Makes Milk with Emma Pickett: breastfeeding from the beginning to the end

This week, I’m talking to Bedford-based breastfeeding peer supporter Kat Kennedy about breastfeeding her son Isaac and, in particular, the end of that journey and “weaning blues.” Kat describes early latch and nipple pain that improved with local support groups. Later she faced challenges like biting and disturbed nights which, alongside wanting to focus on her health, led her to the decision to wean gradually. She shares how she dropped feeds over time, used distraction and cuddles, introduced cow’s milk, and managed night waking with comfort and settling. About a week after her last feed, Kat experienced irritability, anger and sadness, which she connected to hormonal shifts, and which lasted around three to four months. She emphasises leaning on support networks, seeking help if needed, and prioritising oxytocin through continued closeness and cuddles.

My picture book on how breastfeeding journeys end, The Story of Jessie’s Milkies, is available from Amazon here - The Story of Jessie's Milkies. In the UK, you can also buy it fromThe Children’s Bookshop in Muswell Hill, London. Other book shops and libraries can source a copy from Ingram Spark publishing.

You can also get 10% off my books on supporting breastfeeding beyond six months and supporting the transition from breastfeeding at the Jessica Kingsley press website, by going to https://bit.ly/JKPbooks and using the code MMPE10 at checkout.

Follow me on Instagram @emmapickettibclc or find out more on my website https://www.emmapickettbreastfeedingsupport.com/

Resources mentioned -

‘Breastfeeding is just like golf! A tiny adjustment makes all the difference’ — Emma Pickett IBCLC https://www.emmapickettbreastfeedingsupport.com/blog/breastfeeding-is-just-like-golf-a-tiny-adjustment-makes-all-the-difference

For mental health support: PANDAS Foundation UK https://pandasfoundation.org.uk/

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

This episode, I’m delighted to be joined by Louise Corden Burns, a London mum of identical twin girls, to talk about her induced lactation journey. Louise explains how she discovered induced lactation during her wife Meg’s pregnancy, and how hard it was to find relevant, reliable guidance. She describes using a shortened Newman-Goldfarb protocol with the combined pill and domperidone to induce lactation and pumping eight times daily while working. We discuss hospital and community feeding support, exclusionary experiences from professionals, early co-feeding and intense triple feeding with twins, weight-gain concerns prompting more measured bottle feeds and formula top-ups, and how breastfeeding supported bonding, confidence as a non-birthing parent, and eventually weaning as Louise’s medication tapered off.

My picture book on how breastfeeding journeys end, The Story of Jessie’s Milkies, is available from Amazon here - The Story of Jessie's Milkies. In the UK, you can also buy it fromThe Children’s Bookshop in Muswell Hill, London. Other book shops and libraries can source a copy from Ingram Spark publishing.

You can also get 10% off my books on supporting breastfeeding beyond six months and supporting the transition from breastfeeding at the Jessica Kingsley press website, by going to https://bit.ly/JKPbooks and using the code MMPE10 at checkout.

Follow me on Instagram @emmapickettibclc or find out more on my website https://www.emmapickettbreastfeedingsupport.com/

Resources mentioned -

Breastfeeding Without Birthing Book https://www.alyssaschnellibclc.com/book

Introduction to the Protocols for Induced Lactation -Canadian Breastfeeding Foundation https://www.canadianbreastfeedingfoundation.org/induced/protocols_intro.shtml

Kathryn Stagg IBCLC https://kathrynstaggibclc.com/

We're Here! by B J Woodstein https://www.waterstones.com/book/were-here/b-j-woodstein/9781946665546

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

Today, I’m talking to Hayley, a midwife and IBCLC from Queensland’s Sunshine Coast in Australia. Hayley’s first baby, Isla was conceived in Scotland in March 2020. Her return to Australia at 30 weeks with her husband Rob involved costly flights, and a two week hotel quarantine stay. After having an induction at 42+2, Hayley describes returning to on-call night work when Isla was 14 months and how Rob settled their breastfeeding toddler without bottles. Breastfeeding Isla was smooth and she later weaned gradually around age three using boundaries like “booby when the sun’s up.” Hayley then recounts an unexpected twin pregnancy, induction at 38 weeks due to growth restriction and preeclampsia. Twins Magnus and Oscar had a difficult early feeding period with pain and weeks of triple feeding, until an IBCLC advised stopping pumping. Breastfeeding then settled, and she is now exclusively breastfeeding the seven-month-old twins alongside solids while balancing family life and planning a part-time return to work.

