I’ve been debating what I want to share with you all as far as this pregnancy goes. It’s not because I’m a super private person, we all know that isn’t true, but I never want to bore you guys by talking about myself all the time. However, I just had my 10 week ultrasound and it was very triggering for me. I’m sharing my story because I felt like if I’m dealing with this, then I can’t be the only one.

In this episode I share how ultrasound appointments are very emotional for me. I have PTSD from my ultrasound appointment where we found out we had lost baby C in my first pregnancy with my triplets. I also share how my 10 week ultrasound appointment went this time around and how there was a full-circle moment that brought on a whole new rush of emotions for me.

Being pregnant is scary. Some people have the easiest pregnancies in the world while many of us do not. If you find yourself in a similar situation to mine, I want to say that it’s okay and normal to feel emotional or upset. And I don’t think it’s unusual to go into these types of appointments with worry due to your past experiences. If you are currently pregnant or trying to conceive and have suffered from a loss, or multiple, I’m sorry that you’ve had to go through that.

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My friend Allegra Gast is back on the show with us today. She is also pregnant! Allegra is an IBCLC, a registered dietitian, and the face behind @aloha.nutrition on Instagram. Today she is sharing her top five tips, and more, on how to get your energy up during pregnancy!

If you aren’t familiar with Allegra, be sure to go back and listen to episodes five and nine. Allegra was a guest on those episodes as well. But in this episode we focus on things you can do right now, if you are currently pregnant, that will allow you to optimize your well being. So often we are told what not to eat as far as nutrition goes but Allegra shares what you should be adding to your diet instead.

She also talks about what your pregnancy cravings are trying to tell you. You should be listening to your body and trying to understand that it is telling you that it needs more of a certain nutrient. Allegra also shares simple, effective tips that you can do even if you are in the throes of your first trimester and don’t even want to get out of bed!

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Free Mineral Guide

Free Prenatal Vitamin Guide

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The last couple of months have been a lot of chaos around here. Before the chaos transpired I was really feeling spread thin. I had been prioritizing and reevaluating things and had come to the conclusion that I was just about ready to put my business pants on and jump head first into all things @bemybreastfriend.

Well all of that came to a halt when I noticed a major supply dip in the breast milk I was producing. Tune in to this episode to hear a major announcement! If you follow along on Instagram, you may have already heard but I share details of how we found out, how we told our family, how far along I am, and why I’m deciding to share this news when I am.

I am excited to finally be open about this news with you. I felt like I was misleading the community that I am here to serve most. I wasn’t being myself and it feels good to have the news out into the world. I want to thank you all for your well wishes and congratulations. You all have been overwhelmingly supportive and it is greatly appreciated.

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We are featuring a community member on the podcast this week. Sonia is a Nurse Practitioner who reached out to me asking if she could share more information about Indian breastfeeding culture. I was shocked to learn some of the information that Sonia shared and I know you will be enlightened as well.

Sonia is the mom to a four month old son and she shares how members from her Indian community made her feel guilty for pumping. They regard pumped milk as being different from milk that is fed to the baby directly from the boob. Sonia also shares that in Indian culture, women don’t breastfeed until 48-72 hours after the baby is born. Tune in to hear what they do with the colostrum.. Your jaw might hit the floor!

Article Sonia Mentions

IBCLC Resource Kristen Mentions


August 8-14: Indigenous Milk Medicine Week


August 15-21: Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Breastfeeding Week

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The question I get most often is how do I transition from exclusively breastfeeding to exclusively pumping? Today I will walk you through how to do exactly that!

The first step to making this transition a smooth one is to get on some sort of schedule. I tell you how many times a day I recommend pumping and when to pump. The other thing that is so important is to get baby used to a bottle. If you haven't listened to episode 10 of Tired Moms Club, go back and listen to that one before you listen to this episode. We talked about all things bottles in that episode.

If you start pumping and you're producing less milk than you think you should be, I explain what might be causing this and offer you some solutions. Now the tricky question I always get is, what if my baby is sleeping through the night? Should I wake myself up and pump? You’ll have to tune in to hear my thoughts on this!

There are so many great ways to make this transition but I know this episode will help point you in the right direction. I’m rooting for you and am always here to support you. Please, please reach out with any questions.

Links & Resources:

Unimom Opera + Discount

Episode 10 of Tired Moms Club with Courtney Olson

bemybreastfriend Nipple Ruler

Tamari’s Free Flange Ruler


Reel on Triggering Let Down

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This entire episode is dedicated to a specific product; the Ceres Chiller. I walk you through how to use this product and help calm some nerves if you have any hesitations toward using it. By the end of this episode you will have a better idea of how you should be using your Ceres Chiller, and how you shouldn’t.

