In this episode Katie Oshita and Karen Garcia discuss how bodywork and lactation work together.  As a practitioner of Osteopathic Manual Manipulation (OMM) and lactation, Dr Garcia is in a unique place to combine the two fields to help the dyad thrive.  From breast manipulation for mastitis to helping with body tension on tongue tied babies, Dr Garcia works with the whole dyad to achieve wellness.  Listen here for more details.

Podcast Guest: Dr. García is Board Certified in Pediatrics through the American Board of Pediatrics and American Osteopathic Board of Pediatrics. She is also one of the first physicians Board-Certified by the North American Board of Breastfeeding and Lactation Medicine. She maintains her Board-Certification as a Lactation Consultant by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners. She is an ongoing member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Osteopathic Association and Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine. 

She opened García Consulting and Lactation Services in 2023 to provide specialized care for more complex lactation related issues. Dr. García has been practicing pediatrics and newborn care in the Kalamazoo and Calhoun counties since 2012. Dr. García is hoping to support all of our communities that struggle with breastfeeding, and those communities with limited access to breastfeeding resources. Dr. García is collaborating with Milk Like Mine/Bellies Like Mine through our local Baby Café to further reach our Black, Brown and LBGTIA+ communities in Calhoun County.

Podcast Host: Katie Oshita, RN, BSN, IBCLC has over 25 years of experience working in Maternal-Infant Medicine.  While Katie sees clients locally in western WA, Katie is also a telehealth lactation consultant believing that clients anywhere in the world deserve the best care possible for their needs.  Being an expert on TOTs, Katie helps families everywhere navigate breastfeeding struggles, especially when related to tongue tie or low supply.  Katie is also passionate about finding the root cause of symptoms, using Functional Medicine practices to help client not just survive, but truly thrive. Email [email protected] or www.cuddlesandmilk.com 

Ever wondered what happens at a lactation visit?  What does an IBCLC do with the parent and the baby?  What types of visits are there?  What is different for a returning to work visit or a visit with a tongue tied baby?  In this episode, Katie Oshita addresses these questions and more, going into detail to help you understand some of the many things that can happen in a lactation consult.

Podcast Host: Katie Oshita, RN, BSN, IBCLC has over 25 years of experience working in Maternal-Infant Medicine.  While Katie sees clients locally in western WA, Katie is also a telehealth lactation consultant believing that clients anywhere in the world deserve the best care possible for their needs.  Being an expert on TOTs, Katie helps families everywhere navigate breastfeeding struggles, especially when related to tongue tie or low supply.  Katie is also passionate about finding the root cause of symptoms, using Functional Medicine practices to help client not just survive, but truly thrive. Email [email protected] or www.cuddlesandmilk.com 

It's not often you meet someone who has gone from a very allopathic profession to extremely holistic.  Adina Popov lives in Romania and started her career as a Pharmacist.  After having her children she felt passionate about lactation, studied and became an IBCLC.  Still seeing so many dyads struggling with wellness prompted her to study traditional homeopathy.  Listen as Katie Oshita and Adina Popov discuss why and how this radical shift happened for Adina and how she uses her holistic training to support new parents.

Podcast Guest: Adina Popov provides comprehensive and individualized in-person and virtual consults from pregnancy until childhood in Romanian or English. She uses integrative care when assisting families with breastfeeding difficulties including oral dysfunction, craniofacial asymmetries and variations, tongue/lip/buccal ties, low supply, regulating supply, reflux, painful latch, latching difficulties, getting babies back-to-breast etc. Adina has specialized training in oral reflexes and primitive reflexes integration. Adina uses Bach Flowers and is studying to become a homeopath at the International Academy of Classical Homeopathy.