My picture book on how breastfeeding journeys end, The Story of Jessie’s Milkies, is available from Amazon here - The Story of Jessie's Milkies. In the UK, you can also buy it fromThe Children’s Bookshop in Muswell Hill, London. Other book shops and libraries can source a copy from Ingram Spark publishing.

You can also get 10% off my books on supporting breastfeeding beyond six months and supporting the transition from breastfeeding at the Jessica Kingsley press website, by going to https://bit.ly/JKPbooks and using the code MMPE10 at checkout.

Follow me on Instagram @emmapickettibclc or find out more on my website https://www.emmapickettbreastfeedingsupport.com/

Resources mentioned -

Kathryn Stagg IBCLC https://kathrynstaggibclc.com/

Breastfeeding Twins and Triplets https://breastfeedingtwinsandtriplets.co.uk/

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

I’m delighted to be joined by a fellow ABMer today - Hannah Shaw from Morecambe. She’s a peer supporter and newly qualified probationary breastfeeding counsellor. We talk about ABM training and about Hannah’s two breastfeeding journeys. Hannah describes early struggles feeding her first child, Holly, including sore bleeding nipples, positioning issues and six months of rugby hold, then breastfeeding into toddlerhood despite family comments, bedsharing after a near-miss falling asleep while feeding, episodes of breastfeeding aversion, and postnatal depression treated with talking therapy and antidepressants compatible with breastfeeding. Weaning happened gently as work routines changed. With her second child, Imogen, breastfeeding began easily after an emergency C-section but sleep was difficult, and after the traumatic death of Hannah’s six-year-old niece Millie and a later trial, breastfeeding provided comfort and oxytocin through grief. Imogen, now four, mostly feeds briefly at bedtime from one side, with Hannah emphasising that breastfeeding must work for both parent and child.

My picture book on how breastfeeding journeys end, The Story of Jessie’s Milkies, is available from Amazon here - The Story of Jessie's Milkies. In the UK, you can also buy it fromThe Children’s Bookshop in Muswell Hill, London. Other book shops and libraries can source a copy from Ingram Spark publishing.

You can also get 10% off my books on supporting breastfeeding beyond six months and supporting the transition from breastfeeding at the Jessica Kingsley press website, by going to https://bit.ly/JKPbooks and using the code MMPE10 at checkout.

Follow me on Instagram @emmapickettibclc or find out more on my website https://www.emmapickettbreastfeedingsupport.com/

Resources mentioned -

ABM Breastfeeding Training https://abm.me.uk/breastfeeding-training/

Milk and Cookies, byEmma Rosen https://emmarosenbooks.co.uk/collections/breastfeeding-books

BASIShttps://www.basisonline.org.uk/

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

This week, the brilliant Jo from Cheshire, mum to two-year-old Cecilia, is here to talk about breastfeeding beyond infancy alongside Jo’s neurodivergence. Jo shares her long conception journey, pregnancy complicated by preeclampsia, a five-day induction ending in an emergency C-section, and subsequent PTSD. Ceci struggled to latch and transfer milk in the early weeks. We discuss how Jo overcame those challenges. We also touch on toddler feeding patterns, co-sleeping, sensory factors, and using boundaries to reduce overwhelm and sustain breastfeeding.

My picture book on how breastfeeding journeys end, The Story of Jessie’s Milkies, is available from Amazon here - The Story of Jessie's Milkies. In the UK, you can also buy it fromThe Children’s Bookshop in Muswell Hill, London. Other book shops and libraries can source a copy from Ingram Spark publishing.

You can also get 10% off my books on supporting breastfeeding beyond six months and supporting the transition from breastfeeding at the Jessica Kingsley press website, by going to https://bit.ly/JKPbooks and using the code MMPE10 at checkout.

