Makes Milk with Emma Pickett

This episode does contain discussion of miscarriage, stillbirth and infant death.

This week, I’m speaking to Charlotte Mills, a midwife and IBCLC, whose third son, Robin, died before his birth at 20 weeks. Charlotte talks about losing Robin and her decision to continue lactating. She donated Robin’s milk to the Hearts Milk Bank where it went on to support premature and vulnerable babies.

We talk about the importance of discussing lactation after loss and the value donation can bring some parents. It’s not the right choice for everyone, but everyone deserves to have information about their options and how to manage milk production after their baby dies.

You may find the following resources helpful - 

Find Charlotte at @birthtale on Instagram 

Chester Milk Bank’s resource on donating after loss https://www.milkbankatchester.org.uk/donationafterloss/memorymilkgift/

Hearts Milk Bank’s resource on being a Snowdrop Donor: https://humanmilkfoundation.org/hearts-milk-bank/donating-after-bereavement/

https://www.tommys.org/

https://www.sands.org.uk/

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.

This week, I have the privilege of chatting with Ellie Warner, a hairdresser from Leeds, about her breastfeeding journey with her son, Ezra.

Ellie initially knew little about breastfeeding but had an instinctual desire to do it. Ellie faced challenges, including gestational diabetes, a tongue-tie and torticollis, which eventually contributed to a breast abscess developing within weeks of Ezra’s birth. But Ellie was not to be deterred! At the same time she became a peer supporter and is passionate about providing support for working-class mothers.

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.

Look on instagram for @tortibreastfeeding for Nicola Walker’s discussion on torticollis and breastfeeding. 

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.

This week, I’m talking to Eleanor Nightingale about her breastfeeding experience with Bell's Palsy. During the birth of her daughter Hattie, Eleanor had an emergency forceps delivery, extensive tearing and haemorrhage. Six days later, the left side of her face became paralysed and after a rushed trip to A&E fearing a stroke, Eleanor was diagnosed and treated for Bell’s Palsy.

Eleanor faced several challenges with breastfeeding, from trouble latching and tongue tie to sleep deprivation, but overcame them with support from her husband and a lactation consultant. Despite her difficulties, she successfully breastfed her daughter, Hattie, for two years and shares her weaning experience here too. Eleanor also shares practical tips to help others who might be struggling with Bell’s Palsy in the postnatal period.

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.

If there was a Breastfeeding Hall of Fame, my guest this week would certainly have a place. Laura has breastfed her three children, Beatrice, Joseph and Georgina, for 11 years and 3 months. She talks to me about the challenges she has overcome, including a traumatic NICU experience with her first child, her decision not to pump, the benefits of tandem feeding, and the emotional journey of weaning her children. Laura's story highlights the significance of community and personal commitment in reaching your breastfeeding goals, whatever they are.

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

Shout out to the following people who helped Laura on her journey - 

Avni Trivedi www.avni-touch.com

Cordelia Uys www.cordeliauys.co.uk

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

This week, I’m delighted to speak to Sam Petridis, a neonatal nurse and IBCLC, about her breastfeeding and neonatal care. She is Baby Friendly Initiative Lead for her hospital, so we discuss what that means, and what the UNICEF guidelines mean for breastfeeding.

Sam explains the different levels of neonatal care (Levels 1, 2, and 3) and the importance of early breastfeeding and skin-to-skin contact. She talks about leading the way on Baby Friendly accreditation, the challenges of balancing medical protocols with parent-led feeding, the benefits of donor milk, and how COVID-19 impacted life on the neonatal ward. 

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

For more information about milk donation after loss, contact https://www.milkbankatchester.org.uk/donationafterloss/memorymilkgift/

https://humanmilkfoundation.org/hearts-milk-bank/donating-after-bereavement/

For support for premature and sick babies, contact https://www.bliss.org.uk/

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

This week, I’m delighted to be joined by Dr. Vicky Sibson, Director of the First Steps Nutrition Trust, to talk about the challenges and regulations surrounding infant formula marketing. Vicky explains the importance of the WHO Code, which aims to protect infant health by regulating the marketing of breast milk substitutes, and clarifies what infant formula companies should and shouldn’t be doing in the UK. We also talk about the impact of digital marketing, the high costs of formula, and the role of baby clubs in undermining breastfeeding, and Vicky gives her advice on how to approach buying formula in a supermarket.

