boober FAQ
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boober FAQ
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Boober is for expecting and new parents and the caregivers who support them! We offer classes and on-demand care for growing families. Our experts can help navigate everything from pregnancy to postpartum. All families look different, and we support all types of families, whatever their race, gender, class, religion, sexual orientation or family structure. We’re here for you. If you don’t see a service or a class on a topic you're interested in, let us know here!
Yes! The gift of classes and care is a meaningful gesture to new and expecting parents.. Please see our gift page to see what services we offer and to start the gifting process.
Absolutely! Places like Babylist or Amazon let you add boober easily on your registry. Asking for a boober gift card is also an easy way to get the care you need. We accept unlimited gift cards toward your care.
Boober accepts FSA/HSA payments. Check with your plan for eligibility. If you are seeking lactation support, boober does have care providers who take different types of insurance. Please note your insurance on your intake form, so we can check to see if there is a provider who takes your insurance. Some people will also be able to take advantage of an insurance program we participate in which may get you covered as well. [At this time, boober does not directly participate with any insurance providers.] Many caregivers on the platform can issue you a Superbill to try to help you get reimbursed.
You can request a Proof of Completion after completing our Childbirth Education or Lactation Preparation courses and submit the proof to your insurance company. While every insurance policy is different and we are unable to guarantee coverage for your course, many plans offer reimbursement for prenatal classes.
Because boober’s founder has 2 decades as a maternal health expert, we have great, long standing relationships with top pregnancy/postpartum providers and educators. We are committed to providing an expert network that exceeds expectations. Our experts are all vetted specialists in their respective fields (licensed when required, certified*, liability insured, and are compassionate, open-minded caregivers with a passion for parent-centered, non-judgmental, non-discriminatory care. Our experts have been individually handpicked by us. All experts undergo a rigorous application and interview process to ensure we only connect you to the best. All experts receive reviews and ratings after providing care and we follow up immediately if someone is not meeting expectations.
We aim to deliver the best care to families, everywhere, independent of location and circumstances. Quality, customized care should be accessible and convenient. Sometimes virtual care is the only way to provide the care a family needs and our experience proves that parents thrive with virtual consultations and classes. If you prefer in-person care, please select in-person. If we don’t have in-person care providers in your area yet, we will try to help you find someone!
When possible and when safe, in-person care is our prefered way to deliver care because research shows it yields greater outcomes for families. We launched on the principle that in person care should be on-demand and while we can’t always make it happen, we thrive to create this social connection between our providers, teachers and families. Currently we provide on demand, in-person care in all five boroughs of New York City and the surrounding tri-state area but we have partners all around the U.S. so reach out to us to be connected to someone near you.
No problem! Our Care Connectors are standing by to assist you. They’ll get you into the right hands in no time – just text us at 917 451 5815 or click on the chatbot below.
We love connecting with new people! Please contact us at [email protected] to inquire about press and partnership opportunities.
Feel free to reach out to us directly and we will do our best to help. The best way to contact boober is to email [email protected]. We are happy to call you back if that’s your preference.
Pregnancy and Postpartum classes
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Pregnancy and Postpartum classes
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Boober’s online classes are led by top-vetted experts in childbirth, infant CPR, lactation, sleep, infant safety, nutrition and more. Boober was started by the founder of Birth Day Presence, which has been teaching childbirth and postpartum prep classes for 18 years. Our classes are designed to educate you on all you need to know when preparing for pregnancy, birth and postpartum, and early parenting.
Both classes are live, virtual learning. A webinar class allows the participants to see the teacher in real time and ask questions in the chat throughout the session. A live, interactive class is a smaller class where all the participants, including the teacher, can see each other and engage with each other throughout the session. Both are set in advance at a specific time and you can pick the day and time that suit you best.
A masterclass is a course you can view and enjoy at your own pace, on your own time.. We cover the same content that we would in our live classes but package it in a way that is easy to follow and can be stopped and started at will.
Yes! We are currently offering in-person classes in various locations around New York City, including locations in Brooklyn, the Upper West Side, Upper East Side, Tribeca, and NoHo. Classes include Childbirth Education, Lactation & Newborn Care, Infant Safety & CPR, and more!. To see our entire schedule of in-person class offerings please click here.
Classes vary in length depending on the topic and can range from one hour to several hours.
While you can take a childbirth education class at any point during your pregnancy, most couples chose to take a class at some point in their third trimester. We recommend that you finish your class by the time you are 36 weeks pregnant in order to have all the information before you go into labor.