Follow me on Instagram @emmapickettibclc or find out more on my website https://www.emmapickettbreastfeedingsupport.com/

You can follow Jo on Instagram @‌cecilias_mama

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

I’m joined this week by the lovely Becky from Southampton to talk about breastfeeding her identical twins, Sully and Knox. Becky shares the shock she and her wife Sarah felt when discovering they were expecting twins. The pregnancy was monitored closely due to a shared placenta, and then growth restriction led to a 35-week C-section in Bournemouth because Southampton lacked NICU space. Her babies needed CPAP and NICU care, and Becky started pumping within hours and maintained three-hourly pumping while navigating inconsistent feeding support. After discharge, with crucial IBCLC support from Polly Smith, the twins gained strength and transitioned to mostly breastfeeding. Now nearly aged one they feed less, with a recent nursing strike linked to illness and teething, but Becky is determined to breastfeed them for as long as they need.

My picture book on how breastfeeding journeys end, The Story of Jessie’s Milkies, is available from Amazon here - The Story of Jessie's Milkies. In the UK, you can also buy it fromThe Children’s Bookshop in Muswell Hill, London. Other book shops and libraries can source a copy from Ingram Spark publishing.

You can also get 10% off my books on supporting breastfeeding beyond six months and supporting the transition from breastfeeding at the Jessica Kingsley press website, by going to https://bit.ly/JKPbooks and using the code MMPE10 at checkout.

Follow me on Instagram @emmapickettibclc or find out more on my website https://www.emmapickettbreastfeedingsupport.com/

Resources mentioned -

Breastfeeding Twins and Triplets https://breastfeedingtwinsandtriplets.co.uk/

Polly Smith IBCLC https://www.pollysmithibclc.co.uk/

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

This week, I’m delighted to be joined by listener Sharnaé Storm from New Zealand. We’re talking about breastfeeding her three-year-old son Enzo. Sharnaé shares how night weaning and ending the bedtime feed happened gently through repeated “cuddles for sleep” affirmations, with breastfeeding temporarily increasing during illness (recent RSV). She describes early breastfeeding challenges, flat nipples, mixed opinions about possible tongue tie, and choosing to persevere with a nipple shield. Sharnaé also recounts Enzo’s hospitalisations for complex febrile seizures starting at 11 months, including ICU and a drug-induced coma, later seizures managed with medication, and how this shaped their vigilance and childcare choices.

My picture book on how breastfeeding journeys end, The Story of Jessie’s Milkies, is available from Amazon here - The Story of Jessie's Milkies. In the UK, you can also buy it fromThe Children’s Bookshop in Muswell Hill, London. Other book shops and libraries can source a copy from Ingram Spark publishing.

You can also get 10% off my books on supporting breastfeeding beyond six months and supporting the transition from breastfeeding at the Jessica Kingsley press website, by going to https://bit.ly/JKPbooks and using the code MMPE10 at checkout.

Follow me on Instagram @emmapickettibclc or find out more on my website https://www.emmapickettbreastfeedingsupport.com/

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

This week I’m talking to brilliant mum of two Clarisse Allen, from South London, about tandem feeding with a small age gap after Clarisse became pregnant when her first baby was six months old. Clarisse describes a four-hour first labour with a birth-before-arrival home birth, early breastfeeding that looked good on paper but felt hard due to worry about weight gain and latch pain, mastitis, and mixed advice about frequent feeding and bottles. Pregnancy brought nipple soreness and later reduced supply, but her daughter, Talia, continued nursing. Clarisse’s son, Zayn was born at home with a doula. His was a longer early labour, as a back-to-back baby, and his first newborn feed became an immediate tandem feed. We explore the realities of tandem feeding, co-sleeping, reflux, boundaries, night challenges, and the importance of intuition, selective information, and supportive help.

My picture book on how breastfeeding journeys end, The Story of Jessie’s Milkies, is available from Amazon here - The Story of Jessie's Milkies. In the UK, you can also buy it fromThe Children’s Bookshop in Muswell Hill, London. Other book shops and libraries can source a copy from Ingram Spark publishing.

You can also get 10% off my books on supporting breastfeeding beyond six months and supporting the transition from breastfeeding at the Jessica Kingsley press website, by going to https://bit.ly/JKPbooks and using the code MMPE10 at checkout.

