Makes Milk with Emma Pickett: breastfeeding from the beginning to the end

There are many outdated perceptions and myths around Down syndrome, one being that ‘babies with Down syndrome can’t breastfeed.’ March 21st is World Down Syndrome day and this year’s theme is #EndTheStereotypes. Peer supporter Sarah Ojar, breastfeeding coordinator for the charity ‘Positive about Down Syndrome’, shares her experience of breastfeeding her son Zephy and working with other breastfeeding families and explains that breastfeeding can be a positive and happy experience, especially with support.

You can follow Sarah on Instagram @chromosomes_and_curls

My new book, ‘Supporting the Transition from Breastfeeding: a Guide to Weaning for Professionals, Supporters and Parents’, is out now.

You can get 10% off the book at the Jessica Kingsley press website, that's uk.jkp.com using the code MMPE10 at checkout.

Follow me on Twitter @MakesMilk and on Instagram  @emmapickettibclc or find out more on my website www.emmapickettbreastfeedingsupport.com

Resources mentioned - 

The Lived Experience - Breastfeeding a baby with Down syndrome www.positiveaboutdownsyndrome.co.uk/breastfeeding/

https://positiveaboutdownsyndrome.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/12112-PADS-Breastfeeding-Report_Oct2022.pdf

DSUK - Down Syndrome UK www.downsyndromeuk.co.uk

Breastfeeding a baby with Down Syndrome - The Breastfeeding Network www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/breastfeeding-information/diversity-in-breastfeeding/breastfeeding-a-baby-with-downs-syndrome/

This podcast is presented by Emma Pickett IBCLC, and produced by Emily Crosby Media.

Today’s episode is a wide ranging discussion about all the things you can expect from the fourth trimester, those first few months with your new baby. 

I’m joined by Lucy Webber IBCLC, a former midwife who went into private practice following the birth of her third child. Her new book, Breastfeeding and the Fourth Trimester, is out now. Lucy shares her wealth of experience and knowledge on hunger cues, recovering from a difficult birth, the early days of breastfeeding, pain and faltering growth, and towards the end of the episode, we bust some breastfeeding myths.

You can find out more about Lucy at www.lmjinfantfeedingsupport.com

My new book, ‘Supporting the Transition from Breastfeeding: a Guide to Weaning for Professionals, Supporters and Parents’, is out now.

You can get 10% off the book at the Jessica Kingsley press website, that's uk.jkp.com using the code MMPE10 at checkout.

Follow me on Twitter @MakesMilk and on Instagram  @emmapickettibclc or find out more on my website www.emmapickettbreastfeedingsupport.com

Resources mentioned -

Lucy’s book,  Breastfeeding and the Fourth Trimester: A supportive, expert guide to the first three months

English Language Videos - Global Health Media Project https://globalhealthmedia.org/language/english/?_sft_topic=breastfeeding

Breastfeeding Support - Breastfeeding tips, tricks & support https://breastfeeding.support/

Lucy’s Facebook group, Breastfeeding Autistic Children https://www.facebook.com/groups/1528426334368681

This podcast is presented by Emma Pickett IBCLC, and produced by Emily Crosby Media.

If you are breastfeeding, your breasts are going to be central to your success! Changes in breast health, from nipple damage and infection to breast cancer, can impact heavily your breastfeeding journey. In the most extreme cases, they can force a breastfeeding parent to stop nursing before they are ready.

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr Justice Reilly, an IBCLC, medical doctor and expert in all things breast health. We talk about breast cancer screening and treatment while lactating, abscesses and other breast health concerns, and how to look after your breasts during nursing and beyond.

My new book, ‘Supporting the Transition from Breastfeeding: a Guide to Weaning for Professionals, Supporters and Parents’, is out now.

You can get 10% off the book at the Jessica Kingsley press website, that's uk.jkp.com using the code MMPE10 at checkout.

Follow me on Twitter @MakesMilk and on Instagram  @emmapickettibclc or find out more on my website www.emmapickettbreastfeedingsupport.com

Find out more about Dr Justice at her website https://breastmed.co.uk/ and @breastmed on instagram

Resources mentioned - 

Breast imaging recommendation in pregnant and lactating women - RAD Magazine Article by Justice and Sau Lee Chang https://www.radmagazine.com/scientific-article/breast-imaging-recommendation-in-pregnant-and-lactating-women/

Breastfeeding course for medical students (unfortunately no longer free): https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/an-introduction-to-breast-feeding-for-medical-students

Amma Birth Companions https://ammabirthcompanions.org/

Mummy's Star Charity https://www.mummysstar.org/

Spectrum (spectrumlactation.org) and @spectrumlactation on instagram

Katrina Mitchell’s website https://physicianguidetobreastfeeding.org/

ABM Clinical Protocol #34: Breast Cancer and Breastfeeding https://www.bfmed.org/assets/DOCUMENTS/PROTOCOLS/Protocol%20%2334%20-%20English%20Translation.pdf

Breastfeeding for Doctors https://breastfeedingfordoctors.org/

This podcast is presented by Emma Pickett IBCLC, and produced by Emily Crosby Media.

