Nourish Lactation Consulting

08/10/2026

I get asked about the safety of medications all the time, and Zoloft is near the top of the list. In case you are concerned about Zoloft's safety, please give this a read - this information should be reassuring.

Learn about sertraline and breastfeeding, including milk supply concerns, infant safety, and why Zoloft is often preferred during lactation.

06/15/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/1BXVPwMZ9R/?mibextid=wwXIfr

insurance
The breastfeeding billing battle
"UnitedHealthcare is cutting back on paying for lactation counseling, and the clinicians who provide those services are up in arms, another example of the deepening rifts between providers and insurers.

Starting this September, UnitedHealthcare’s employer plans will no longer pay for lactation counseling for both the mother and baby separately. Instead, the service will only “be reimbursed for one session per date of service” under the mother, according to a new update from the company. Any medical claim submitted for the baby won’t be paid, so clinicians who bill for both mom and baby will see their pay cut in half.

The Affordable Care Act requires health plans to cover lactation counseling with no out-of-pocket costs for patients. Previous reporting from Undark has shown coverage varies widely because the law is vague, although the government has made it clear that “lactation counseling must be covered without cost-sharing by the plan or issuer when it is performed by any provider acting within the scope of his or her license or certification.”

Lactation counseling coverage really is all over the place. Some, such as Cigna and Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield in New Jersey, don’t explicitly prohibit billing once for the mother and once for the baby. Others, such as the BCBS plans in Illinois, Texas, and Louisiana, consider the mother and the baby as one patient and “should be billed on one claim per session.” Blue Shield of California views breastfeeding as part of “the maternal care visit, and therefore not separately reimbursable.” Big employers, of course, can do their own thing.

UnitedHealthcare spokesperson Dustin Clark said the company was taking cues from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which currently allows the lactation counseling billing code for people ages 9 to 64 and from other insurers. “We are updating our approach so that we reimburse each counseling visit once, as many other insurers already do. We recognize this is a change for some care providers and are committed to working collaboratively with them to support a smooth implementation,” Clark’s statement reads.

Christine Pfundstein, a nurse practitioner and lactation consultant in New York, said this new policy ignores how clinicians like her are independently assessing both moms and babies during the sessions. She also said payments for lactation services not only differ widely among insurers but have decreased a lot since the ACA went into effect. Ten years ago, she used to get paid $350 for a session. Now, she said she’s lucky to get between $60 and $80, if the claim doesn’t get denied.

“This is like a really big stab in an already chaotic environment that’s never had any clear guidance,” Pfundstein said. “Insurance companies, under the ACA, have to pay for lactation, and then they have just determined that to be whatever the hell they feel like paying.”

https://marketing.statnews.com/unitedhealthcare-lactation-billing-medicaid-ascension-medicare-stroke?

06/15/2026

If you or your baby has UnitedHealthcare: UnitedHealthcare wants to cut coverage for your baby's lactation care effective September 1. See next post for more info. To push back: write a quick letter to your employer. Comment below and I'll send you a template. All you have to do is fill in some of your own words.

Send a message to learn more

06/15/2026

04/05/2026

Pilot Study Opportunity for People Who Have Recently Given Birth

Here's an opportunity that is open to people who are within 6 weeks of giving birth at the first session on April 10, 2026. "Nature-based and Doula Support to Help Improve Sleep and Stress for New Mothers" is a pilot study that is being conducted by the Rocky Mountain Prevention Research Center.

This opportunity is for a FREE nature‑based program led by a doula and designed to help new mothers gently reduce daily stress and support sleep. The pilot study offers simple outdoor practices, supportive connection, and moments of calm. Learn if you're eligible—your well‑being matters!

For more information, contact Charlotte Farewell (principal investigator) at [email protected].