Follow me on Instagram @emmapickettibclc or find out more on my website https://www.emmapickettbreastfeedingsupport.com/

Resources mentioned -

You can follow Clarisse on Instagram @‌the_sacral_moon

Breastfeeding: The dangerous obsession with the infant feeding interval https://www.unicef.org.uk/babyfriendly/breastfeeding-the-dangerous-obsession-with-the-infant-feeding-interval/

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

This week, I’m delighted to be joined by returning guest, the fabulous Kathryn Stagg IBCLC—also a musician, parent, and qualified neurodiversity coach—to discuss ADHD and breastfeeding. Kathryn explains ADHD subtypes, why the label can be misleading, common overlap with autism and other neurodivergences, and how diagnosis often follows identification in a child. She shares about her own assessment and how diagnosis improved self-awareness and self-forgiveness, alongside mixed experiences with medication. We explore how ADHD can help breastfeeding through antenatal hyperfocus and responsiveness, but can make difficulties like triple feeding, planning, and accessing support harder due to executive function challenges and rejection sensitivity dysphoria. Kathryn shares some practical support strategies, and discusses some challenges with sensory sensitivities, breastfeeding aversion, app-related anxiety, and perimenopause effects.

My picture book on how breastfeeding journeys end, The Story of Jessie’s Milkies, is available from Amazon here - The Story of Jessie's Milkies. In the UK, you can also buy it fromThe Children’s Bookshop in Muswell Hill, London. Other book shops and libraries can source a copy from Ingram Spark publishing.

You can also get 10% off my books on supporting breastfeeding beyond six months and supporting the transition from breastfeeding at the Jessica Kingsley press website, by going to https://bit.ly/JKPbooks and using the code MMPE10 at checkout.

Follow me on Instagram @emmapickettibclc or find out more on my website https://www.emmapickettbreastfeedingsupport.com/

Resources mentioned -

ADHD and Breastfeeding - The Breastfeeding Network https://www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/factsheet/adhd-and-breastfeeding/

You can follow Kathryn Stagg on her website https://kathrynstaggibclc.com/ or @‌kathrynstaggibclc on instagram

And thank you to FeedSpot for listing me as #7 in the top breastfeeding podcasts list https://podcast.feedspot.com/breastfeeding_podcasts/

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

This week, I’m welcoming Hannah Norris all the way from Melbourne, Australia, to talk about becoming a mother through IVF in her 40s and breastfeeding both her daughters. Hannah describes giving birth to her first baby, Twyla, in London during COVID: plans for a home birth changed, she advocated for herself when her platelets dropped, and she had a positive hospital birth despite limited access for her partner postnatally. Breastfeeding began smoothly but became difficult with engorgement, and Zoom support and education helped her push through, despite a stressful encounter with a midwife. Hannah later sought my help to gently wean Twyla around age three, ahead of long-haul travel where she used to rely on feeding. After Twyla was hospitalised with bacterial meningitis, Hannah decided to have a second child, using a remaining frozen embryo for an unmedicated transfer. She moved to Australia before the birth, but successfully negotiated a low intervention hospital birth for Maeve. SVT episodes led to a longer hospital stay, but they established breastfeeding well, and Maeve is thriving at four months.

My picture book on how breastfeeding journeys end, The Story of Jessie’s Milkies, is available from Amazon here - The Story of Jessie's Milkies. In the UK, you can also buy it fromThe Children’s Bookshop in Muswell Hill, London. Other book shops and libraries can source a copy from Ingram Spark publishing.

You can also get 10% off my books on supporting breastfeeding beyond six months and supporting the transition from breastfeeding at the Jessica Kingsley press website, by going to https://bit.ly/JKPbooks and using the code MMPE10 at checkout.

Follow me on Instagram @emmapickettibclc or find out more on my website https://www.emmapickettbreastfeedingsupport.com/

Resources mentioned -

Cordelia Uys https://www.cordeliauys.co.uk/

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

This week’s guest is the inspiring Alexandra Baskerville, who is talking about breastfeeding after breast reduction surgery aged 19. Alexandra describes having very large breasts as a teen, choosing reduction surgery in 2010, and later becoming a mother at 34. Her daughter Connie’s birth was a home birth, and early feeding was complicated by Connie’s small size, slow weight gain, nipple pain, suspected tongue-tie, and the extra uncertainty of reduced milk-making capacity. An NHS lactation appointment left Alexandra feeling she had been told to stop, despite only giving small top-ups, so she sought private help from IBCLC and tongue-tie practitioner Polly Powell, who improved her pumping setup, offered support, and eventually arranged a tongue-tie procedure at around 10 weeks. Alexandra triple fed and pumped for months, and although it took longer than expected for her full supply to come in, she stopped pumping around 10 months, and is continuing breastfeeding at nearly 14 months.

