Privacy Policy

North Shore Lactation, LLC (“NSL,” “Company,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is Chicagoland's largest lactation consulting practice, and we are committed to protecting the privacy and security of the personal and health information you share with us. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard information when you visit or use www.northshorelactation.com (the “Website”), communicate with us by phone, text, or email, or receive lactation consulting services from NSL (collectively, the “Services”). It also describes the choices and rights available to you regarding your information. By accessing or using the Website or our Services, you agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Website or our Services.

Last Updated: August 21, 2026

1. Information We Collect.

We collect information in three general categories: information you give us directly, information we collect automatically, and information we receive from third parties.

Personal Information You Provide: When you request an appointment, use the Check My Coverage or other intake tools, contact us, subscribe to our newsletter, or otherwise interact with the Website, we may collect your name, email address, mailing or service address, phone number, date of birth, insurance information (such as carrier, member ID, and group number), payment and billing information, and information about your baby or family relevant to scheduling care.

Health Information: As a lactation consulting practice, we collect health-related information necessary to provide care, including intake and history information, feeding history, clinical notes, assessments, treatment plans, and other information you or your provider generate in connection with your visits (“Health Information”). Health Information that constitutes protected health information (“PHI”) under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”) is handled in accordance with HIPAA and our HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices, which is available upon request and supplements this Privacy Policy with respect to PHI.

Usage and Device Information: When you visit the Website, we and our service providers automatically collect certain information about your device and how you interact with the Website, including your IP address, browser type and version, device identifiers, operating system, referring and exit pages, approximate geographic location, the pages you view, and the dates and times of your visits. We collect this information using cookies, web beacons, pixels, software development kits (SDKs), and similar tracking technologies, as described in Section 5 below.

Information from Third Parties: We may receive information about you from third parties, such as your insurance carrier (for eligibility and benefits verification), referring healthcare providers, scheduling and payment platforms (for example, Acuity Scheduling), analytics and advertising partners (for example, Google and Meta), and publicly available sources such as online review platforms.

2. How We Use Your Information.

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

Providing Care: To schedule, deliver, and follow up on lactation consulting services, communicate with you about your care, and coordinate with other providers involved in your treatment when appropriate.

Administrative and Billing Purposes: To verify insurance coverage and eligibility, process payments, submit and manage insurance claims, and otherwise manage our practice.

Communications: To send appointment reminders, intake forms, billing statements, requested information, and — where you have consented — marketing and promotional communications.

Website Operation and Improvement: To operate, maintain, secure, and improve the Website, understand how visitors use it, and troubleshoot technical issues.

Marketing and Analytics: To measure the effectiveness of our marketing channels, tailor content, and, where legally required, with your consent, deliver relevant advertising.

Legal and Regulatory Compliance: To comply with HIPAA, state licensure and health-data laws, insurance and billing regulations, tax and accounting requirements, and other legal obligations, and to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.

3. How We Share Your Information.

We do not sell your personal information for money. We may disclose information in the following circumstances:

Service Providers: We share information with vendors who perform services on our behalf, such as scheduling (e.g., Acuity), payment processing, insurance verification and billing/clearinghouse services, email and text messaging platforms (e.g., ActiveCampaign), website hosting, and analytics providers (e.g., Google Analytics). These providers are contractually restricted from using your information for any purpose other than providing services to us.

Other Healthcare Providers: With your authorization or as otherwise permitted by law, we may share Health Information with other providers involved in your or your baby's care.

Insurance Carriers: We share information reasonably necessary to verify coverage, submit claims, and obtain payment for services.

Business Transfers: If NSL is involved in a merger, acquisition, financing, or sale of assets, information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to standard confidentiality protections.

Legal Requirements: We may disclose information where required to comply with a subpoena, court order, or other legal process, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of NSL, our patients, or others.

Aggregated or De-Identified Data: We may share information that has been aggregated or de-identified such that it no longer reasonably identifies you, for research, quality improvement, or business purposes.

With Your Consent: We may share information for any other purpose disclosed to you at the time of collection, or with your consent.

4. HIPAA and Protected Health Information.

NSL maintains administrative, physical, and technical safeguards designed to protect PHI in accordance with HIPAA. PHI is used and disclosed only for treatment, payment, and healthcare operations, or as otherwise permitted or required by law, or with your written authorization. Our HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices describes in greater detail your rights with respect to PHI, including the right to access and obtain a copy of your records, request corrections, request an accounting of certain disclosures, request restrictions on certain uses and disclosures, and file a complaint with us or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights if you believe your privacy rights have been violated. A copy of our HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices is available upon request and at your first appointment.

