Pregnancy is both exciting and confusing, especially if you’re a first-time mom-to-be. It’s easy to get wrapped up in the labor and delivery part of the action and many moms spend so much time focusing on bringing baby into the world that they forget about the rest. But once the delivery is done and you have a new little love in your hands, absolutely everything changes. 

For many moms, one of the most time-consuming and all-encompassing postpartum tasks is breastfeeding. A newborn baby feeds every two to three hours, eight to 12 times a day, around the clock. For the ill-prepared, this new schedule can come as a bit of a shock to the system. So what can moms do to get ready for the demands of breastfeeding? That’s what we are going to talk about today. 

Our guest for this episode is Albany, New York-based IBCLC Patty Lane. Patty has been an IBCLC for over 25 years and has a special place in her heart helping parents on their breastfeeding journey. 

We all know that breastmilk is produced naturally by mommas, starting as early as pregnancy. But most of us don’t know that it actually has superpowers. From being able to help baby fight off viruses and bacteria to actually raising their IQ, giving your little one their daily doses of magic milk is a lot more beneficial than you might think. 

The advantages don’t stop at baby either. Studies have shown that breastfeeding mommas lose weight faster, have less bleeding and an easier recovery postpartum, and some research even links breastfeeding to lower rates of breast and ovarian cancer later in life. So does breastfeeding really live up to the hype? Let’s find out. 

With us today is Madison, Wisconsin-based IBCLC, Lori Theisen who is part of the team at Nest Collaborative. Get ready to be surprised and inspired by all the amazing things your milk can do for you and your little one!

On today’s show, we are talking about an issue that’s been in the spotlight quite a bit lately. You might have heard about the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2021, a collection of 12 bills introduced by several members of Congress and the Black Maternal Health Caucus to comprehensively address every dimension of the black maternal health crisis in America. 

Here’s a scary fact. We live in the richest country on the globe, yet the U.S. has the highest rate of maternal deaths in the world. Black moms are three to four times more likely to die in childbirth than their white counterparts. And for black women, access to resources, education, and maternal healthcare isn’t even close to where it should be. Now, of course, this is a breastfeeding podcast, which occupies just one tiny aspect of maternal healthcare. But we wanted to make sure we addressed the issues from our perspective, because even from our little corner of the world, we know that black women are not represented or supported the way that they should be. So let’s find out why.

Our guest today is Harlem-based IBCLC LaShanda Dandrich who knows a thing or two about supporting black families on their breastfeeding journeys.  In addition to her work with Nest Collaborative, LaShanda also owns the Uptown Village Cooperative, a maternal health group that provides education and support around gentle birthing practices in Upper Manhattan and the Bronx, the Chocolate Milk Cafe, a lactation support group for African American families, and Lactation Learning Collective, a collective of lactation professionals mentoring aspiring IBCLC’s.

Breastfeeding is tough enough, but what happens when there are two mouths to feed? Whether it’s twins or two babies at different ages, juggling the supply and demand of double duty is a whole new world. So how exactly do you do it? What is the ideal set-up for feeding? How can you be sure that both babes are getting enough of your good stuff? Let’s find out. 

With us for today's show is Indianapolis-based International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, Aimbriel Lasley. In addition to her role as an IBCLC with Nest Collaborative, Aimbriel holds a Master’s degree in Health and Wellness Counseling and is a passionate advocate for ensuring that all families have access to healthy food, breastfeeding assistance, and education. Aimbriel is also the owner of Holistic Lactation Care, a private lactation practice in Indianapolis, and Black Mama Vegan, a vegan education and wellness platform that aims to show black families and vegan-curious families that being plant-based is attainable. 

Aimbriel is with us today because she most certainly walks the walk. As a momma who breastfed her twin baby boys and older son all at the same time, she knows a thing or two about feeding multiples. 

Thanks for joining us listeners, we hope you love today's show!

