Dr Wendy Jones, MBE is a highly respected UK pharmacist and expert in the safety of medications during breastfeeding. With a career spanning over four decades, Wendy has combined her professional expertise with her personal passion for breastfeeding support.

In 1997, she helped found the Breastfeeding Network’s Drugsin Breastfeeding Service – a helpline that now supports thousands of families and healthcare professionals each year with evidence-based information.

In our episode Wendy shares with us her experience andperspective on breastfeeding support in the UK over the span of 40+ years.

We explore persistent misconceptions about medications and breastfeeding along with common cultural myths that are hard to shift.

We hear about supporting breastfeeding through chronic conditions and how individualised and compassionate care is needed for every mother and baby dyad.

A holistic model of support offered by LLL is discussed andthe listeners are encouraged to reach out to LLLGB if breastfeeding support and information is needed.

LLLGB is a charity that offers mother to mother and parentto parent support for breastfeeding and chestfeeding. The charity was founded by seven mothers in 1956 and since then has accumulated a wealth of knowledge that is now supported by the latest scientific evidence and research.

Episode Notes: For breastfeeding support and informationplease visit:

www.laleche.org.uk

https://laleche.org.uk/breastfeeding-and-a-mothers-diet-myths-and-facts/

https://laleche.org.uk/supporting-a-breastfeeding-mother/

https://laleche.org.uk/health-professionals/

https://breastfeeding-and-medication.co.uk/

To support our charity please consider donating or becoming a subscribing member via these links:

Make a donation – La Leche League GBJoin LLLGBIf you are a Healthcare Professional, we have a special offering for you:

Healthcare Professionals – La Leche League GBhttps://www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/drugs-factsheets/

LLL Leaders offer support with the normal course of breastfeeding. To enable us to support parents to investigate more complex issues and challenges we are supported by the LLLGB Panel of Professional Advisors. The panel is made up of a body of experts in breastfeeding and birth research and practice.

In this episode we are excited to be speaking to one of ourprofessional advisors – Dr Victoria Thomas.

Vicky qualified from the University of Newcastle upon Tynein 2004 and completed her paediatric training in Birmingham and across the North East of England. Since 2015 she has been a Consultant Gastroenterologist at Newcastle’s Great North

Children’s Hospital. Vicky specialises in Coeliac disease,infant feeding, growth and nutrition, including feeding in complex health conditions.

Vicky’s passion for equity in breastfeeding support has ledher to train as a LLL Leader with LLL Collective.

We explore how Vicky’s own nursing journey shaped herunderstanding of breastfeeding and informed her work as a medical professional supporting breastfeeding families.

Vicky talks to us about her project of supporting her colleagues in the healthcare profession with breastfeeding and how she applies the skills she learned as a breastfeeding counsellor in her day-to-day medical practice.

A holistic model of support offered by LLL is discussed andthe listeners are encouraged to reach out to LLLGB if breastfeeding support and information is needed.

LLLGB is a charity that offers mother to mother and parentto parent support for breastfeeding and chestfeeding. The charity was founded by seven mothers in 1956 and since then has accumulated a wealth of knowledge that is now supported by the latest scientific evidence and research.

Episode Notes:

For breastfeeding support and information please visit: www.laleche.org.uk

https://laleche.org.uk/health-professionals/

MiLC:

https://www.instagram.com/medics_lactationcommunity

https://www.facebook.com/share/14XaFX7Rkv8/?mibextid=wwXIfr

HIFN https://www.hifn.org/

Breastfeeding the Brave https://breastfeedingthebrave.com/

https://breastfeedingfordoctors.com/who-we-are/

Visiting the paediatrician cartoon:

 https://www.hedgerhumor.com/nursing-mom-at-the-doctor/

In this episode we are exploring the thoughts and feelingsthat can arise around breastfeeding when our journeys don’t go as planned.Research suggests that many parents find themselves stopping nursing earlier than they had hoped. And all too often, the grief that follows is overlooked orunsupported.

If we are told that breastfeeding is natural, nothing prepares us for any challenges we may face.

If we are told that breastfeeding is supposed to be painfulor that it does not work for many women, we may doubt our ability to do it.

If we are supported at every step of the way, we can find thestrength to keep going if we choose to.

This episodes dives deeper into why so many new parents areshocked by the challenges of breastfeeding and the complex feelings that can follow. We discuss how the intensity of our biological drive to breastfeed reaches our very core.