Who are the ‘Great Pretenders’?  These are babies born between 34 and 38 plus 6 weeks. They might be multiples, pre-term babies, late pre-term babies or early term babies. Lactation Consultant Kathryn Stagg calls these babies the Great Pretenders. They might appear to be ‘full term’, but often struggle to establish breastfeeding because of their prematurity.

In this episode, Kathryn helps me explore the challenges and joys of these babies. We talk about the hospital experience, techniques to try to ensure that sleepy babies receive enough milk, and how to support breastfeeding going forward.

My new book, ‘Supporting the Transition from Breastfeeding: a Guide to Weaning for Professionals, Supporters and Parents’, is out now.

You can get 10% off the book at the Jessica Kingsley press website, that's uk.jkp.com using the code MMPE10 at checkout.

Follow me on Twitter @MakesMilk and on Instagram  @emmapickettibclc or find out more on my website www.emmapickettbreastfeedingsupport.com

Kathryn Stagg IBCLC is an author and founder of an amazing charity, Breastfeeding Twins and Triplets UK. You can find out more about her on her website https://kathrynstaggibclc.com/

Resources mentioned - 

Breastfeeding 36 or 37 week babies article https://kathrynstaggibclc.com/2019/04/06/breastfeeding-babies-born-at-36-or-37-weeks/

Breastfeeding Twins and Triplets article https://breastfeedingtwinsandtriplets.co.uk/

Kathryn’s book - Breastfeeding Twins and Triplets https://uk.jkp.com/products/breastfeeding-twins-and-triplets

ABM Beyond Bottles video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLGqB3kaP6s

This podcast is presented by Emma Pickett IBCLC, and produced by Emily Crosby Media.

Weaning a two year old booby monster while pregnant with your second child is a challenge! 

Rhea has breastfed her daughter Ilaria responsively for two years and they’ve found the weaning process tricky at times. In this episode, we talk about the emotional journey that they have been on together, and some new ideas that Rhea can perhaps use to ease the transition to being a mother to two in the coming weeks.

My new book, ‘Supporting the Transition from Breastfeeding: a Guide to Weaning for Professionals, Supporters and Parents’, is out now.

You can get 10% off the book at the Jessica Kingsley press website, that's uk.jkp.com using the code MMPE10 at checkout.

Follow me on Twitter @MakesMilk and on Instagram  @emmapickettibclc or find out more on my website www.emmapickettbreastfeedingsupport.com

This podcast is presented by Emma Pickett IBCLC, and produced by Emily Crosby Media.

My new book, ‘Supporting the Transition from Breastfeeding: a Guide to Weaning for Professionals, Supporters and Parents’, is out today! 

To celebrate, in this episode I’ll be answering more of your weaning questions from Instagram. 

And exclusively for this episode, you can get 25% off the book at the Jessica Kingsley press website, that's uk.jkp.com. Add the code STBPR25 at checkout to get 25% off.

Follow me on Twitter @MakesMilk and on Instagram  @emmapickettibclc or find out more on my website www.emmapickettbreastfeedingsupport.com

Questions answered in this episode - 

02:59 How do I handle my emotions when I'm so scared to try and wean, but I'm so desperate? 

07:01 What are typical weaning symptoms for a parent?

11:04 Please cover stopping feeding to sleep as part of the weaning process.

23:45 More booby monster weaning please! How do you stop when the language skills and all the communication isn't there?

34:48 Talk about the impact of weaning on the emotional health of the child.

41:09 Is there any evidence that night weaning will promote babies sleeping through the night?

46:46 How do you occasionally stop the older toddler from nursing to sleep when it's all they've ever known? And how do you involve the non -breastfeeding partner in making the child fall asleep?

49:10 I've noticed a correlation between the moments when I tried to hold a breastfeeding boundary with my two year old and her rejecting me in favour of her dad. On reflection, this seems logical, she feels rejected in some way. But she's rejecting me and I wondered if this was common?

52:00 How do I encourage my toddler to drink water or milk from a cup, not from me?

54:28 Advice for weaning the feed before their nap due to returning to work because I'm not going to be there to feed them to sleep?

59:21 How do you stop breastfeeding a baby if they're 11 months old, and they don't have any other comforter or dummy and they've refused a bottle?

1:01:40 Is it possible, is it fair, to keep feeding to sleep and feeding for certain day feeds, and to stop feeding overnight?

