texting Support
Investment: $40CDN / 30 days
(approx. $30USD)/ 30 days
Imagine working with your lactation professional during the most important time? The first month! Answer a one time questionnaire that provides the details we need to provide on-going text support, and get to know your unique lactation journey. Monday to Friday evening between 6PM and 12AM EST Dr. Ashton will respond to lactation specific questions via a secured PIPEDA, GDPR & HIPAA compliant text messaging service. Pictures and video securely accepted. Questions received after 10PM will be answered next business day.
Your Frequently Asked Questions...
Answered
Why should I pay for lactation + breastfeeding help, when there are free services?
I know it's nice when it's free. I took the free courses and support too. There will always be free services provided to you by public health or a hospital system. In my personal experience, they can only assist in the scope they are allowed. This means, if someone works for A they will most likely be limited to guide you based on the policies of A. For example, lactation consultants may only work Monday to Friday, and you had your little one on a Saturday, out by Sunday. You may have not receive any lactation specific support using service A.
I think it's also worth mentioning if you are looking for pumping support in Canada, it is extremely limited (hence why the Exclusive Pumping Institute was founded!). Our maternity leave is designed to promote a latched experience with little worry of going back to work with pump use. As such many IBCLCs and lactation RNs do not have a lot of experience with pumps outside the Medela Symphony, Ameda Platinum & Elite. A good hint is when lactation professionals "eye ball" flange sizing. You should always be measured aside from just viewed within a flange. If your lactation professional is doing this, it is because they has not yet been trained in exclusive pumping. Pumped Love Lactation by EPI has 40 breast pumps to better suit your pumping needs, from occasional use to full time use.
I'm a researcher, an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC) and a Certified Advanced Lactation Specialist (cALS). I like to keep content fresh, providing you with the latest facts and evidence based practice in breastfeeding / lactation and pumping. My "free" breastfeeding class was designed at least 10 years before I ever took it. My "free" lactation consultant in 2015 told me to just keep at it. Each lactation journey is unique, and you deserve a unique service, with someone who gets it! I provide you with the resources you need, to help you get the results in lactation you and your little one aspire to achieve.
Why is there a cost?
IBCLC/CLC services are not directly covered under provincial health care coverage. I know the price for lactation help and support can seem out of our price range. My guess is if you are considering lactation support, it is because providing your little one with human milk is important to you. I understand that. If your concern is formula, I ask you to think about the cost of support versus what the cost might mean for you with breast pumps and/or formula. I can easily admit I probably spent over $1500 in pumps, pumping accessories, supplements and medications alone with my own children. If I could have had the support I needed in those first few days postpartum, it may have made a world of difference, and saved me hundreds of dollars + my mental wellbeing. I have made my costs low in terms of providing services because I'm passionate about lactation, and want you to succeed in which ever lactation journey you choose. Some insurance companies will cover lactation services under their health care spending account, and as such you will receive a receipt with my IBCLC credential in hopes you may have your lactation support covered.
Why do I need to book my service / support on exclusivepumpinginstitute.com?
Pumped Love Lactation is a branch of the Exclusive Pumping Institute. The booking service is currently housed on Exclusive Pumping Institute's website. Pumped Love Lactation is intended to support all individuals who lactate and/or birth children. Exclusive Pumping Institute was founded to provide lactation professionals more education and training on exclusive pumping, where only exclusive pumping support to exclusive pumpers. As an IBCLC, I am trained and educated to support all individuals who lactate. It was necessary that there was a distinction between both websites to cater to each interest of the website visitor. I, Dr. Ashton Fortin Higgins, am the only individual at this time providing services and support for both the Exclusive Pumping Institute (EPI) and Pumped Love Lactation by EPI.
How does your texting service support work?
When you've decided you want to invest in this service, you will be prompted for your contact information and payment information to enroll in this subscription service. By end of day, you will receive an invite from Dr. Ashton via Practice Better to create your profile. You will be sent a lactation intake form to fill out. Once the lactation intake form is complete you will receive a chat message from Dr. Ashton with next steps. We will be able to communicate through this PIPEDA, GDPR & HIPAA compliant texting service for 30 days. You will be allowed to send photos & videos. Your questions will be answered at latest from 6PM to 12AM EST Monday to Friday. All questions beyond 10PM EST will be answered next business day. Should Dr. Ashton be unavailable for a day, your service will be extended by 1 day. You will be notified. Limited number of spots will be available to ensure I am able to provide you with the lactation support you require. Please note, if you require a flange sizing during the 30 days, this will need to be purchased aside from the texting lactation support service.
What is your canceling / rescheduling / refund policy?
Please note cancellations within 24 hours of appointment time are non transferable and non refundable. Cancellations within 24-48 hours are transferable (reschedule), but non refundable. Cancellations greater than 48 hours are fully refundable. By clicking the terms and conditions box at the end of the booking your agree to the cancellation policy as well as the terms and conditions available on the Terms page of the Exclusive Pumping Institute Website.
Do you need to touch me during my in-person visit or do I need to show my breasts/chest and/or nipples on virtual consults?
Gone are the days of another lactation professional sandwiching your breast/chest into your infant's mouth. This is not my style, and against my ethics as a Board Certified Sexologist (ACS). I'm trained in providing virtual lactation care and as such, I can coach you the whole time with assisting baby to latch etc. Should you prefer I help, we can document that you've consented to me touching just you and/or your infant. I will NEVER touch anyone without their expressed consent, period.
For virtual visits you are welcome to not show your breasts/chest and/or your nipples, however you will need to be very descriptive of what you see should we perform a breast assessment or observing baby latch. I completely understand that showing our bodies to someone we do not know leaves us in a vulnerable position. I've been trained and educated to observe naked bodies in a respectable manner throughout both my Masters and Doctoral programs. My goal is that you are comfortable with what works for you.