My picture book on how breastfeeding journeys end, The Story of Jessie’s Milkies, is available from Amazon here - The Story of Jessie's Milkies. In the UK, you can also buy it fromThe Children’s Bookshop in Muswell Hill, London. Other book shops and libraries can source a copy from Ingram Spark publishing.

You can also get 10% off my books on supporting breastfeeding beyond six months and supporting the transition from breastfeeding at the Jessica Kingsley press website, by going to https://bit.ly/JKPbooks and using the code MMPE10 at checkout.

Follow me on Instagram @emmapickettibclc or find out more on my website https://www.emmapickettbreastfeedingsupport.com/

Resources mentioned -

BFAR - Breastfeeding After Breast and Nipple Surgeries https://www.bfar.org/index.shtml

IBCLC Polly Powell is @‌pollythemidwife on Instagram and https://www.polly-powell.co.uk/

Plastic Surgery and Breastfeeding - Physician Guide to Breastfeeding https://physicianguidetobreastfeeding.org/surgery-and-breastfeeding/plastic-surgery/#breast-reductions

Guidance on goats’ milk formula https://infantmilkinfo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Cows-and-goats-milk-protein-based-infant-formula_February-2025-1.pdf

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

This week, I’m talking to Dr Natalie Ashburner, a Bedford-based child and adolescent psychiatrist, about breastfeeding her three-year-old Ruben and seven-month-old Dylan.. Natalie describes night weaning Ruben during her second trimester using a gradual approach with a weaning book, flexible boundaries, and partner support, and explains how bedtime and sleeping arrangements shifted, including moving Ruben to a new dinosaur-themed room. After Dylan’s birth and a hospital stay for heart-rate monitoring, Ruben’s feeding increased and Natalie’s aversion intensified. She managed through distraction and limiting feeds, before settling back to one morning feed. Natalie continues to feed both boys and will be returning to work later this year. She is a member of MiLC (Medics in Lactation Community) and a peer supporter.

My picture book on how breastfeeding journeys end, The Story of Jessie’s Milkies, is available from Amazon here - The Story of Jessie's Milkies. In the UK, you can also buy it fromThe Children’s Bookshop in Muswell Hill, London. Other book shops and libraries can source a copy from Ingram Spark publishing.

You can also get 10% off my books on supporting breastfeeding beyond six months and supporting the transition from breastfeeding at the Jessica Kingsley press website, by going to https://bit.ly/JKPbooks and using the code MMPE10 at checkout.

Follow me on Instagram @emmapickettibclc or find out more on my website https://www.emmapickettbreastfeedingsupport.com/

Resources mentioned -

Facebook group for the peer support arm of MiLC (for breastfeeding doctors):https://www.facebook.com/groups/480916214609440/

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

This week, I’m talking to the lovely Sophie from North London about feeding her two children, Sadie (7) and Zach (4½), and what aversion and older child weaning can look like. Sophie describes training with the Breastfeeding Network, from an in-person 12-week helper course to a rigorous six-month supporter course, and her plans for helpline and drop-in support. She shares Sadie’s breech birth by C-section, pain that began at six weeks, later support with latch and a posterior tongue-tie division, and a long period of feeding on one side. During pregnancy with Zach, Sophie developed intense breastfeeding aversion and emergency-weaned Sadie. Zach’s VBAC attempt ended in a C-section with some complications and COVID-related separation, but breastfeeding went smoothly. Zach’s feeding tapered gradually with the help of some boundaries set by Sophie. His last feed was just three weeks before our conversation.

My picture book on how breastfeeding journeys end, The Story of Jessie’s Milkies, is available from Amazon here - The Story of Jessie's Milkies. In the UK, you can also buy it fromThe Children’s Bookshop in Muswell Hill, London. Other book shops and libraries can source a copy from Ingram Spark publishing.