1:05:12 Do you have any advice on avoiding mastitis or painfully full breasts? I find that I'm quite uncomfortable on the few occasions we've been apart for 24 hours, so not sure how I'll go on once I start weaning.

1:06:55 I'd love to hear about weaning and timing with the transition of moving their child to their own bed.

1:09:08 Is there an ideal order when it comes to potty training and weaning?

Resources mentioned - 

Guided meditation for bedtime - https://www.emmapickettbreastfeedingsupport.com/guided-visualisation

Effect of Current Breastfeeding on Sleep Patterns in Infants from Asia Pacific Region study

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22616943/

Sleep study - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36265054/

This podcast is presented by Emma Pickett IBCLC, and produced by Emily Crosby Media.

How will you remember your final feed? Are you happy to say goodbye to breastfeeding without an occasion, or would you like to mark the event in some way?

In this episode, I talk to Lucy Cass about her weaning journey, and the Moon Day ritual that she celebrated when her daughter, Joy, weaned at 2 and a half. 

Find out more about breastfeeding and chest feeding older babies and children in my book Supporting Breastfeeding Past the First Six Months and Beyond: A Guide for Professionals and Parents

Get 10% off my books with the code MMPE10 from 21st December 2023. Find them at https://uk.jkp.com/collections/author-emma-pickett-pid-240164

Follow me on Twitter @MakesMilk and on Instagram  @emmapickettibclc or find out more on my website www.emmapickettbreastfeedingsupport.com

Books mentioned -

Booby Moon, by Yvette Reid

My Milk Will Go, Our Love Will Grow, by Jessica Elder

Loving Comfort, by Julie Dillemuth

This podcast is presented by Emma Pickett IBCLC, and produced by Emily Crosby Media.

A difficult start doesn’t have to spell the end of your breastfeeding journey. 
In this episode, I’m speaking to Emily Sanderson about how she overcame the struggle of an undiagnosed tongue tie and a 19% weight loss in the first few days of her daughter Elsie’s life. Although Emily was failed at several points in her hospital experience, thanks to having expressed lots of colostrum antenatally and finally getting the help she needed, a year on, she and Elsie are thriving. 

Today’s episode was recorded under slightly different circumstances due to a Wifi fail and recording in a car, so apologies if Emma’s sound isn’t ideal.

Find out more about breastfeeding and chest feeding older babies and children in my book Supporting Breastfeeding Past the First Six Months and Beyond: A Guide for Professionals and Parents

Get 10% off my books with the code MMPE10 from 21st December 2023. Find them at https://uk.jkp.com/collections/author-emma-pickett-pid-240164

Follow me on Twitter @MakesMilk and on Instagram  @emmapickettibclc or find out more on my website www.emmapickettbreastfeedingsupport.com

Resources mentioned - 

Get the ABM Team Baby course here www.abm.me.uk/product/team-baby-online-course/

And find out more about expressing colostrum here www.abm.me.uk/breastfeeding-information/antenatal-expression-colostrum/

This podcast is presented by Emma Pickett IBCLC, and produced by Emily Crosby Media.

I could have asked my guest this week, Dr Lyndsey Hookway, to talk about just about any aspect of breastfeeding. Lyndsey is an author and educator, a paediatric nurse, a health visitor and IBCLC and a researcher, and you might be most familiar with her work on sleep. But this time, we chose to talk about  her project, ‘Breastfeeding the Brave’, which focuses on breastfeeding medically complex infants and children under paediatric clinical care. We talk about breastfeeding a sick child, the challenges in a hospital setting, standards in paediatric care, and supporting weaning for children with complex medical needs, amongst many other things.

Find out more about breastfeeding and chest feeding older babies and children in my book Supporting Breastfeeding Past the First Six Months and Beyond: A Guide for Professionals and Parents

Get 10% off my books with the code MMPE10 from 21st December 2023. Find them at https://uk.jkp.com/collections/author-emma-pickett-pid-240164

Follow me on Twitter @MakesMilk and on Instagram  @emmapickettibclc or find out more on my website www.emmapickettbreastfeedingsupport.com

Resources mentioned - 

Breastfeeding the Brave - Lyndsey Hookway

Why Childhood Illness Matters - Lyndsey Hookway – Pinter & Martin (pinterandmartin.com)

Breastfeeding/Lactation Knowledge & Advocacy | Hospital Infant Feeding Network (hifn.org)

Breastfeeding for Doctors

Unicef UK Baby Friendly Initiative Guide to Children's Hospital Settings Standards - Baby Friendly Initiative

This podcast is presented by Emma Pickett IBCLC, and produced by Emily Crosby Media.

This podcast is presented by Emma Pickett IBCLC, and produced by Emily Crosby Media.