In this episode of the Patient Innovations Podcast, hosts Rashmi Kandwal and Colleen Rogers explore breastfeeding from three perspectives: lived experience, clinical medicine, and maternal health innovation.

New mom and content creator Brittany Runck opens up about her fertility journey, a NICU stay with her son Briggs, and what she calls the "middle ground" that doesn't get talked about enough. Dr. Michelle Haggerty, DO, MPH, IBCLC — founder of Fourth Trimester Doc — brings clinical precision to the question of why postpartum care in America is failing mothers, and what it looks like to actually fix it. And Ashley Mooneyham, PhD, co-founder and CEO of Momease Solutions, shares the research behind a 97% dissatisfaction rate with breast pumps — and the startup she built to do something about it.

Every feeding path is real. Every mother deserves support.

Top Learnings From This Episode

• What the "fourth trimester" is and why it matters for maternal health
• Matrescence: the birth of a mother, and why it deserves the same attention as adolescence
• Why 60% of maternal deaths happen postpartum — and 85% are considered preventable
• The connection between lactation and maternal mental health
• Why breastfeeding reduces long-term risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and certain cancers
• New clinical data: 10-20% of mothers physiologically cannot fully breastfeed
• New treatment guidelines for mastitis (it's inflammatory — not always bacterial)
• What's wrong with the standard six-week postpartum visit, and what better care looks like
• Why 97% of mothers surveyed were dissatisfied with their breast pump experience
• Supporting pumping moms in the workplace: rights, tools, and what employers can do
• The NICU experience and the unique breastfeeding challenges NICU families face

Featured Guests

• Brittany Runck — Content creator and new mom sharing her fertility journey, NICU experience with her son Briggs, and the realities of early motherhood. Instagram and TikTok: @BrittanyRunck
• Dr. Michelle Haggerty, DO, MPH, IBCLC of Fourth Trimester Doc — Physician board-certified in family medicine, integrative medicine, and lactation, providing in-home postpartum medical care for mothers and newborns. Currently in-network with Blue Cross Blue Shield.
• Ashley Mooneyham, PhD of Momease Solutions — Co-founder and CEO of a maternal health startup built on the voices of over 2,000 mothers. 2024 Minnesota Cup Grand Prize winner and 2025 HealthcareMN Startup of the Year.

Hosted By

• Rashmi Kandwal
• Colleen Rogers

Connect With Our Guests

• Brittany Runck on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brittanyrunck
• Fourth Trimester Doc: https://fourthtrimesterdoc.com
• Momease Solutions: https://momease.com
• Petal Soft Breast Flange on IndieGoGo (launching summer 2026): https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/momease

Resources From This Episode

Find Lactation Support

• ILCA Lactation Consultant Directory: https://www.ilca.org/why-ibclc/falc
• La Leche League International: https://www.llli.org
• La Leche League of MN and the Dakotas: https://www.lllofmndas.org
• Minnesota WIC Breastfeeding Hotline (free): 1-800-708-9010 | https://www.health.state.mn.us/people/wic/bf/index.html

Maternal Mental Health

• Postpartum Support International: https://www.postpartum.net
• PSI Helpline: 1-800-944-4773 | Text: 503-894-9453
• PSI Minnesota Chapter: https://psichapters.com/mn
• Mothers on Edge: https://www.mothersonedge.org
• Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance: https://www.mmhla.org

NICU Family Support

• Ronald McDonald House Upper Midwest: https://rmhc-uppermidwest.org
• Everyday Miracles (MN): https://www.everyday-miracles.org

Workplace Pumping

• PUMP Act / FLSA Break Time for Nursing Mothers: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/73-flsa-break-time-nursing-mothers
• Business Case for Breastfeeding (employer toolkit): https://womenshealth.gov
• Mamava: https://www.mamava.com
• MilkMate: https://milkmate.com

Feeding Equity and Advocacy

• Fed Is Best Foundation: https://www.fedisbest.org
• Black Mamas Matter Alliance: https://blackmamasmatter.org
• Minnesota Perinatal Network: https://www.mnperinatal.org

Find a Doula

• DONA International: https://www.dona.org/find-a-doula

About the Patient Innovations Podcast The Patient Innovations Podcast brings together patients, clinicians, innovators, and healthcare leaders to explore how lived experience and human-centered innovation are reshaping healthcare.

Listen and subscribe: https://healthcare.mn/podcast Contact: [email protected]

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