5. Cookies, Analytics, and Online Advertising.

The Website uses cookies, pixels, and similar tracking technologies to operate the site, remember your preferences, understand how visitors use the Website, and measure the performance of our marketing. This may include analytics tools such as Google Analytics and advertising or conversion-tracking tools such as Google Ads and the Meta (Facebook/Instagram) Pixel, which help us understand which channels bring visitors to the Website and, where enabled, deliver more relevant advertising. These providers may set their own cookies and collect information about your activity on the Website and other sites over time. You can control cookies through your browser settings, and many browsers let you block or delete cookies; disabling cookies may limit some Website features. Where required by applicable law, we will obtain your consent before placing non-essential cookies.

6. Text Messaging (SMS) and Calls.

If you provide your phone number and opt in to receive text messages or calls from NSL — including appointment reminders and scheduling communications — we will use that number consistent with your consent and applicable law, including the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). Message and data rates may apply. You can opt out of text messages at any time by replying “STOP,” and you can ask to stop receiving calls by telling us directly. Phone number information collected for SMS consent purposes is not shared with third parties for their own marketing purposes.

7. Data Security.

We maintain reasonable administrative, physical, and technical safeguards designed to protect personal information and Health Information against unauthorized access, use, alteration, or disclosure, including encryption of sensitive data in transit, access controls limiting information to personnel who need it to perform their duties, and regular review of our security practices. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. If we become aware of a breach affecting your personal information, we will notify you and take other steps as required by applicable law.

8. Data Retention.

We retain personal information and Health Information for as long as necessary to provide our Services, comply with legal, tax, insurance, and medical record-keeping obligations (which for medical records in Illinois may extend for a number of years after your last visit, and longer for minors), resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. When information is no longer needed, we securely delete or de-identify it in accordance with our data retention practices.

9. Your Privacy Rights and Choices.

Depending on your state of residence, you may have some or all of the following rights regarding your personal information, subject to applicable exceptions:

Access: The right to request access to, and a copy of, the personal information we hold about you.

Correction: The right to request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete personal information.

Deletion: The right to request deletion of your personal information, subject to our legal and record-keeping obligations (including HIPAA medical record retention requirements).

Portability: The right to request a copy of certain personal information in a portable, machine-readable format.

Opt-Out: The right to opt out of marketing communications at any time (see Section 6 above and the unsubscribe link in our emails), and, where applicable, the right to opt out of the sale or “sharing” of personal information or targeted advertising — NSL does not sell personal information, and any use of advertising cookies described in Section 5 can be limited through your cookie or browser settings.

Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of these rights.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the information in Section 14 below. We may need to verify your identity before completing your request. We will respond within the timeframe required by applicable law.

10. State-Specific Privacy Disclosures.

If you are a resident of California, Illinois, or another state with its own consumer privacy law, that state's law may give you additional or different rights than those described in Section 9, and terms such as “personal information” and “sale” or “share” may be defined specifically under that law. We do not sell personal information for monetary consideration. To the extent any state privacy law applies to your information (health information used for treatment purposes is generally exempt under most state consumer privacy laws, including California's), you may exercise the applicable rights by contacting us as described in Section 14. Illinois residents should note that certain biometric identifiers, if ever collected, would be handled in accordance with the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA); NSL does not currently collect biometric identifiers through the Website.

11. Children's Privacy.

The Website is intended for use by parents, caregivers, and other adults, and is not directed to children. We collect information about infants and children only as necessary to provide lactation consulting services to our patients' families, and such information is treated as Health Information under Section 4. We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children through the Website for any other purpose.

12. Third-Party Links and Services.

The Website may link to, or integrate, third-party websites, applications, or tools, such as online scheduling, payment processing, or insurance-verification tools. These third parties operate under their own privacy policies, which we encourage you to review. NSL is not responsible for the privacy practices of third parties.

13. International Users.

NSL provides services within the greater Chicago area and Northern Illinois, and the Website is directed to visitors in the United States. If you access the Website from outside the United States, your information will be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States, where data protection laws may differ from those of your home jurisdiction. By using the Website, you consent to this transfer.

14. Changes to This Privacy Policy.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, Services, or legal requirements. When we do, we will revise the “Last Updated” date at the top of this page and, for material changes, provide additional notice as appropriate. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically.

By proceeding, I confirm that I have read, understand, and voluntarily agree to this Privacy Policy, and that I have had the opportunity to ask questions before my visit.

Questions about this Privacy? Contact us at:

North Shore Lactation, LLC
Phone/Text: (847) 220-4192
Website: www.northshorelactation.com
Email: info@northshorelactation.com
Address: 6200 N Hiawatha Ave, Ste 260, Chicago, IL 60646