We offer our childbirth education classes in several formats, from the intensive 8 hours of education broken into 4, 2 hour segments (weekend version or weeknight version) to a 3 hour basics class to the private format tailored to you (averaging 90 minutes to 3 hours). The most popular is the 4 session class as it provides the most thorough preparation for birth. Please check our schedule for dates and times.
Our classes provide general information and discussion opportunities about preparing for pregnancy, childbirth, parenting, and related subjects. The content provided in our classes is for informational purposes only. Our instructors are not medical providers, and any information, advice, or recommendations provided in our classes may not be considered medical advice nor relied upon as such. Any and all medical concerns or questions should be directed to your physician, midwife, pediatrician, or other certified medical provider who is licensed to practice medicine and dispense medical advice.
If you cancel your virtual class for any reason:
- More than 15 days in advance you will receive a full refund.
- 15 or less days in advance you will receive a 50% refund.
- 3 or less days in advance there are no refunds.
Rescheduling Policy:
If you need to reschedule a live, small group virtual class that is capped in number:
- 15+days in advance: no fee, as long as there’s availability
- 14 days or less in advance: we will move you to a later date with no fee if we can refill your space in the original class. If we cannot fill your spot, you will be responsible for the cost of the new class.
If you need to reschedule a live, webinar class:
- No fee. You can be moved to another class at any point.
Cancellation Policy for In-Person Classes:
- 30 plus days in advance, you receive 97% refund
- 15-30 days in advance, you receive 50% refund
- 14 days or less in advance, there are no refunds
Rescheduling Policy for In-Person Classes:
- 30 + days in advance, no fee, as long as there's availability
- 30 - 15 days in advance, $35 rescheduling fee, as long as there's availability
- 14 days or less in advance, $35 rescheduling fee + up to cost of class if the seat you leave does not fill
NOTE: FOR ALL CLASSES TAKING PLACE AT PYC (Upper West Side) THE PYC CANCELLATION POLICY WILL APPLY.
lactation support
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lactation support
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Prevention over problem solving! In theory, your hospital staff would offer ample time to sit with you and support you as you learn to bodyfeed/breastfeed on the first day of your baby’s life. Unfortunately, that is not the case in most of our hospitals. If you hire someone to help you on Day 1 or 2, either at home or in the hospital, you are guaranteed one-on-one support, and are more likely to avoid nursing issues down the line.
You absolutely should consider a visit to get early lactation off to the best start. if just gave birth and really want concentrated support for the early basics of bodyfeeding/breastfeeding, usually on Day 1-3. We can match you to a Level 1 Lactation Professional who will work with you on positioning and latching and make sure you are starting on the right track. The Level 1 Lactation Professional can see you in the hospital, at your home, or virtually.
In our experience, the average visit with a lactation consultant in the hospital is 6-10 minutes. Often, the visit happens when the baby is sleeping or has just finished eating. Therefore many of the people who reached out to boober never even saw the consultant or had a short, unproductive experience. If you got good care in the hospital, great! If not, bringing in your own lactation support is a great option to help you get nursing off to the best start.
Of course! boober is here to help you in whatever way you need. We’’ll help you if you are exclusively nursing, combo-feeding (supplementing with your milk, donor breastmilk or formula), exclusively formula feeding, exclusively pumping, bottle-feeding, wanting to wean, non-gestational carrier feeding, and more. We are committed to connecting you to Lactation Professionals who offer non-judgmental support with a goals-based practice.. The Lactation Professionals on the boober will meet you where you are and support you in whatever your feeding goals are.
When you’re looking for lactation support it’s helpful to know a little bit about the different types of Lactation Professionals and the various levels of training and qualifications they have.
A Lactation Counselor (what we call Level 1) is a person certified by various organizations in a 45-hour training to offer basic lactation support and counseling. Lactation counselors can support new parents in the basics of feeding from help with trying to achieve a deeper latch, trying different holds and positions, to helping parents to get more comfortable how they sit or lie while they nurse, and to educate new parents on milk production. Counselors typically do not bring scales to assess milk transfer (though some very experienced people do), nor diagnose conditions like tongue tie, though they are generally able to resolve common issues and will tell you if you need to seek higher level of care, such as an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC).