Podcast Host: Katie Oshita, RN, BSN, IBCLC has over 24 years of experience working in Maternal-Infant Medicine.  While Katie sees clients locally in western WA, Katie is also a telehealth lactation consultant believing that clients anywhere in the world deserve the best care possible for their needs.  Being an expert on TOTs, Katie helps families everywhere navigate breastfeeding struggles, especially when related to tongue tie or low supply.  Katie is also passionate about finding the root cause of symptoms, using Functional Medicine practices to help client not just survive, but truly thrive. Email [email protected] or www.cuddlesandmilk.com 

Breastfeeding is a universal biological right.  It is what humans have been doing from the beginning of time.  While it is biologically normal, that doesn't mean it's easy.  Some places in the world have more support than others.  Indonesia has very few IBCLC's, bodyworkers and release providers.  Listen as Ingrid Siahaan and Katie Oshita discuss the joys and struggles of supporting families navigating feeding issues without the necessary support system.
 
Podcast Guest: Dr. Ingrid Siahaan, IBCLC, has been supporting mothers and infants in their breastfeeding journeys since 2016. Motivated by personal experiences overcoming diverse breastfeeding challenges with her four children, she earned her IBCLC certification in 2018.

Her practice emphasizes holistic lactation care, addressing functional breastfeeding, oral dysfunction, and postpartum interventions to optimize breastfeeding outcomes. Based in Medan, she provides in-person and virtual consultations, empowering mothers across Indonesia with evidence-based, compassionate support.

Podcast host: Katie Oshita, RN, BSN, IBCLC has over 24 years of experience working in Maternal-Infant Medicine.  While Katie sees clients locally in western WA, Katie is also a telehealth lactation consultant believing that clients anywhere in the world deserve the best care possible for their needs.  Being an expert on TOTs, Katie helps families everywhere navigate breastfeeding struggles, especially when related to tongue tie or low supply.  Katie is also passionate about finding the root cause of symptoms, using Functional Medicine practices to help client not just survive, but truly thrive. Email [email protected] or www.cuddlesandmilk.com 

For many parents, exclusive breastfeeding is difficult and supplementation must happen.  Many do what is referred to as "triple feeding" to breastfeed, bottle feed and then pump. It's exhausting and not sustainable long term.  While many IBCLC's know about at breast supplementation, most are either too intimidated or not knowledgeable enough to teach families how to use it.  Johanna Sargent is not only a huge advocate of at breast supplementation but also teaches IBCLC's about this method.  Making breastfeeding easier and more sustainable is always the goal.  Listen as Katie Oshita and Johanna Sargent discuss this and more.

Podcast Guest: Johanna Sargeant is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, teacher and writer based in Zurich, Switzerland. She is passionate about utilising her background in education, biological science, psychology and language to empower parents with empathetic support and evidence-based information through her private practice, Milk and Motherhood. 

Originally from Australia, Johanna provides much-needed English-speaking support to many thousands of parents throughout Switzerland and across Europe, and has recently created the new education modules for the European Society of Paediatric Research and the European Society of Neonatology. She has taught at the University of Zurich, has spoken as a panellist for the WHO’s Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative congress in Geneva, has been an expert speaker and facilitator for Google, and has presented at a variety of international conferences. The complexities of her personal feeding experiences fuels her passion for providing knowledgeable, guilt-free infant feeding support globally. 

Podcast host: Katie Oshita, RN, BSN, IBCLC has over 24 years of experience working in Maternal-Infant Medicine.  While Katie sees clients locally in western WA, Katie is also a telehealth lactation consultant believing that clients anywhere in the world deserve the best care possible for their needs.  Being an expert on TOTs, Katie helps families everywhere navigate breastfeeding struggles, especially when related to tongue tie or low supply.  Katie is also passionate about finding the root cause of symptoms, using Functional Medicine practices to help client not just survive, but truly thrive. Email [email protected] or www.cuddlesandmilk.com 

Most of the time sleep and breastfeeding feel like opposing forces, but they don't have to be.  Joy MacTavish is an IBCLC and a holistic sleep consultant who supports families to balance both wants and needs of their growing family.  Joy also supports many Queer families  and addresses their unique needs.  Listen as Joy MacTavish and Katie Oshita discuss managing all of these in ways to help each family thrive.