You can also get 10% off my books on supporting breastfeeding beyond six months and supporting the transition from breastfeeding at the Jessica Kingsley press website, by going to https://bit.ly/JKPbooks and using the code MMPE10 at checkout.

Follow me on Instagram @emmapickettibclc or find out more on my website https://www.emmapickettbreastfeedingsupport.com/

Resources mentioned -

Breastfeeding Network https://www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/get-involved/train-to-be-a-registered-volunteer/

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

I’m so pleased to be joined by the brilliant Joanna Sargent IBCLC this week. Johanna will bring her expertise on using a supplemental nursing system (SNS), also called at-breast supplementation or supply line feeding. Joanna shares her personal experience of low supply and using an SNS from 10 days to six months, and we explore how an SNS can support milk production, avoid bottle preference, and reduce the unsustainable burden of triple feeding. Johanna describes how an SNS works, cleaning and flushing tubes, and practical troubleshooting such as managing flow rate, positioning the “straw,” and using a necklace to stop babies pulling tubing. We compare products and discuss using NG tubes and syringes as a low-cost trial option. This is a great episode for both parents who might need to try an SNS, but also listeners who work in infant feeding.

My picture book on how breastfeeding journeys end, The Story of Jessie’s Milkies, is available from Amazon here - The Story of Jessie's Milkies. In the UK, you can also buy it fromThe Children’s Bookshop in Muswell Hill, London. Other book shops and libraries can source a copy from Ingram Spark publishing.

You can also get 10% off my books on supporting breastfeeding beyond six months and supporting the transition from breastfeeding at the Jessica Kingsley press website, by going to https://bit.ly/JKPbooks and using the code MMPE10 at checkout.

Follow me on Instagram @emmapickettibclc or find out more on my website https://www.emmapickettbreastfeedingsupport.com/

Resources mentioned -

You can find Johanna at

https://www.instagram.com/milkandmotherhood

And

https://milkandmotherhood.com/

Her podcast is https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-latch-revolution/id1841874307

Her presentations are available at https://www.goldlearning.com/ce-library/all-lectures/at-breast-supplementation-devices-detail and https://www.babiesincommon.com/forprofessionals/exploring-supplemental-feeders-workshop (20th August 2026 workshop)

The Ardo SNS is available here https://www.ardomedical.co.uk/shop/p,233,supplemental-nursing-system-sns.html?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=19267684314&gbraid=0AAAAAD-Zrl7Ucv7LJJ7zq85tUN30amSFD

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

Today, I’m delighted to be joined by Katie and Daniella to talk about the experience of being an older mum. Daniella, 43 is a solo mum in Birmingham. She shares how her daughter Remi self-weaned gradually after daytime feeds ended around age 3–4, describing a comfort-led “symbolic” latch, continued co-sleeping, and not experiencing weaning blues; she also reflects on early challenges including severe tongue-tie, oversupply, recurrent mastitis, anxiety about working, and feeling unable to breastfeed in public as Remi got older. Katie, 41 in Suffolk, breastfeeds nearly two-year-old Monty frequently day and night. She discusses sleep changes alongside starting a 4:00 AM job, training as a holistic sleep coach, being a “motherless mother” after her mum died in 2020, and managing perimenopausal cycle-related rage, nipple soreness, and feeding aversion with supplements and support.

Katie’s Instagram is @good_nights_kip and her website ishttp://www.goodnightskip.com/

Daniella’s Instagram is @‌daniellastaubphotographer and her website ishttp://www.daniellastaub.co.uk/

My picture book on how breastfeeding journeys end, The Story of Jessie’s Milkies, is available from Amazon here - The Story of Jessie's Milkies. In the UK, you can also buy it fromThe Children’s Bookshop in Muswell Hill, London. Other book shops and libraries can source a copy from Ingram Spark publishing.

You can also get 10% off my books on supporting breastfeeding beyond six months and supporting the transition from breastfeeding at the Jessica Kingsley press website, by going to https://bit.ly/JKPbooks and using the code MMPE10 at checkout.