Some of the certifications typically associated with lactation counselors are:
- CLSC - Certified Lactation Support Counselor
- CBC - Certified Breastfeeding Counselor
- CLC - Certified Lactation Counselor
- LSS - Lactation Support Specialist
- CLE - Certified Lactation Educator
- CLS - Certified Lactation Specialist
- CBS - Certified Breastfeeding Specialist
A Lactation Consultant typically refers to an IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant), which is considered the highest level of lactation study a person can acquire. An IBCLC is certified by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners® (IBLCE®) and independently accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE). An IBCLC works in a wide variety of settings, providing leadership, advocacy, professional development, and research in the lactation field.This rigorous training,involves thousands of hours of mentored, clinical training. An IBCLC will typically bring a specialized scale designed to assess milk transfer and can assess deeper problems with the tongue, lips, and palate of a baby.
No need! You do not need to reach out in advance to secure lactation support. We offer on-demand matching, so please text when you need the help, and we’ll match you to the right, available person then. If you do want to prepare in advance, text us to match you for a 90-minute private prenatal lactation class or register for an online class. And check out our free e-book.
Fill out the intake form here. boober will text or call you back shortly after that to help assess what type of care you need. Right after that conversation, boober will connect you to the Lactation Professional that best meets your needs, location, and schedule. From there, you simply text or talk directly with the Lactation Professional
It really depends on you and your baby and how much support is needed. For in-person visits most Lactation Professionals charge by the visit, not by the hour, and stay until both parent and baby are feeling confident that things are going well. Visits are typically from 90 minutes to 2+ hours. Virtual sessions tend to be 60 to 90 minutes.
Once we match you to your Lactation Professional, you will confirm the time and place with the person you hire. Boober will then send you an invoice via email which you can easily pay online by credit card, eligible FSA/HSA card, or ACH, prior to your scheduled visit. Upon completion of your visit, most Lactation Professionals can provide a coded receipt (superbill) to submit to your insurance company to try to get reimbursed. It is always a good idea to ask your Lactation Professional exactly what they cover and what their cancellation policy is, as well.
Yes, some of the lactation professionals accept insurance. Be sure to let us know what type of insurance you have and we’ll connect you to someone who takes your insurance when available. We also work with a program that allows us to connect you to certain professionals who can get pre-approved to provide you with care (there may be a 1 or 2 day delay if you have the right insurance for this and choose this option, but it could be fully covered). Even if you do not have pre-approval from insurance your Lactation Professional can provide you with a superbill (a coded receipt) which may help you get reimbursed by your insurance carrier.
If you’re trying to get reimbursed, it’s always best to call your insurance carrier in advance to find out if they will reimburse and what requirements they may have. You may need to request an “out-of-network exception” or a “geographic exception”.
The following providers have been known to reimburse lactation consultant (LC) services: Aetna, UHC (United Health Care), BCBS, Cigna, Please contact your health insurance provider to confirm, as plans do vary state to state. Lactation consultations may be eligible for a HSA healthcare spending account, or FSA flex spending account. The easiest way to access these funds is to pay for your care bundle with the card associated with your account. We’ll send you a receipt for your records.
Learn more about insurance in our blog here.
Yes that is true! In theory, the Affordable Health Care Act mandates that most insurance plans cover breast pumps, IBCLCs, and other lactation-related expenses. However, we’ve found that many people have still had problems getting reimbursed or finding a covered consultant at the time they need it. Most people need to pay out of pocket up front first and then submit for reimbursement after. For more information please visit https://www.healthcare.gov/coverage/breast-feeding-benefits/
Please email [email protected] or text us at 917 451 5815 to report any problem with your consultant. We will do our best to resolve any issues you had with the person you hired.
We stand by our commitment to excellence in care and a commitment to our customers. If we are unable to satisfactorily resolve any issues or concerns about your visit we will issue a full or partial refund for your visit.
We always recommend consulting your medical professional when in doubt about the health of your baby or yourself. Boober does not provide medical advice. If you are worried that your baby is not getting enough nutrition or is dehydrated, call your pediatrician immediately. If you think you may have an illness or infection related to nursing your baby, call your midwife or doctor immediately. If you or your baby is having a medical emergency, please call 911 right away.
postpartum doulas
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postpartum doulas
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For in-person care, postpartum doulas typically have a minimum of 4 hours booking. A postpartum doula works with a family within the three months following birth, however, the length of stay is very individual to the family and their needs: some have them for a week or two and some for the first 3 months. Virtually, you can book as little as 1 hour to get things started on the right foot or troubleshoot any challenges in your recovery or newborn care. You can easily add additional hours after you’ve met with someone.
