Online breastfeeding consultations

Parents who want help at short notice, live far from local support, or prefer not to have visitors at home.

A fee per video consultation, with optional follow-up check-ins or bundled packages. Some consultants add a paid pre-birth feeding session.

• Recognised lactation training and clinical experience
• Confident explaining things clearly over video
• Comfortable with simple booking and payment tools

• Becoming fully qualified can take significant time and money, so check requirements first
• Professional indemnity insurance that covers online consultations, and whether it covers clients outside the UK
• Whether any registration, such as with the CQC, applies to your service; check with the regulator
• Data protection: use a secure platform and check ICO registration and how long you may keep records
• You cannot examine a baby in person, so know when to send parents to a GP, midwife or health visitor
• Keep claims on your website honest and avoid promising results

Startup costs are typically around £300 to £1,500, depending on your training, insurance and the booking and video tools you choose. Becoming fully qualified can take significant time and money, so check first.

Monthly revenue is typically around £300 to £3,000, depending on how many consultations you book, from around five hours a week. This is an estimate of revenue, not profit.

Check that professional indemnity insurance covers online consultations and clients outside the UK, whether registration such as with the CQC applies, and ICO registration and record-keeping rules. You cannot examine a baby in person, so know when to refer to a GP.