BREASTFEEDING WITH CONFIDENCE | Pregnancy Tips, Postpartum Wellness, Milk Supply, Tongue Tie, Latch Pain

Breast engorgement* during the first week of breastfeeding is incredibly common — and incredibly misunderstood. In this episode of the Breastfeeding With Confidence, IBCLC Jaimie Zaki breaks down exactly what breast engorgement is, why it happens, and how to relieve engorgement safely without damaging your milk supply or latch.

If your breasts feel hard, hot, swollen, painfully full, or difficult for your baby to latch onto, this episode is for you. Engorgement is not a sign that breastfeeding is failing, and it does not automatically mean you have too much milk. In fact, engorgement is usually caused by inflammation, increased blood flow, lymphatic fluid, and IV fluids from labor — not just milk volume.

You’ll learn:

What breast engorgement actually is (and what it’s not)

Why engorgement can happen even with low milk supply

How engorgement affects latch, milk transfer, and nipple pain

Why aggressive pumping can make engorgement worse

How to use feeding techniques, cold therapy, gentle massage, and hand expression effectively

Jaimie also explains why early engorgement can trigger a cascade of problems — from poor latch to clogged ducts, mastitis, and unnecessary formula supplementation — and how addressing engorgement correctly can prevent those outcomes.

Whether you’re pregnant and preparing for breastfeeding or navigating the first days postpartum, this episode will help you feel calmer, more informed, and more confident in your body.

🎧 Listen now and learn how to move milk, protect your breast tissue, and support your baby — without panic or misinformation.

Can you breastfeed after breast cancer—even after a double mastectomy?

In this powerful and deeply personal episode of the Breastfeeding With Confidence Podcast, I’m joined by my friend Emily, a birth worker and breast cancer survivor, to talk honestly about what breastfeeding can look like after cancer—and how a Supplemental Nursing System (SNS) made it possible for her to nurse her babies at the breast.

This conversation challenges the idea that breastfeeding is only about milk production. We talk about bonding, healing, hormones, and why breastfeeding still counts even when it doesn’t look the way you expected.

If you’re a breast cancer survivor, supporting one, or working with mothers navigating complex breastfeeding situations, this episode is for you. And if you don't have breast cancer? This episode is still helpful for moms supplementing for low milk supply! 

Can you breastfeed after breast cancer or a double mastectomy?

What a Supplemental Nursing System (SNS) is and how it works

Using an SNS with low or no milk supply

Why breastfeeding is about more than milk

Emotional healing and closure after cancer through nursing

How long an SNS can be used 

Practical tips for using a Supplemental Nursing System successfully

Why breastfeeding after cancer still “counts”

RESOURCES & PRODUCT RECOMMENDATIONS

FREE 5 Breastfeeding Mistakes to Avoid 

Confident Mama Breastfeeding Academy 

Supplementing for Breastfeeding Moms Mini Course 

Book a Virtual Lactation Consultant 

For Doulas seeking advanced lactation education & expert curated breastfeeding support frameworks, check out Breastfeeding Beyond the Birth Plan Here: https://www.littlebearlactation.com/birthworkers/lactation-education-for-doulas

NEEDED. Nutritional Support (Bioavailable Supplements, Hydration & More) SAVE 20% ON YOUR FIRST ORDER!!!!

Thank you to RESTORATIVE ROOTS for sponsoring this episode of the Breastfeeding with Confidence Podcast. Learn more about how RESTORATIVE ROOTS can help you thrive now: restorativeroots.com

Were you told in the hospital that your breastfed baby lost “too much” weight and now you’re questioning everything?Newborn weight loss is one of the most misunderstood and fear-based decision points in early breastfeeding, and it’s where so many breastfeeding journeys are unintentionally derailed

In this episode, IBCLC and mom of five Jaimie Zaki breaks down what newborn weight loss actually means, why hospitals often push formula so quickly, and how to make confident, informed decisions that protect both your baby and your breastfeeding goals so you can avoid unnecessary formula. 