Follow me on Instagram @emmapickettibclc or find out more on my website https://www.emmapickettbreastfeedingsupport.com/

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

Today I’m talking to the amazing Alexis White from Canterbury, New Zealand, about feeding her son Flynn. Her older daughter, Norah’s birth did not go to plan, but breastfeeding did, and Norah was breastfed until she weaned herself when Alexis was pregnant again. After a victorious home VBAC birth, early breastfeeding seemed normal, but by day six Flynn had lost 11.5% of his birth weight and then failed to gain despite frequent feeds. Alexis began pumping and syringe top-ups, and at three weeks a lactation consultant identified a hard-to-spot cleft palate. Flynn was later also diagnosed with craniosynostosis. The cleft team told Alexis nutritive breastfeeding wasn’t possible, so she moved to a special cleft bottle while exclusively pumping for about a year, supported by a loaned pump, weigh-ins, and speech and hearing input, including grommets. After surgeries (craniosynostosis first, then cleft repair), Alexis slowly re-taught Flynn to breastfeed using babywearing, a nipple shield, and syringe/tube support. At 14 months he is fully breastfeeding, with ongoing monitoring of hearing and speech.

My picture book on how breastfeeding journeys end, The Story of Jessie’s Milkies, is available from Amazon here - The Story of Jessie's Milkies. In the UK, you can also buy it fromThe Children’s Bookshop in Muswell Hill, London. Other book shops and libraries can source a copy from Ingram Spark publishing.

You can also get 10% off my books on supporting breastfeeding beyond six months and supporting the transition from breastfeeding at the Jessica Kingsley press website, by going to https://bit.ly/JKPbooks and using the code MMPE10 at checkout.

Follow me on Instagram @emmapickettibclc or find out more on my website https://www.emmapickettbreastfeedingsupport.com/

Resources mentioned -

UK Cleft Lip and Palate Breastfeeding Support Group on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1CbAoTyibU/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Cleft Lip and Palate Action (CLAPA) - For the UK cleft community https://clapa.com/

CleftNZ https://www.cleft.org.nz/

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

This week I’m speaking to Naomi Cappallo on Vancouver Island about feeding their two daughters, Clara (6) and Juniper (3), focusing on breastfeeding grief after a second journey that didn’t go as hoped. Naomi describes early pain with Clara, brief formula top-ups for early weight loss, and eventually breastfeeding through the pandemic until age two, using boundaries to reduce frequent toddler feeds. With Juniper, a very fast birth was followed by severe nipple pain, limited breastfeeding support, early formula to cope, and then mastitis, fever, abdominal pain, and a long hospital wait. A pharmacist incorrectly said antibiotics meant they couldn’t breastfeed, which derailed their plans. A midwife/IBCLC later helped them restart breastfeeding and combination feed until Juniper preferred bottles at three months. Naomi shares how their grief persisted in waves, the impact on mental health, and what they wish they’d had in support.

My picture book on how breastfeeding journeys end, The Story of Jessie’s Milkies, is available from Amazon here - The Story of Jessie's Milkies. In the UK, you can also buy it fromThe Children’s Bookshop in Muswell Hill, London. Other book shops and libraries can source a copy from Ingram Spark publishing.

You can also get 10% off my books on supporting breastfeeding beyond six months and supporting the transition from breastfeeding at the Jessica Kingsley press website, by going to https://bit.ly/JKPbooks and using the code MMPE10 at checkout.

Follow me on Instagram @emmapickettibclc or find out more on my website https://www.emmapickettbreastfeedingsupport.com/

Resources mentioned -

Breastfeeding Grief by Professor Amy Brown

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

This week I’m speaking to the lovely Charlotte Bowie from Oxfordshire, mum to nearly three-year-old Felix, about toddler breastfeeding, extreme sleep disruption (including split nights), and her struggle with repeated bouts of mastitis. Charlotte’s recurrent mastitis has spanned across nearly three years, including multiple antibiotic courses, a confirmed breast abscess drained via ultrasound-guided needle aspiration, and a later hospital admission with suspected sepsis. She also shares anxiety around breast lumps due to a family history of breast cancer. We discuss the updated mastitis guidance (avoiding vigorous massage and heat, using ice, anti-inflammatories, gentle lymphatic techniques, and managing hyperlactation/overpumping), and how a virtual consultation with breastfeeding specialist GP/IBCLC Dr Naomi Dow helped Charlotte self-manage and reduce recurrence as she continues to feed Felix. Charlotte would also like to acknowledge the support she received from La Leche League Oxfordshire. One peer supporter, Hannah, in particular was especially kind and supportive and sought advice on mastitis from the professional liaison team.