Breastfeeding grief and trauma matters. Feeling dismissed bywell-meaning supporters who are trying to cheer us up can actually intensify our grief or sends us to a place where we can’t process it.

Trust her if she tells you it matters and support her all theway.

A holistic model of support offered by LLL is discussed andthe listeners are encouraged to reach out to LLLGB if breastfeeding support and information is needed.

LLLGB is a charity that offers mother to mother and parentto parent support for breastfeeding and chestfeeding. The charity was founded by seven mothers in 1956 and since then has accumulated a wealth of knowledge that is now supported by the latest scientific evidence and research.

Episode Notes:

For breastfeeding support and information please visit: www.laleche.org.uk

https://laleche.org.uk/five-ways-help-breastfeeding-doesnt-go-expected/

https://laleche.org.uk/getting-breastfeeding-on-track-after-a-difficult-start-the-3-keeps/

https://laleche.org.uk/my-baby-needs-more-milk/

https://laleche.org.uk/weaning-from-supplements/

https://laleche.org.uk/jaundice/

https://www.lllgbbooks.co.uk/store/p224/WhyBFGriefTraumaMatter.html

https://www.lllgbbooks.co.uk/store/p76/BreastfeedingTakeTwo.html

https://professoramybrown.co.uk/breastfeeding-grief

In this episode we are honoured to share three stories ofbreastfeeding mothers who for different reasons had to triple-feed their babies in the early weeks after birth. We hope that their stories  can help our listeners who are also facing the challenges of triple-feeding.

While ‘triple-feeding’  is not an official medical term – it’s widely used in the breastfeeding world to indicate that the baby needs to receive nourishment in a number of different ways, e.g directly at the breast, via expressed milk,donor milk and formula.

Today we are exploring how it may feel to have breastfeeding problems early on or to be faced with a triple-feeding plan.

It may feel as if it’s ‘all gone wrong’ and the dreams youhad about feeding your baby are in ruins. With conflicting information and lack of support your confidence about breastfeeding your baby may seem compromised.Fortunately, babies are very adaptable and resilient, and so are their parents! With time, patience and, if necessary, skilled help, it is almost always possible to get feeding back on track after a difficult start. It is most certainly always possible to have a close, warm and happy feeding relationship with your baby – even if it might look different from what you had expected.

‘Three Keeps’ is the concept that has been widely shared inLa Leche League from our Charity’s inception. It focuses not only on expressing milk to feed baby, but also on the connection between mother and baby and howprotecting and encouraging skin to skin between baby and mother can help get breastfeeding back on track after a challenging start.

A holistic model of support offered by LLL is discussed andthe listeners are encouraged to reach out to LLLGB if breastfeeding support and information is needed.

LLLGB is a charity that offers mother to mother and parentto parent support for breastfeeding and chestfeeding. The charity was founded by seven mothers in 1956 and since then has accumulated a wealth of knowledge that is now supported by the latest scientific evidence and research.

Episode Notes:

For breastfeeding support and informationplease visit: www.laleche.org.uk

https://laleche.org.uk/getting-breastfeeding-on-track-after-a-difficult-start-the-3-keeps/

https://laleche.org.uk/five-ways-help-breastfeeding-doesnt-go-expected/

https://laleche.org.uk/my-baby-needs-more-milk/

https://laleche.org.uk/weaning-from-supplements/

https://laleche.org.uk/whats-big-deal-skin-skin/

https://laleche.org.uk/jaundice/

https://laleche.org.uk/feeding-late-preterm-babies/

Sarah and Maria talk about how nursing may feel around this age and stage. This milestone is often deeply connected to breastfeeding goals, expectations and the context within which we are parenting. We reflect on our own inner voice and the way we speak to ourselves about what’s ‘right’, what’s ‘enough’, or what we ‘should’ be doing and how this inner voice shapes our behaviour and may conflict with the external expectations.

When we are exhausted, touched out, or just need time to eat a meal in peace, the solution given to us is to stop breastfeeding. As if our needs can only be met if we are no longer breastfeeding. Our needs matter and we should not have to choose between meeting our children’s needs and our own.

La Leche League philosophy values the unique relationship between mother and baby – that in the early years, a baby’s need to be with their mother is as basic as their need for food.

What does it actually mean when we say we feel guilty and where do those feelings come from?

How can we balance the needs of a breastfeeding toddler with our own wellbeing needs and other responsibilities? How do we approach weaning from breastfeeding if we are ready before the child is.