Why newborn weight loss is biologically normal and expected

How IV fluids during labor can artificially inflate birth weight

Why the “10% weight loss rule” is often misunderstood and misused

Why weight loss alone does not tell us if breastfeeding is working

What should be assessed before recommending formula

When supplementation may be helpful — and when it’s unnecessary

How to supplement without sabotaging milk supply or breastfeeding confidence

Why fear-based feeding decisions often create the very problems they claim to prevent

RESOURCES & PRODUCT RECOMMENDATIONS

FREE 5 Breastfeeding Mistakes to Avoid 

Confident Mama Breastfeeding Academy 

Supplementing for Breastfeeding Moms Mini Course 

Book a Virtual Lactation Consultant 

For Doulas seeking advanced lactation education & expert curated breastfeeding support frameworks, check out Breastfeeding Beyond the Birth Plan Here: https://www.littlebearlactation.com/birthworkers/lactation-education-for-doulas

NEEDED. Nutritional Support (Bioavailable Supplements, Hydration & More) SAVE 20% ON YOUR FIRST ORDER!!!!

Thank you to RESTORATIVE ROOTS for sponsoring this episode of the Breastfeeding with Confidence Podcast. Learn more about how RESTORATIVE ROOTS can help you thrive now: restorativeroots.com

Did your lactation consultant, postpartum nurse, midwife, or pediatrician tell you your baby has a "good latch" so the breastfeeding pain you're experiencing is probably "normal" and you'll just have to wait for it to disappear? 

RESOURCES & PRODUCT RECOMMENDATIONS

FREE 5 Breastfeeding Mistakes to Avoid 

Confident Mama Breastfeeding Academy 

Supplementing for Breastfeeding Moms Mini Course 

Book a Virtual Lactation Consultant 

For Doulas seeking advanced lactation education & expert curated breastfeeding support frameworks, check out Breastfeeding Beyond the Birth Plan Here: https://www.littlebearlactation.com/birthworkers/lactation-education-for-doulas

NEEDED. Nutritional Support (Bioavailable Supplements, Hydration & More) SAVE 20% ON YOUR FIRST ORDER!!!!

Thank you to RESTORATIVE ROOTS for sponsoring this episode of the Breastfeeding with Confidence Podcast. Learn more about how RESTORATIVE ROOTS can help you thrive now: restorativeroots.com

Christmas week can feel magical… and also incredibly overwhelming when you’re pregnant, newly postpartum, or navigating breastfeeding challenges. In this short and gentle check-in episode, Jaimie shares encouragement, emotional support, and simple ways to get the breastfeeding help you need without leaving home during the busy holiday season.

Whether you’re anxiously waiting for your baby’s arrival or deep in the newborn trenches, this episode reminds you that you’re not alone — and you don’t have to “feel merry and bright” to be a good mom.

 Free Guide: 5 Mistakes to Avoid When Breastfeeding

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You’re Not Broken, You’re Postpartum: Redefining “Normal” in Early Motherhood

What if the problem isn’t you… it’s the expectations you were handed about postpartum?

In this powerful episode of the Breastfeeding With Confidence Podcast, Jaimie sits down with mom of six, birth worker, podcaster, and author Katherine Stephens to talk about her new book: You Are Not Broken, You Are Postpartum.

If you’ve ever thought, “Why am I not handling this better?” or “Everyone else seems to be coping… what’s wrong with me?” — this conversation is for you.

Katherine pulls back the curtain on what postpartum really feels like, from identity shifts to postpartum depression, from feeling isolated to realizing you were never meant to do this without a village.

Why you feel “broken” postpartum (and why you’re not)

The identity crisis of new motherhood

The myth and reality of “it takes a village”

Asking for help without feeling like a failure

Postpartum depression vs. normal postpartum struggles

RESOURCES

FREE GUIDE: 5 Breastfeeding Mistakes to Avoid 

Made for Birth Podcast with Katherine 

Get your copy of "You're not broken, You're Postpartum" 

For Doulas seeking advanced lactation education & expert curated breastfeeding support frameworks, check out Breastfeeding Beyond the Birth Plan Here: https://www.littlebearlactation.com/birthworkers/lactation-education-for-doulas

So many pregnant moms head into breastfeeding worried about low supply — especially when they hear “your baby is nursing constantly” or “you don’t have much colostrum.”