My picture book on how breastfeeding journeys end, The Story of Jessie’s Milkies, is available from Amazon here - The Story of Jessie's Milkies. In the UK, you can also buy it fromThe Children’s Bookshop in Muswell Hill, London. Other book shops and libraries can source a copy from Ingram Spark publishing.

You can also get 10% off my books on supporting breastfeeding beyond six months and supporting the transition from breastfeeding at the Jessica Kingsley press website, by going to https://bit.ly/JKPbooks and using the code MMPE10 at checkout.

Follow me on Instagram @emmapickettibclc or find out more on my website https://www.emmapickettbreastfeedingsupport.com/

Resources mentioned

Find Dr Naomi Dow at https://drnaomidow.com/ and on instagram @‌drnaomidow_bfmed

The new mastitis spectrum guidance can be read at https://abm.memberclicks.net/assets/DOCUMENTS/PROTOCOLS/36-mitchell-et-al-2022-academy-of-breastfeeding-medicine-clinical-protocol-36-the-mastitis-spectrum-revised-2022.pdf

Charlotte would also like to mention that she received some great support from La Leche League.

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

This week I’m joined from Sydney in Australia, by midwife Jessica Baker to talk about breastfeeding her two daughters and the grief and mental health impact when feeding doesn’t go to plan. Jessica describes anticipating difficulty due to inverted nipples, having a home birth with Vada followed by special care admission, early nipple-shield use, severe engorgement, and missed support because staff assumed she was confident as a midwife. After a tongue and lip tie release with a laser, Vada’s feeding deteriorated, weight loss followed, and Jessica moved onto top-ups and then exclusive pumping, experiencing depression and long-lasting grief despite producing abundant milk. With Olive, early breastfeeding began well but when Olive’s feeding stalled, it led to panic, PTSD symptoms and then EMDR therapy, and medication. Jessica is still feeding two-year-old Olive from one side, having established “booby manners” and realistic expectations around toddler feeding and weaning.

You can follow Jessica’s new business on Instagram @‌cub.andkin

My picture book on how breastfeeding journeys end, The Story of Jessie’s Milkies, is available from Amazon here - The Story of Jessie's Milkies. In the UK, you can also buy it fromThe Children’s Bookshop in Muswell Hill, London. Other book shops and libraries can source a copy from Ingram Spark publishing.

You can also get 10% off my books on supporting breastfeeding beyond six months and supporting the transition from breastfeeding at the Jessica Kingsley press website, by going to https://bit.ly/JKPbooks and using the code MMPE10 at checkout.

Follow me on Instagram @emmapickettibclc or find out more on my website https://www.emmapickettbreastfeedingsupport.com/

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

This week we’re celebrating the stories of the Bradford Project, a massive art, poetry and storytelling project led by artist Lisa Creagh in the Bradford area. Alongside Lisa, I’m joined by two participants, Aamta Waheed and Reena Kler, to talk about their breastfeeding experiences and how the project has helped them to understand their mothering journey. We’ll also hear poems from Hannah, Sonia and Sophie, and an extract from the Holding Time podcast, featuring Aisha.

You can find out more about the project at https://linktr.ee/holdingtimeproject and on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWtMCVY_Nuktw4w_hd6n54xqkEv3V0utkYou can follow Aamta on Instagram @‌aamtawaheedart

My picture book on how breastfeeding journeys end, The Story of Jessie’s Milkies, is available from Amazon here - The Story of Jessie's Milkies. In the UK, you can also buy it fromThe Children’s Bookshop in Muswell Hill, London. Other book shops and libraries can source a copy from Ingram Spark publishing.

You can also get 10% off my books on supporting breastfeeding beyond six months and supporting the transition from breastfeeding at the Jessica Kingsley press website, by going to https://bit.ly/JKPbooks and using the code MMPE10 at checkout.

Follow me on Instagram @emmapickettibclc or find out more on my website https://www.emmapickettbreastfeedingsupport.com/

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