If you’re looking for a postpartum doula on-demand - which we consider to be anything within 48 hours, then boober will select an available doula that is best suited to your request. After one shift with that person, you can easily book care again or request a different person. All of the providers using the boober platform are vetted, qualified, certified in Infant CPR and experienced in their field. If you are booking more than 48 hours in advance, we’ll send you some great candidates based on your parameters and you can connect with and then select the right postpartum doula for you on the boober platform. Please text us at 917-451-5815 for more information on this service.
Absolutely. Once we have confirmed a postpartum doula to come to your house we will provide you with each others’ contact information and you are free to contact them directly before your scheduled visit. If that person is not an ideal fit, we will try to connect you to someone else, depending on availability.
We hope you will! In fact, most people do decide to have their doulas return for additional hours once they experience the benefits of doula care firsthand. To book additional hours please contact us directly via text at 917-451-5815. Reminder: When you first sign up to book your doula you will agree that you will continue to book additional hours or services through boober.
If you want to try someone new, just let us know and we will gladly accommodate your request. Giving us feedback about the initial person you saw will help us address any of your concerns and improve boober too! Please contact us directly via text at 917-451-5815 or email at [email protected].
If you need to reschedule your appointment, please contact your doula directly and they will do their best to accommodate your request. Cancellations made at least 48 hours prior to your scheduled appointment are entitled to a full refund. If you must cancel between 48 hours and 24 hours of your scheduled appointment, your payment will be refunded, but is subject to a $50 cancellation fee. Cancellations made within 24 hours of your scheduled appointment are non-refundable.
Yes, many of the postpartum doulas on the boober platform are available for overnight visits - whether it’s for one night for you to catch up on sleep, or on a regular basis. Contact us here to book.
Yes! This is a question we get a lot, and yes, they are quite different. We even devoted a whole blog post to it! While many families find night nurses extremely helpful for overnight care and feedings, they are not required to carry any specific certifications and are not nurses, unless they specifically have an RN. All postpartum doulas using the boober platform are Infant CPR certified and have received certifications from a nationally recognized accreditation body (DONA or DTI, etc.). Most postpartum doulas also have some level of lactation training.
We are happy to connect you to virtual expert care providers. Sometimes even an hour of virtual help, goes a long way in helping you feel more confident. We are constantly expanding our network of care providers and the areas that we serve. If you are outside of the current geographic coverage area, please text us at 917-451-5815 and we will do our best to match you with a provider. If there are no providers available through our platform, we can try to connect you with other resources.
birth doulas
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birth doulas
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Boober allows expectant parents to easily connect with a doula they can hire to support them through their birth. We believe that the doula’s role is to support people unconditionally throughout their pregnancy and birth. The doulas on the platform should not make decisions for expectant parents or expect them to give birth in any particular way. Doulas offer physical, emotional and informational support no matter what is happening during the birth. The doula you hire through our platform works for you.
Although it is often true that a midwife will spend a significant amount of time with you during your birth, if you are using a birth center, you will still be in labor for much of the time at home. Having a birth doula at home helps you to feel supported until you are ready to go to the birth center. Also, birth center midwives may have to care for more than one patient, so your midwife may have to go back and forth between patients, while your doula can be with you the whole time. In addition, should any medical issues present themselves during your labor, your midwife’s primary responsibility is for your safety and the safety of the baby; while they are assessing your well-being, your midwife will not be able to provide the nurturing care you need. A doula can complement the midwife precisely by providing that nurturing and extra support.
All of the doulas affiliated with boober are trained and pledge to support expectant parents in their choices for their birth, whatever they may be. Should you choose to use an epidural during your birth, your doula will still play an incredibly valuable role. They will help you at home while you are in labor, help you get to the hospital, support you physically and emotionally until the anesthesiologist becomes available, help you manage any side effects of the medication, suggest the positions that will best help facilitate birth in conjunction with an epidural, and help with initial lactation. Your doula will maintain their role as your advocate and help you seek any information you need during the birth process. Support is support and all people benefit from support, no matter what their choices are.
All providers on the platform set their own fees which vary depending upon the doula’s birth experience and additional training. Doulas on the boober platform range from $300-$10K. A wide range indeed! There is also a doula-in-training tier where you can find a doula who is working toward certification and maybe volunteering or charging a very low fee. The fee that the doula sets includes their training, their life experience, the amount of births they have attended, the additional trainings and certifications they may hold, and more, but most often the fee relates to the amount of experience the doula has.