But here’s the truth (and what most moms are never told):

Frequent nursing + tiny amounts of colostrum = NORMAL.

In today’s episode of the Breastfeeding With Confidence Podcast, we’re breaking down the real science behind milk supply in the first week — so you can walk into breastfeeding feeling calm, confident, and prepared.

✨ 1. When milk supply actually begins

✨ 2. Colostrum is produced in tiny amounts

✨ 3. Why frequent nursing is NORMAL, not a red flag

We also touch on delayed milk coming in, retained placenta, postpartum hemorrhage, and how to protect your supply if birth complications arise.

RESOURCES & PRODUCT RECOMMENDATIONS

FREE 5 Breastfeeding Mistakes to Avoid 

Confident Mama Breastfeeding Academy 

Supplementing for Breastfeeding Moms Mini Course 

Book a Virtual Lactation Consultant 

For Doulas seeking advanced lactation education & expert curated breastfeeding support frameworks, check out Breastfeeding Beyond the Birth Plan Here: https://www.littlebearlactation.com/birthworkers/lactation-education-for-doulas

NEEDED. Nutritional Support (Bioavailable Supplements, Hydration & More) SAVE 20% ON YOUR FIRST ORDER!!!!

Motherlove Herbals (Save 15%!) 

Have you ever wondered about the benefits of breastfeeding beyond nutrition and immune health? We often talk about connection with breastfeeding, but here's what we don't talk about: The physical and developmental benefits of breastfeeding.

Joining me today is Dr. Shereen Lim, an airway-focused dentist and author of Breathe, Sleep, Thrive. She breaks down how breastfeeding impacts your baby’s oral muscle development, jaw formation, airway growth, and even their long-term risk of sleep-disordered breathing.

If you’ve ever wondered why breastfeeding matters for more than just feeding — this episode will blow your mind (in the best way).

Dr. Lim explains how breastfeeding creates the ideal conditions for strengthening your baby’s tongue, expanding the palate, shaping the jaws, and supporting proper airway growth — things bottles simply cannot mimic.

We discuss:

Why tongue ties are more than “just a latch issue”

How poor oral mechanics can still exist even when baby is gaining weight

Early red flags like aerophagia (air intake), reflux-like symptoms, and compensatory swallowing

Why early oral dysfunction is often the first sign of airway issues later

Your baby’s ability to breathe well at night is directly connected to:

Jaw growth

Palate width

Tongue tone and posture

Nasal vs. mouth breathing habits

Dr. Lim explains how early feeding mechanics shape the airway and why addressing issues early can prevent years of sleep and behavioral struggles.

We unpack how:

The breast requires suction, jaw movement, tongue elevation, and coordinated suck-swallow-breathe

Bottles rely on totally different muscles and can contribute to low tongue posture and mouth breathing

You can optimize bottle-feeding when breastfeeding isn’t fully possible

This is not about guilt — it’s about helping moms make informed, confident decisions.

Many babies who struggle at the breast eventually show:

Gagging

Pocketing food

Swallowing chunks whole

Refusing solids

Difficulty chewing

Dr. Lim explains why these signs often trace back to early oral dysfunction.

Breastfeeding trouble is often the earliest indicator of:

Oral dysfunction

Airway restriction

Poor tongue posture

Later sleep-disordered breathing

Challenges with speech, chewing, and facial development

RESOURCES: 

RESOURCES & PRODUCT RECOMMENDATIONS

FREE 5 Breastfeeding Mistakes to Avoid 

Confident Mama Breastfeeding Academy 

Supplementing for Breastfeeding Moms Mini Course 

Book a Virtual Lactation Consultant 

NEEDED. Nutritional Support (Bioavailable Supplements, Hydration & More) SAVE 20% ON YOUR FIRST ORDER!!!!

Motherlove Herbals (Save 15%!) 

Topics Covered: breastfeeding oral development, airway focused dentist, tongue tie breastfeeding, infant oral dysfunction, jaw development breastfeeding, palate development breastfeeding, nasal breathing baby, sleep disordered breathing infant, bottle feeding vs breastfeeding mechanics, breastfeeding latch problems, breastfeeding and airway health, early tongue tie signs, breastfeeding reflux symptoms, infant airway development, breastfeeding jaw growth, lactation consultant airway, mechanical benefits of breastfeeding

If you care about autonomy, informed consent, and saying no to pressure in pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding, this episode is for you.

