Born to be Breastfed

Just the minute you thought you knew something about human milk banking, you might find it’s time to step back and listen to Marie’s special guest, Kim Updegrove, CNM. Kim is the Director of the Mother’s Milk Bank at Austin TX and the Chair of the Standards Committee for the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA). How has the COVID crisis impacted donations, either from the perspective of the donor or the staff? And is the COVID-19 virus released into the milk, and if so, can it be destroyed through Holder pasteurization? Is donor milk a “breastmilk substitute”, or not? Has HIV ever been found in milk dispensed from a HMBANA-accredited milk bank? Is the fee covered by insurance? Is milk dispensed only for critically ill premature infants? Does donor milk protect against premature infants developing necrotizing enterocolitis, or must it be mother’s own milk in order to offer such protection. Find out the answers to these and other questions on this episode!

Body modifications—piercings, tattoos, and laser removal of tattoos—are increasingly popular among women of childbearing age. Millions of women in the U.S. have them, and these days, many artists may refuse to offer body mods to pregnant or breastfeeding women. Does that mean they’re incompatible during the childbearing cycle? What’s the impact of body mods on breastfeeding? And, conversely, what is the impact of breastfeeding on body mods, if any?

Join Marie and her guest, Robyn Roche-Paull, RN BSN IBCLC, as they explain that it’s not just a matter of safety. What are the best practices, worst practices, or optional practices? Find out: What questions should you ask? What precautions should you take? When is the optimal time for getting your body mods in relation to pregnancy or breastfeeding? The extent of physical, practical and financial implications differ from one individual to another, but you need to know those implications, their effect on breastfeeding and beyond.

Traumatic birth occurs in 1 out of 3 births in the U.S. and Australia. It can negatively impact bonding and breastfeeding, and is often associated with postpartum depression. Why does it occur? Are hospitals failing mothers and babies? Many hospitals have a rigid power structure that restricts the delivery of evidence-based care. What are we doing to change that? Join Marie and her guest, Rebecca Dekker, RN PhD, author of Babies Are Not Pizzas: They’re Born, Not Delivered. Rebecca describes her own birth experience and discusses her feelings, thoughts, and coping mechanisms after a traumatic birth. Meanwhile, we breastfeeding advocates often feel they are on the bottom of the power hierarchy; what can we do to ensure adequate care during birth and the postpartum period? How can we help to empower mothers? Where does the role of the doula fit in? Listen for answers to these and other questions on this insightful interview!

Let’s see. You’re trying get your IBCLC certification, and you feel sure your dream job is to be in private lactation practice. Right? But do you know what that entails? Join Marie and her guest, retired IBCLC Judy Eastburn who worked as a lactation consultant in private practice in the greater Dallas area for more than three decades. What will it be: Booking office visits, or doing home visits? Pursuing clients who can get their insurance to pay for the visit…or accept only clients who pay cash? Selling or renting breastfeeding equipment…does it make sense? Is it realistic to have only a part-time private lactation practice? Are there some hidden time-consuming activities that you can’t bill for? What about liability insurance for your practice…or any other types of insurance? Do you really need an EIN? Get a glimpse of how a lactation expert and a businesswoman learns how to establish, maintain and grow a private lactation practice.

So many people say, “If I’m not a nurse, can I get a job in a hospital as a lactation consultant?” It’s possible. But are you asking the right question?

Join Marie and Paula Hanna, MSN, RNC-MNN, IBCLC, ICCE for a behind-the-scenes look at the roles and responsibilities of the international board-certified lactation consultant (IBCLC) in the hospital setting. How does your background color your perception of/or your abilities to do the job? Whether you’re already a nurse or if you have some other credential, maybe you feel confident you can provide top-notch direct care for premature infants as well as full-term infants. But likely as not, that accounts for only a fraction of your day. What else might you need to do in a typical day at the hospital—for either for inpatient or outpatient responsibilities? What are the toughest parts of the job? What are the most rewarding parts of the job? Marie and Paula will give you a true behind-the-scenes look at what the job is really like.

Are you planning to take a trip, a visit, or a vacation? Aren’t all of those the same? No, not really! Each has some specific implications for the impact on traveling with your baby. Car, train, plane: What will work best for a breastfeeding baby, a mother who is pumping, or both? How much extra drive-time do you need to build into your car trip to reach your destination on time? You’ve got to pack, but how can you plan for diapers, feeding gear, snacks, clean-up, and pump equipment? What about a backup plan, especially if you’re in a rural neighborhood where overnight delivery of a replacement part isn’t possible? With all of the conflicting information about storing and saving, what do you need to know about transporting your milk? Then, of course, there are the little extra hassles like if you don’t have access to electrical power, potable water, or if your family criticizes you for breastfeeding your baby. Join Marie as she answers these and many more questions!

This was a crazy year. Events and activities that we had planned either didn’t happen or they were rearranged, postponed or cancelled. Of course, those unplanned glitches happened with the IBLCE exam, too. Now, there are some planned changes that new candidates and re-certifying IBCLCs will be facing for 2021. If you took the exam in the fall of 2020, what can you do while you’re waiting for your test results? If you get your results and you fail, what can you do to pass the next time? If you’re a newbie who has never taken the exam before, what are the new eligibility requirements and deadlines?

If you’re totally confused about the eligibility requirements, how can you get help—for free! Or, if you’re already an IBCLC, what are the new requirements for renewing?

Join Marie as she gives you the answers to help you plan for your 2021 success!

We all know that prolactin is the milk-making hormone. But do all human bodies respond to it in the same way? And if not, which groups of people are likely to have a greater, or a lesser response? And, is there anything we can do to enhance the response?

Join Marie and her guest, Kathleen M. Rasmussen, ScD, RD, the Nancy Schlegel Meinig Professor of Maternal & Child Nutrition and International Professor of Nutritional Science at Cornell University. Dr. Rasmussen enlightens us about what her research says, and what it doesn’t say, about the prolactin response. And, she helps us to understand her work in the context of research related to milk production conducted by other prominent researchers. Further, she helps us to understand why federal funding for studies on this and similar topics is so limited.

Let’s talk frankly about how you feel about sleeping with your baby. Maybe you’ve heard that sleeping with your baby is a bad idea—even dangerous. Maybe you’re afraid to tell anyone you really do sleep with your baby. Maybe you’re vaguely aware of the recommendations issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics over the past several years. But have you read the new statement on sleeping with your baby published by the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine? And if you’re a provider, are you wondering what to tell your patients?

Join Marie and her special guest, Helen Ball BSc, MA, PhD, who was an author for the new protocol just issued by the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine. Dr. Ball debunks the popular myths, gives clear insight into the research and rationale used to create the protocol, and she gives some simple tips on how to safely sleep with your baby. As always, this episode is not medical advice—but gives information to help you make your own decisions about sleeping options.

Natural disasters can happen anytime, anywhere. Around the globe, families can find themselves facing a flood ... hurricane ... forest fire ... or another catastrophe. Aid workers and local shelters are often ill-equipped to provide optimal support for infants and mothers— breastfeeding or formula-feeding. Although nursing mothers can feed their babies wherever they are, they often find themselves trying to solve breastfeeding problems they’ve never encountered before, and being undermined by bad advice during the disaster.

Join Marie and her special guest Dr. Karleen Gribble as they discuss the impact of a disaster on breastfeeding or formula-feeding before, during and after it occurs. Find out how you can help others in your community—professionals, neighbors, and aid workers—to prioritize care for mothers and young infants. And, get practical tips to achieve optimal comfort and hygiene for you and your baby, and how to how to survive—and even thrive—in such awful conditions.