A holistic model of support offered by LLL is discussed and the listeners are encouraged to reach out to LLLGB if breastfeeding support and information is needed.

LLLGB is a charity that offers mother to mother and parent to parent support for breastfeeding and chestfeeding. The charity was founded by seven mothers in 1956 and since then has accumulated a wealth of knowledge that is now supported by the latest scientific evidence and research.

Episode Notes:

For breastfeeding support and information please visit: www.laleche.org.uk

https://laleche.org.uk/thinking-of-weaning/

https://laleche.org.uk/after-weaning-what-next/

https://laleche.org.uk/breastfeeding-beyond-infancy/

https://laleche.org.uk/breastfeeding-beyond-a-year/

https://laleche.org.uk/breastfeeding-ends-suddenly/

https://laleche.org.uk/still-nursing/

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5EfJddj7oVOxW5kPqVVUTf?si=_w7oA4FgRFW8SBNCH3QzTA

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1eI8gV23ahVcFXdmqXvdQu?si=McEgJhDRTU2XyT_px53GDA

Black Breastfeeding week is celebrated during the last weekof August.

Its aim is to amplify Black women’s voices and lived experiences which have historically been underrepresented.

In LLL, stories matter. Sharing our stories connects us withsomething bigger — the global community of mothers and peers, learning from and supporting each other.

We invite you to access our free support and connect with others. Everyone’s experience is different, so today we’re really excited to welcome five families onto the podcast to share their perspectives. 

 The following questions are explored in this discussion:

- Why breastfeeding matters to this group of women

- What were the expectations of what motherhood would look like and what were the challenges when it came to receiving breastfeeding support

- What information and resources they found helpful on theirnursing journeys

 A holistic model of support offered by LLL is discussed andthe listeners are encouraged to reach out to LLLGB if breastfeeding support and information is needed.

LLLGB is a charity that offers mother to mother and parentto parent support for breastfeeding and chestfeeding. The charity was founded by seven mothers in 1956 and since then has accumulated a wealth of knowledge that is now supported by the latest scientific evidence and research.

Episode Notes:

For breastfeeding support and information please visit: www.laleche.org.uk

 https://laleche.org.uk/i-needed-a-likeminded-community/

https://laleche.org.uk/natashas-journey-breastfeeding-mother-to-lll-leader/

https://laleche.org.uk/supporting-a-breastfeeding-mother/

 https://laleche.org.uk/thinking-about-lll-leadership/

 https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/dope-black-mums-podcast/id1570141425

In this episode by LLLGB, volunteer breastfeedingcounsellors Sarah Fletcher and Maria Yasnova facilitate a discussion with Mothers and Parents from four families that received breastfeeding support from La Leche League GB.

We continue with the question of Adjusting toMotherhood/Parenthood and dive deeper individual stories.

We celebrate triumphs and honour challenges. We reflect on expectations and adjusting to reality.

The following questions are explored in this honest andheart-warming discussion:

-            What have we expected parenthood to feel like?

-            How did adjustment to life with a small person look like?

-            What has helped to feel more in control of or at peace with the new reality?

-            Where has parenthood led you?

A holistic model of support offered by LLL is discussed andthe listeners are encouraged to reach out to LLLGB if breastfeeding support and information is needed.

LLLGB is a charity that offers mother to mother and parentto parent support for breastfeeding and chestfeeding. The charity was founded by seven mothers in 1956 and since then has accumulated a wealth of knowledge that is now supported by the latest scientific evidence and research.

Episode Notes:

For breastfeeding support and informationplease visit: www.laleche.org.uk

https://llli.org/news/what-is-d-mer/

https://laleche.org.uk/dont-enjoy-breastfeeding/

https://laleche.org.uk/adjusting-to-motherhood/

https://laleche.org.uk/breastfeeding-in-community-needed-now-more-than-ever/

What happens at LLL meeting?

In this episode by LLLGB, volunteer breastfeedingcounsellors Sarah Fletcher and Maria Yasnova catch up with one of LLLGB professional advisors – infant sleep researcher Professor Helen Ball.

Helen is an Anthropologist and Director of the Infancy & Sleep Centre at Durham University. In her latest book How Babies Sleep she brings together science, anthropological insight and experience to help provide parents with information on what to expect during the first 365 nights with a new baby.

The past century and a half has seen rapid change in thenature of adult lives in the West and we’ve needed babies’ sleep to comply. The mismatch we have created has caused our babies’ biology to be framed as ‘baby sleep problems’, and infants are often ‘treated’ using behavioural and clinicalinterventions.