09/14/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17FBmBesa6/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Health Rounds: A mothers’ breastmilk supply may partly depend on genetics
By Nancy Lapid Updated September 12, 2025

Sept 12 (Reuters) - "Three genes have been identified that may influence a woman’s milk supply when she is trying to breastfeed, researchers say.
While the precise role of the genes isn’t clear yet, the findings “will pave the way for more research in the area of milk production… and future studies will assist in our understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of breastfeeding difficulties,” they wrote in a report published in Science Advances, click link here to access: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adr7174

In fresh breast milk samples donated by nine lactating people with low milk production, seven with high milk production, and 14 with normal milk production, the researchers analyzed the genetic makeup of milk fat globules and of cells that had come from the lining of the milk duct.
Low and high milk producers had differences in cell types and in levels of three genes called GLP1R, PLIN4, KLF10.
Because breastmilk delivers the mother's beneficial bacteria to the infant's intestines, the researchers also wanted to know whether genes affecting milk volume would also affect the health and variety of the baby's gut bacteria, which play a key role in immune, metabolic, and nervous system functions.
Mothers’ milk supply levels did not impact the babies’ intestinal bacteria, or microbiome, they found.
“These findings further support the messaging that individuals with low milk supply should be encouraged to continue partial breastfeeding to support healthy infant microbiome development,” the researchers said.

Reference:
Genomic characterization of normal and aberrant human milk production
Yarden Golan et al. ,Genomic characterization of normal and aberrant human milk production.Sci. Adv.11,eadr7174(2025). https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adr7174

Abstract
Breastfeeding is essential for reducing infant morbidity and mortality, yet exclusive breastfeeding rates remain low, often because of insufficient milk production. The molecular causes of low milk production are not well understood. Fresh milk samples from 30 lactating individuals, classified by milk production levels across postpartum stages, were analyzed using genomic and microbiome techniques. Bulk RNA sequencing of milk fat globules (MFGs), milk cells, and breast tissue revealed that MFG-derived RNA closely mirrors luminal milk cells. Transcriptomic and single-cell RNA analyses identified changes in gene expression and cellular composition, highlighting key genes (GLP1R, PLIN4, and KLF10) and cell-type differences between low and high producers. Infant microbiome diversity was influenced by feeding type but not maternal milk production. This study provides a comprehensive human milk transcriptomic catalog and highlights that MFG could serve as a useful biomarker for milk transcriptome analysis, offering insights into the genetic factors influencing milk production."

https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/health-rounds-mothers-breastmilk-supply-may-partly-depend-genetics-2025-09-12/

06/29/2025

Lots of times I get asked about how safe it is to drink alcohol while lactating. While this article is a little technical it answers the question!

https://www.lizbrooksibclc.com/2021/11/20/lactation-and-booze-do-mix/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0wiLjTqM0GKHS6luN7LaSFZlAN6vW20zAhtjyhcWeAZDTrEI4u_zYGhDU_aem_ti5VoPnvBgTW9vJFGLzDVg

Lactation and Booze DO MixPosted on November 20, 2021 by Liz Brooks, IBCLC • 0 CommentsLactation and booze DO mix. As the holidays approach IBCLCs will get a surge of questions from lactating parents about how long they have to pump-and-dump (NO! Never!) after having a few drinks … or whether th...

06/08/2025

Good news!

Gov. Jared Polis has signed a bill providing 12 additional weeks of paid family leave for parents with infants in intensive care units.

06/07/2025

https://www.news-medical.net/news/20250520/Longer-breastfeeding-boosts-brain-growth-and-thinking-skills-in-teens-study-shows.aspx

Longer breastfeeding duration is associated with greater cortical thickness, surface area, and improved fluid cognition in adolescents. These brain structures and cognitive benefits remain stable over two years and support current recommendations for extended breastfeeding.

06/07/2025

So glad to be sharing this information! The wonderful Mile High Doulas will be facilitating this group.

https://www.bch.org/community-events/event-details/?event=48073&fbclid=IwQ0xDSwKt0rNleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHnp4O3FgAU9Oxf8zA0xGQUtfLXFK4f3kbbEfjB5zckCF2SrmtQsT87_YFpBx_aem_7snfRrX7m6ipzo9TQjIS5A

Boulder Community Health is a community owned-and-operated nonprofit health system. Learn more about Event Details.