Podcast Guest: Joy MacTavish, MA, IBCLC, RLC is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant and certified Holistic Sleep Coach focusing on the intersections of infant feeding, sleep, and family well-being. Through her business, Sound Beginnings, she provides compassionate and evidence-based support to families in the greater Seattle area, and virtually everywhere else. She entered the perinatal field in 2007 as birth and postpartum doula, and childbirth and parenting educator. Joy holds a Master of Arts in Cultural Studies, graduate certificate in Gender, Women and Sexuality Studies, and two Bachelors degrees from the University of Washington. She enjoys combining her academic background, analytical skills, and passion for social justice into her personal and professional endeavors. Joy serves as an Advisory Committee Member and guest speaker for the GOLD Lactation Academy. When not working or learning, she can be found homeschooling, building LEGO with her children, or dreaming up her next big adventure.

Podcast host: Katie Oshita, RN, BSN, IBCLC has over 24 years of experience working in Maternal-Infant Medicine.  While Katie sees clients locally in western WA, Katie is also a telehealth lactation consultant believing that clients anywhere in the world deserve the best care possible for their needs.  Being an expert on TOTs, Katie helps families everywhere navigate breastfeeding struggles, especially when related to tongue tie or low supply.  Katie is also passionate about finding the root cause of symptoms, using Functional Medicine practices to help client not just survive, but truly thrive. Email [email protected] or www.cuddlesandmilk.com 

In this episode, Katie Oshita addresses many of the topics new parents need to know about.  From prenatal lactation to weaning, telehealth, and gut microbiome, lactation is a time of questions and concerns for most families.  Many aren't even sure what to ask or when to seek support.  If you have questions about skilled bodywork, galactagogues, or other new parent questions, this is the episode for you.

Podcast host: Katie Oshita, RN, BSN, IBCLC has over 24 years of experience working in Maternal-Infant Medicine.  While Katie sees clients locally in western WA, Katie is also a telehealth lactation consultant believing that clients anywhere in the world deserve the best care possible for their needs.  Being an expert on TOTs, Katie helps families everywhere navigate breastfeeding struggles, especially when related to tongue tie or low supply.  Katie is also passionate about finding the root cause of symptoms, using Functional Medicine practices to help client not just survive, but truly thrive. Email [email protected] or www.cuddlesandmilk.com 

Type 1 diabetes in infancy and toddler years is rare, but when it happens most families are not just encouraged but forced to wean from breastfeeding.  Erin Hayden-Baldauf has personal and professional experience with breastfeeding a T1D baby, and has written a book about the challenges this brings.  All IBCLC's supporting families need to know about these signs, options and resources to support these dyads.

Podcast Guest: Erin Hayden-Baldauf is a dedicated educator and creative writer with a passion for crafting engaging, heartwarming stories. With a PhD in Education and a master’s degree in Creative Writing, she blends formal training with personal experience to create stories that resonate with her readers.

Erin received her IBCLC certification in 2013 and has served numerous families as a childbirth educator and doula. As a mother of four, including a child with Type 1 Diabetes and Celiac disease, Erin infuses her fiction and nonfiction with real-life insights into managing complex medical conditions. 

In 2024, Erin founded BraveryBooks to bring her writing across genres together, celebrating the everyday acts of strength and bravery that make life special.

When she's not writing, Erin enjoys spending time with her family, exploring new recipes, and sharing her love for literature.