There are two types of Ceres Chillers. Today I will go through the main differences between the two of them, what to do if/when your ice melts, and the reasons why I think this product is bullet proof compared to similar products on the market.

The great thing about this product is that it isn’t just a baby item. It is strategically designed to stick with you for life. I share the other ways you can use the Ceres Chiller beyond storing your breastmilk. If you have any questions about how to use this product, please reach out! If I can’t get you an answer I will direct you to someone who can. Happy pumping!

Ceres Chill Highlight on My Instagram

4 Ways to Use Your Ceres Chiller on Instagram

Chiller for Popsicles on Instagram

use BEMYBREASTFRIEND15 for 15% off at Cereschill.com

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Welcome back, my friends! It’s been a couple weeks since I’ve recorded and today I give you a little recap on what I’ve been up to lately. I give you a run down of how the very first Breast Day Meetup went. It took place at the beginning of September in the Chicago area. If you missed out on this in-person event, don’t worry - we’ve got more things planned. Tune in to this episode to hear  details.

The intention of the episode is to remind you that you do not have to go into labor feeling fully prepared to breastfeed. Whether this is your first baby, or maybe it has been several years since you last delivered, you don’t have to worry about how you are going to feed your baby. But there are certain things that I wish someone would have told me before I delivered my multiples to help me better prepare and that is what I share with you today.

I share several resources including a few workshops and courses created by dear friends of mine that I highly recommend. I go into the importance of knowing your correct flange size and how you can go about measuring this. I even give my personal recommendations for what pumps to use and which ones to avoid.

Remember, the only thing that is so important, and near and dear to my heart, is to not put pressure on yourself on how you’re going to feed your baby. You can very much take this day by day.

Links and Resources:

The Boob School by Kelly Kendall

Latched AF Workshop with Kelly Kendall

The Ultimate Pumping Course with Tamari Jacob

Kristin’s Pump Reviews

bemybreastfriend Nipple Ruler

One With The Pump Free Flange Ruler

Tired Moms Club Episode 10; Nipple Confusion and Flow with Courtney Olson

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Today is the last day of Black Breastfeeding Week and we are talking with Sierra Woods from @lovemelamama about the importance of this week. Sierra is an RN, IBCLC, and a postpartum doula. She owns her own practice in the Indianapolis area where she provides lactation and postpartum support to new parents.

Sierra explains why breastfeeding is so important to her and what inspired her to become an IBCLC. We often hear people ask why it is necessary to have a Black Breastfeeding Week and Sierra explains the statistics and history behind the urgency of spreading awareness about this topic. She gives us some insight on what this year’s theme, “We Are Back Outside” means to her and shares some recommendations for those who are listening who might be thinking to themselves, “Can I do it? Can I breastfeed?”

We both share our thoughts on what we hope you take away from this episode and from Black Breastfeeding Week as a whole. This week has such an important message behind it and we hope this conversation will help you understand why.

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Sierra’s Website

Sierra’s Emergency Form

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Did you ever watch Sister, Sister growing up? If so, then you’ll get the reference we use in this episode. Tamari Jacobs, from @onewiththepump, is back with us today and we are talking about how to politely ask someone to go home when you are recovering from the birth of your baby.

We both share our experiences with this difficult situation and how it can vary from person to person and from birth to birth. We both feel that as first time moms we were nervous to ask people to leave. But now that we’ve done this a time or two, we explain the best way to ask your family and friends to NOT visit you in the hospital.

People want to help. We know that. So we also talk about what you can ask them to do instead. Just remember, if you don’t want company, you don’t have to have company. I really hope this episode helps build your confidence to say no. After baby is born is your special time. Your time to establish your feeding routine and soak in baby in peace and quiet.

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Today’s topic is one of my passion projects; flange fitting. I found out the hard way, five years ago, that I wasn’t using the correct flange size. Over time, it became more and more obvious to me how little we know about this topic. In this episode I share why it is so important to have the correct flange size.

A couple of touch points I hit on today are when you should measure your nipples, how each of your nipples may not require the same size flange, and what to do once you’ve measured. You’ll hear why I compare wearing the wrong flange size to wearing the wrong size shoe. I’ll help you realize that once you do have the correct size, you will feel so much more comfortable, and hopefully as a result, produce more milk!

Nipple Damage Blog

bemybreastfriend Nipple Ruler

Tamari’s Free Flange Ruler Download

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