In today’s conversation, I’m joined by doula and Holistic Pregnancy Podcast host, Taylor Shaffer, to unpack what real informed consent actually looks like (and why those hospital “consent forms” usually aren’t it).

We walk through the BRAIN method—Benefits, Risks, Alternatives, Intuition, and doing Nothing—so you can use it to make confident decisions about:

Prenatal tests

Inductions (especially in the busy holiday season)

Epidurals and birth interventions

Newborn procedures

Tongue tie releases

Formula “top offs” and early breastfeeding decisions

Whether you’re still pregnant or already holding your baby, this episode will help you recognize coercive language, spot red flags, and stand firm in your right to say no—in the hospital, at home, and in the postpartum/breastfeeding trenches.

You are not a “difficult patient.” You are a mother making informed, intentional choices for your body and your baby.

What informed consent really means (and why signing a hospital form is not the same thing)

The difference between liability-focused consent forms and true autonomy-centered informed consent

How to use the BRAIN method in real conversations with providers:

Benefits

Risks

Alternatives

Intuition

doing Nothing / waiting

Red flags that your provider is not giving you full informed consent:

How to tell the difference between a real emergency and “manufactured urgency”

Why it is never too late to switch providers—even late in pregnancy

How informed consent continues into postpartum and breastfeeding, not just birth

What informed consent looks like when:

Nurses are “helping” with latch in the hospital

You’re being pressured to supplement with formula

Someone says your baby is tongue tied and you “need a release”

Why you need a breastfeeding plan (not just a birth plan)

The role of doulas, IBCLCs, and holistic practitioners in supporting autonomy-centered care

FREE Breastfeeding Mistakes Guide - DOWNLOAD NOW

Access the Confident Mama Breastfeeding Academy for step-by-step guidance on protecting your milk supply, managing common breastfeeding struggles, and getting a pain-free latch: Nested and Nourished

Topics Covered in this episode:

informed consent pregnancy, informed consent birth, informed consent breastfeeding, BRAIN method birth, birth autonomy, pregnancy autonomy, natural birth informed consent, physiologic birth support, how to say no to interventions in labor, induction pressure holidays, informed consent tongue tie, tongue tie release informed consent, breastfeeding informed consent hospital, breastfeeding plan vs birth plan, advocacy in pregnancy and birth, holistic pregnancy podcast

Protecting Your Milk Supply During the Holidays: Breastfeeding Tips for Thanksgiving

In this episode of the Breastfeeding With Confidence Podcast, Jaimie Zaki, IBCLC and mom of five, shares essential tips for maintaining milk supply and avoiding common breastfeeding challenges during the holidays. Thanksgiving and other holiday gatherings can be joyful but overwhelming, and it’s common for breastfeeding moms to experience clogged ducts, mastitis, or temporary dips in milk supply due to skipped feeds or stress.

Jaimie busts popular myths, including concerns that herbs in holiday meals or moderate alcohol consumption can tank your milk supply, and offers practical strategies to keep both you and your baby comfortable and fed. She emphasizes the importance of self-awareness, prioritizing feeds, resting, babywearing, and setting boundaries to protect your milk supply and enjoy your holiday safely.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

Common holiday myths about breastfeeding and milk supply

How to prevent clogged ducts and mastitis during busy family gatherings

Tips for feeding your baby while staying part of holiday festivities

Using babywearing to keep your baby close and avoid missed feeds

Strategies for prioritizing rest and self-care while postpartum

How to navigate family dynamics and accept help without guilt

Practical reminders for maintaining milk supply, even with a hectic holiday schedule

Resources & Links:

Episode on Breastfeeding & Alcohol LISTEN HERE 

FREE Breastfeeding Mistakes Guide - DOWNLOAD NOW

Access the Confident Mama Breastfeeding Academy for step-by-step guidance on protecting your milk supply, managing common breastfeeding struggles, and getting a pain-free latch: littlebearlactation.com/library (use code PODCAST50for a discount)