In this bonus episode of Ask the Expert, Annie & Leah interview Nichelle Clark, Certified Breastfeeding Specialist, about her amazing story of relactation during the pandemic. Nichelle offers valuable insights on how lactation consultants can support families who are providing their babies with expressed milk. As Nichelle puts it, “Pumping is breastfeeding” and Annie & Leah are here for it!

Nichelle Clark, CBS is the owner of Sunshine and Rainbows Lactation Services. Nichelle’s journey is unique in that not only did she solely pump for 17 months, but she has started relactation during the pandemic.

Nichelle focuses on normalizing exclusive pumping because it is not something that is usually talked about. Nichelle struggled a bit to find a place where she felt connected to the breastfeeding community. By sharing her store, she helps other families feel less alone and inspires other lactation professionals to push themselves to be better able to support these families.

“And that's why like being told you're wrong can be one of the best experiences you can have in your life.”

In this episode, we will cover:

• Finding support for the journey of exclusive pumping (04:59)
• The things no one tells about weaning (08:45)
• Destigmatizing the use of expressed milk (10:30)
• Raising awareness that lactation consultants are not just for feeding at the breast (18:35)
• Creating the community for others she wished she had (20:12)

Links and Resources

• Nichelle’s website: sonshineandrainbowslactation.com
• Nichelle on IG: instagram.com/sonshineandrainbowslactation
• Nichelle on Facebook: facebook.com/SonShineAndRainbowsLactationServices
• paperlesslactation.com/equity
• Subscribe to the Deeper Dive Membership: https://learn.paperlesslactation.com/subscription/deeper-dive-membership
• Have an idea for a podcast episode or a Deeper Dive? Let us know! https://learn.paperlesslactation.com/form/collaborate

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About Us

Leah Jolly is a private practice IBCLC with Bay Area Breastfeeding in Houston, Texas.

Annie Frisbie is a private practice IBCLC serving Queens and Brooklyn in New York City and the creator of the Lactation Consultant Private Practice Toolkit.

Many thanks to Stephanie Granade for her production assistance, and to Silas Wade for creating our theme music