Podcast host: Katie Oshita, RN, BSN, IBCLC has over 24 years of experience working in Maternal-Infant Medicine.  While Katie sees clients locally in western WA, Katie is also a telehealth lactation consultant believing that clients anywhere in the world deserve the best care possible for their needs.  Being an expert on TOTs, Katie helps families everywhere navigate breastfeeding struggles, especially when related to tongue tie or low supply.  Katie is also passionate about finding the root cause of symptoms, using Functional Medicine practices to help client not just survive, but truly thrive. Email [email protected] or www.cuddlesandmilk.com 

Breastfeeding, chest feeding, body feeding, bottle-feeding.  There are many ways to feed an infant (this list doesn't even include cup feeding, finger feeding and more!).  Gender diverse and queer families need unique support when expecting and as new parents.  Their lactation consultant needs to be knowledgeable about inducing lactation with herbs or medications, alternative feeding methods and many other feeding options to support their needs.  Jacob Engelsman has written a book not only to help queen families, but to help lactation consultants and other providers learn and support these families better.  Listen as Katie Oshita and Jacob Engelsman discuss supporting Queer families in many different ways.

Podcast Guest: Jacob Engelsman is an IBCLC specializing in lactation support for gender diverse families. He is the author of Lactation for the Rest of Us: A Guide for Queer and Trans Parents and Helpers as well as many talks and articles on how clinicians can better support LGBTQIA+ families.

Podcast host: Katie Oshita, RN, BSN, IBCLC has over 24 years of experience working in Maternal-Infant Medicine.  While Katie sees clients locally in western WA, Katie is also a telehealth lactation consultant believing that clients anywhere in the world deserve the best care possible for their needs.  Being an expert on TOTs, Katie helps families everywhere navigate breastfeeding struggles, especially when related to tongue tie or low supply.  Katie is also passionate about finding the root cause of symptoms, using Functional Medicine practices to help client not just survive, but truly thrive. Email [email protected] or www.cuddlesandmilk.com 

Bottles are actually not an innate skill.  Babies are born knowing how to breastfeed, and with many reflexes to support the process.  However bottle are not like the breast (no matter how much the packaging claims it's "just like the breast") and it is a skill that needs to be taught and learned, by both parents and babies.  Unfortunately most hospitals and Pediatricians hand out a bottle without any thought into the design, flow rate, or teaching the skill.  Susan Howard works with a lot of bottle refusal babies, and has many classes for providers to learn more as well.  Since new bottles are always coming out on the market staying current on new products is essential to supporting dyads with feeding.  Much of the common "strategies" for bottle refusal usually make things worse, such as "wait until baby is very hungry" or "constantly wiggle the bottle to keep baby feeding".  Learn more about bottle skills here.

Podcast Guest:  Susan Howard MSN, RN, IBCLC is a Registered Nurse, an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant and a leader in women and infant health. She has been in maternal infant health for 27 years first as a labor and delivery nurse, a childbirth educator and as a breastfeeding educator. 

Susan took a brief hiatus from maternal child nursing to oversee clinical trials at Georgetown Medical Center and was on faculty at Georgetown School of Nursing. Susan obtained her certification as a lactation consultant in 2011. She owns a private practice in the Washington DC area. 

Susan has advanced training and a special interest in complex feeding issues, including tongue tie, low milk supply, and bottle-refusing babies. She teaches various feeding and parenting classes, and she hosts a popular feeding and parenting support groups.  

Professionally, she lectures on supporting the bottle-refusing baby. You can learn more about her bottle skills workshops for IBCLCs that focus on strategies to support the bottle refusing dyad.  

Podcast host: Katie Oshita, RN, BSN, IBCLC has over 24 years of experience working in Maternal-Infant Medicine.  While Katie sees clients locally in western WA, Katie is also a telehealth lactation consultant believing that clients anywhere in the world deserve the best care possible for their needs.  Being an expert on TOTs, Katie helps families everywhere navigate breastfeeding struggles, especially when related to tongue tie or low supply.  Katie is also passionate about finding the root cause of symptoms, using Functional Medicine practices to help client not just survive, but truly thrive. Email [email protected] or www.cuddlesandmilk.com