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 formula on InfantMilkInformation.org

And find out more about infant nutrition and the work of First Steps Nutrition Trust on their website - https://www.firststepsnutrition.org/

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

Louise’s story might be a difficult listen if you have suffered from depression, anxiety, or postnatal depression, but it is a story that she feels is helpful to share, and I am so grateful that she has. 

Louise Chappell went into her pregnancy and birth excited and happy, but after her son Robin was born, anxiety and trauma surfaced, and she became fixated on her feelings of inadequacy over breastfeeding and fear. It was the chance meeting of a former-health visitor friend that finally got her the care she needed - a seven week stay in a mother and baby unit, plus medication and talking therapy. Throughout her stay she continued to breastfeed as she recovered, and it slowly transformed into a happy bonding experience.

Find Louise on Facebook @louisechappell

Leeds Bosom Buddies is on Instagram @leedsbosombuddies

Information on antidepressants and breastfeeding here:

Antidepressants and Breastfeeding - The Breastfeeding Network

PANDAS for PND support: Postnatal depression – PANDAS Foundation UK

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.

Sometimes our children can be our greatest teachers. That’s certainly what my guest this week, Bec, believes. 

Although she was a midwife before she was a mother, Bec has learnt so much about mothering and herself since having Lily two and half years ago. Their journey began with a peaceful water birth at 42 weeks, but continued with vomiting and possible reflux, leading to breast refusal. Bec talks openly about that breast refusal period and how it felt. Since those early struggles, they have slowed down together, and learnt to take each day as it comes. Lily is now a thriving boobie monster toddler.

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.

It’s a pleasure to have Molly Morgan back with me today, to answer your questions about starting nursery and breastfeeding. 

You can find out more about Molly on Instagram at @molly_foxandthemoon and www.foxandthemoon.co.uk

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

Questions answered - 

1:59 Do I need to gradually reduce my 10-month-old’s day feeds and feeding to sleep for naps, so that he's more prepared for starting nursery?

5:57  My 18-month-old still won't eat at nursery, but takes pumped milk. I'm now being told to limit breastfeeding and sending pumped milk. What do I do?

9:04 I’m preparing for going back to work, not feeding as much during the day, and when I finally do feed my child, there's a lot of milk in my breasts and they are being sick. Is this normal? Is this a worry?

11:25 What practical things does someone need to think about if they're going back to work at six months? 

18:11 My one-year-old refuses milk when at nursery, even though I provided him with bottles. I think that this is adding to him being very up and down at nursery. What can we do?

20:51 How do we know a baby is getting enough milk/fluids? Should they be drinking intuitively at 13 months?

23:27 What do I do when a 12/13-month-old asks for a breastfeed the minute we pick up from nursery, sometimes to the point of being very upset if they don't get it straight away?

29:15 I'll be going back to work four days a week, from 7am to 6:30pm and my son will be going to nursery. Will he manage on a feed before and after work?

38:11 Most nurseries don't exclude children with hand, foot and mouth disease, but it can end breastfeeding journeys. What are your thoughts?

42:34 My child is a Velcro baby. Would nursery or a childminder be better if they're very sensitive and higher needs?

51:12 My 10-month-old is refusing solids because they're teething. They refuse bottles and cups. Will he be okay for 8.5 hours?

We mentioned Stacey Zimmels @feedeatspeak on Instagram

 And here’s my nursing strike article:

"It's like a switch has flipped": The older baby nursing strike - The Natural Parent Magazine

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

In this episode I’m talking about natural term breastfeeding with someone who has both personal and professional experience of it. Olivia Hinge is an IBCLC, midwife and mum of three, currently breastfeeding her youngest child (who makes a sleepy appearance in the episode).

We talk about the realities of breastfeeding support on the maternity ward and what training Olivia would provide to all hospital staff if she had a magic wand, as well as Olivia’s own breastfeeding and weaning journey. Olivia’s brand new book on infant feeding is available now.

Find Olivia on Instagram @olivia_lactation_consultant

and get her new book here https://www.yellowkitebooks.co.uk/titles/olivia-hinge/a-judgement-free-guide-to-feeding-your-baby/9781399731904/

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.