The fee is a flat rate and generally includes the following, although is individual to each doula. Most doulas offer a free initial meeting (virtual or in-person depending) to offer you an opportunity to interview them before hiring your doula. Once you hire the doula, the flat fee typically includes:
- Unlimited phone, text and email support prior to your birth
- Prenatal meeting at your home or virtually to explore and clarify your birth preferences
- On-call 24 hours per day, 7 days per week from the time your contract with your doula begins (typically your 36th week of pregnancy until the birth of your baby)
- Your doula will attend your entire birth with no time limit* (in cases when the labor extends beyond 24-30 hours with no pause, they may call in their backup to give you fresh support!)
- Your doula will remain for 1 to 2 hours after the birth to help settle your family and assist with early feeding
- One postpartum meeting typically within one week after the birth
- The above is subject to the specific doula you hire and are great things to talk about in your initial meet ‘n’ greet.
Yes! If you have hired an in-person doula, a critical part of doula care is having that support at home and while on the way to the birth center or hospital. You and your doula will decide at the time of labor when is the best time for them to join you; this may be at your home or place of birth depending upon the situation. For example in a fast labor, it may make more sense for the doula to meet you at the place of birth or if you need a clinical induction, they will meet you at the hospital as there will be no home labor.
A doula’s main concern is for your physical and emotional comfort and to support you however you need. If at any point you would prefer to be alone, a doula will respect your wishes and will rejoin you whenever you would like. Doulas are sensitive to the needs of laboring parents and will follow your lead during labor.
Doulas do everything they can to work as a team with the hospital or birth center staff. They will help you to communicate your birth preferences and ensure that you have all the information needed to make informed choices. Doulas do not speak your wishes directly to the staff or make any medical decisions for you; they help you communicate your needs and wishes.
If you want to try someone new, just let us know and we will gladly accommodate your request. Giving us feedback about the initial person you saw will help us address any of your concerns and improve boober too! Please contact us directly via text at 917-451-5815 or email at [email protected].
mental health
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Yes, all mental health professionals on the boober platform are licensed and credentialed professionals who specialize in working with people in the perinatal period.
Great! If you have someone you are comfortable working with that’s wonderful. Our platform providers specialize in the pregnancy and postpartum phase of a person’s life and are highly attuned to this period. Sometimes it can be nice to do a few sessions focused on this transition with a person who really gets it.
mental health
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for providers
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for providers
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Boober makes it easy for birth workers to do what they love : provide care to growing families. Boober helps you find clients, helps you build your practice and takes out the hassle of coordinating the administrative tasks such as payment and issuing insurance superbills. Boober provides relief from the hassles of discrepancies, from having to get paid during visits, refunds, and unhappy customers with our great customer service support. Boober eliminates hassles and confusion of HIPAA via compliant communication channels.
To request to join, please fill out this form. You’ll receive an email from our provider liaison with a link to schedule an interview. During the interview we'll discuss how the platform works and whether it would be a good fit for us and for you. Please keep in mind that we get a lot of requests so we will do our best to respond promptly. We prioritize geographic areas where we are receiving the most parent requests.
There is no fee to join, but boober does charge a platform fee which is a percentage of any paid booking. The percentage is based on your service type and will be discussed during the interview process. We only collect money from you for actual bookings.
Yes, we love to have colleagues that are referred from people we already know and trust! Send them here and make sure they mention your name on the application.
All of our providers are required to have a Stripe Connect account in order to receive payments from your bookings through boober. We invoice the client and take payments on your behalf, then transfer the funds to you through Stripe (minus the platform fee).
We currently connect customers to lactation providers, birth doulas, postpartum doulas, mental health therapists, sleep consultants, nutritionists, physical therapists, massage therapists, and acupuncturists. If there’s a service you are interested in that you don’t see listed here, please let us know by emailing [email protected].
When a customer submits a request form in your service type, you’ll receive an availability text and can let us know if you’d like to be considered for this booking request. From there, our care connectors will connect with the customer to learn more about their needs. If you’re a good fit, you may be introduced.
You’ll have your own dashboard where you can see future and past bookings as well as any that are in process. Your boober dashboard will also be connected to your Stripe Connect account so you can see where your payments are in process.
Providers can choose to offer their services virtually and/or in-person (in supported markets) when using the boober platform and will be matched to customers based on the type of service requested by the customer. We expect providers using the platform to deliver their services in compliance with HIPAA regulations.
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