This week the doctor is in the house! Dr. Matthew Saidel is here to tell us all the things we should be asking about breastfeeding well before the baby comes. 

Most moms forget to talk to their OB’s about breastfeeding and it’s not that surprising if you think about it. Being pregnant takes up a lot of mental space and it’s hard to get focused on anything that comes after labor and delivery. But here at Nest Collaborative, we are huge advocates of prenatal planning for breastfeeding because once the baby is born, a new momma who has already done her breastfeeding homework is much more likely to have a positive experience. 

So what should you be asking your OB now during your pre-natal checks? What planning and prep can you do to get on the right track for the best possible breastfeeding journey? Let’s find out. 

This episode features Dr. Matthew Saidel, Chief Medical Officer for Women’s Health USA, the country’s leading physician practice management company dedicated to women’s health. A special thanks to IBCLC's Christine Bracken and Lou-Ellen Saidel for their invaluable expertise that was utilized during this episode.

The first few weeks with a new baby are so precious - and also SO DARN HARD. For mom, it’s a time of healing as well as a whole new beginning. Life becomes about getting to know rhythms, establishing routines, and building a relationship with someone who has lived inside of you for a whole nine months. The “fourth trimester”, as we call it, is one of extremes - complete exhaustion matched only by utter adoration for this new tiny human being that has now completely taken over your life.

But then, for so many mommas, that precious “getting to know you” time is cut suddenly short. In the U.S., while some private companies and a few - make that six - individual states do grant parents some kind of leave package, 50% of moms surveyed find themselves going back to the office far earlier than they are ready. 

Couple that with 62% of mothers in the workforce with children under the age of three, and you can see that the potential influence of the workplace environment on breastfeeding initiation and duration is substantial.

So that’s what we are going to talk a little bit about today. 

My guest for this week’s podcast is Debi Yadegari, Founder and CEO of Villyge, an employer-paid benefit that connects employees one-on-one with career coaches, parenting experts, and healthcare specialists. Villyge also works with employers to shape corporate culture and create parent-friendly workplaces that encourage retention, expand the talent pool and increase diversity, equity, and inclusion.

We hope you enjoy this week's show!

What's with mom guilt, anyway? As women, we are made to think that we should have this mothering stuff down to a science and that it should all come naturally. 

This holds especially true with breastfeeding. There are so many things that can go wrong and yet we are expected to know what we are doing even if we’ve never done it before. Hence the guilt, right? 

According to the CDC, as many as four out of five moms start out breastfeeding, but only half are breastfeeding by six months of age and just a third are still breastfeeding at the 12-month mark. According to research conducted by lactation-pod company Mamava, 42 percent of moms end up supplementing with formula at some point in their baby’s first year. 

So what’s the deal? Is breastfeeding something that mommas can actually succeed at? At what point is it ok to call it quits? Is formula really that bad?

Our guest today is Florida-based IBCLC Oneida Segura. In addition to being a lactation consultant, Oneida is also a Registered Nurse and has worked with new mothers in a breastfeeding, health, and education capacity for decades. She has three girls, one beautiful grandbaby boy, and she is proud to service the Spanish-speaking community in South Florida as well as breastfeeding moms around the country.  

We hope you love today's episode all about formula feeding!

As we all know, being a new mom is tough. There are no two ways about it. Trying to figure out how to care for a newborn or multiple babies while staying sane, semi-clean, and at least slightly human is something almost all of us have had to grapple with.  But for a certain very special group of women, trying to figure out the nuances of motherhood has its own unique set of challenges. 

So my question for today is: How do you balance the active-duty of being a new mom when you’re literally on active duty?

Today we’ll take a walk in the shoes of one woman who can tell us exactly what it’s like to care for a newborn when you’re in the military.  Join us and our special guest, Krystal Wallace,  an former active duty and current Reservist with the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Assistant Education Director for Mom 2 Mom Global, a worldwide network of breastfeeding support and advocacy resources for military families. 

We look forward to having you join us!