The following topics are explored in this insightful andreassuring episode:

1. What we can expect baby sleep to look like during the first year
2. What impact culture has on our understanding of babies’ sleep
3. What parents need to be able to support their child’s sleep needs.

A holistic model of support offered by LLL is discussed andthe listeners are encouraged to reach out to LLLGB if breastfeeding support and information is needed.

LLLGB is a charity that offers mother to mother and parentto parent support for breastfeeding and chestfeeding.

The charity was founded by seven mothers in 1956 and since then has accumulated a wealth of knowledge that is now supported by the latest scientific evidence and research.

Episode Notes:

For breastfeeding support and informationplease visit: www.laleche.org.uk

https://laleche.org.uk/safe-sleep-the-breastfed-baby/

https://laleche.org.uk/breastfeeding-at-night/

https://www.basisonline.org.uk/about-us/

Helen’s Book:

https://www.lllgbbooks.co.uk/store/p263/How-Babies-Sleep.html

This episode is a tribute to Naomi Stadlen, who died on 06June 2025.

We are releasing part of our discussion with Naomi which we recorded in February 2025.

Naomi was a retired psychotherapist and LLL Leader. She saw a mother’s role as unique and one that needs to be better understood and their crucial contributions recognised. She felt we need more words to validate what mothersare doing, especially as they start to relate to their babies, and then as they continue relating to their growing children, for the rest of their lives.

LLLGB is a charity that offers mother to mother and parentto parent support for breastfeeding and chestfeeding. The charity was founded by seven mothers in 1956 and since then has accumulated a wealth of knowledgethat is now supported by the latest scientific evidence and research.

Episode Notes:

For breastfeeding support and information please visit:www.laleche.org.uk

Naomi Stadlen’s books:

What Mothers Do

https://www.lllgbbooks.co.uk/store/p183/HowMothersLove.html

⁠https://www.lllgbbooks.co.uk/store/p235/WhatMothersLearn.html⁠

⁠https://www.lllgbbooks.co.uk/store/p253/WhyGrandmothersMatter.html⁠

⁠https://pinterandmartin.com/products/a-grand-quarrel⁠

In this episode by LLLGB, volunteer breastfeedingcounsellors Sarah Fletcher and Maria Yasnova invite fellow LLLGB Leaders, Sophia Berman and Justine Fieth, to reflect on their personal early parenting journeys.

Before our baby arrives we may have a vision of what that time will be like.

When the reality of this transition differs from our expectations we may find ourselves on an emotional rollercoaster - it can be helpful to know that adjustingto having a baby can take time and is an ongoing process.

That having challenges, even feeling overwhelmed, is a normal experience. Pain, tiredness, your birth experience, and how much support you have will all affect how youfeel.

We are discussing the following:

- What we may expect motherhood to feel like

- What adjusting to life with a small person may look like

- What has helped us to find our feet in becoming parentsand the importance of support all round in those early stages of Parenthood.

Everyone’s experience is different, we hope you may hearsomething that resonates with you.

Watch this space for future episodes exploring other perspectives, experiences and journeys. Please get in touch with us on [email protected] toshare yours!

 A holistic model of support offered by LLL is discussed and the listeners are encouraged to reach out to LLLGB if breastfeeding support and information is needed.

LLLGB is a charity that offers mother to mother and parentto parent support for breastfeeding and chestfeeding. The charity was founded by seven mothers in 1956 and since then has accumulated a wealth of knowledge that is now supported by the latest scientific evidence and research.

Episode Notes: For breastfeeding support and informationplease visit: www.laleche.org.uk

https://laleche.org.uk/adjusting-to-motherhood/

Beginning BreastfeedingSupporting a Breastfeeding Mother
Out & About With Your Breastfed Baby
Safe Sleep & The Breastfed Baby
When A Mother Is Unwell
Why Come To LLL Meetings
So what do you do? a mother’s story
Breastfeeding & Postnatal Depression

https://laleche.org.uk/recreating-the-lying-in-month

https://laleche.org.uk/five-ways-help-breastfeeding-doesnt-go-expected/

LLLI Articles & stories
Why breastfeeding is good for mothers’ mental health, anarticle by Katheen Kendall-Tackett

Other websites
www.biologicalnurturing.com
www.breastfeedingmadesimple.com/Depression.html
www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Postnataldepression

Breastfeeding Network – anxiety and breastfeeding

‘Motherhood’ poem is written and recorded by Jessica Starr