All Things Breastfeeding Podcast

Working and Breastfeeding Made Simple? Nancy and Barbara discuss this important topic and how their new book group, Working and Breastfeeding Made Simple, can help make you an expert on this topic. Here are just five topics that will be covered in depth during the book group!

Yes, it is possible to support working parents in achieving their infant feeding goals. Several critical factors for supporting breastfeeding/chestfeeding among employed parents have been identified in the literature and clinical practice. Despite the dire statistics, families in Barbara’s private practice actually do well. None of them discontinued br...

Exclusive pumping? Why would some one do this? Barbara and Nancy discuss the latest research on exclusive pumping. They look at who is exclusive pumping and why. This has shifted in the past 2o years or so. It used to be that the majority of exclusive pumpers were pumping for their preterm babies while they go mature enough to directly nurse. Not true anymore. Some people choose to exclusively pump from the very beginning but the majority of exclusive pumpers end up exclusively pumping because they had problems with breast/chestfeeding that they couldn’t resolve. There is also ne...

Are you looking to become an IBCLC and are having trouble finding clinical hours?

Let Nancy and Barbara help!

Deciding on which PATHWAY 

The 3 exam eligibility pathways are open to individuals from a variety of backgrounds. Each person must decide which pathway will work best for them. For more info, go here: https://ibclc-commission.org/step-1-prepare-for-ibclc-certification/lactation-specific-clinical-experience/

Pathway 1 involves using appropriately supervised clinical experience obtained through paid employment or volunteer service as a health professional or mother support counselor. The kind of supervision that is considered appropriate depends upon the c...

Barbara takes the time to sit down with her LactaLearning co-founder, Nancy Mohrbacher to discuss her journey in the field of lactation.

Nancy Mohrbacher, IBCLC, FILCA fell in love with breastfeeding while nursing her three sons, Carl, Peter, and Ben, who are now grown.  In 1982, before the lactation profession existed, she began working as a volunteer peer-supporter and found her passion: helping families meet their lactation goals.

Board-certified as a lactation consultant in 1991, from 1993 to 2003 Nancy started and grew a large private lactation practice in the Chicago area, where she saw thousands of families. Since t...

From Barbara Robertson:

Barbara spent some time with Dr. Kathy Kendall-Tackett. She is a health psychologist and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, and the Owner and Editor-in-Chief of Praeclarus Press, a small press specializing in women’s health. Dr. Kendall-Tackett was the Editor-in-Chief of Clinical Lactation and is still the Editor-In-Chief for  Psychological Trauma. She is Fellow of the American Psychological Association in Health and Trauma Psychology, Past President of the APA Division of Trauma Psychology, and a member of the Board for the Advancement of Psychology in the Public Interest. Dr. Kendall-Tackett specializes in women’s-health resear...

Nancy and Barbara are celebrating that LactaLearning, Inc is now 3 years old!

It is hard to believe that what started out as a dream for Barbara has evolved with Nancy into a thriving business.
This podcast shares how Barbara and Nancy became colleagues over forming a book group with Breastfeeding Answers, 2nd Edition in 2020 (now offered as a self-study program), then developed a self-study 95 hour course, brought LactaLearning to life with its first website, and then comprehensive recertification programs.

Now three years later, they offer lactation courses that are different than anyone else’s. Re...

Kimberly Seals Allers’ words, “I’m a femtech founder, writer, speaker and maternal and infant health strategist with a bold vision to transform the experience of motherhood for all and to eradicate racial disparities in birth and breastfeeding.”

Kimberly is someone who sees an issue and works on solutions! She gets things done! Barbara was lucky to be able to catch up with Kimberly on All Things Breastfeeding.

From her website: “Veteran journalist and five-time author turned maternal and infant health advocate and femtech founder. A former senior editor at ESSENCE and writer at FORTUNE magazine...

In this episode Nancy and Barbara discuss the latest findings on relacation and induced lactation.

According to University of Western Australia’s LactaPedia, an online comprehensive glossary of human lactation terms freely available to professionals and parents (https://lactapedia.com/lactapedia-site/homee), relactation is defined as the re-establishment of lactation after the immediate post-birth period. This restricts relactation only to mothers and other birthing parents who delivered the current baby. This differs from the broader definition used in the 2020 Breastfeeding Answers and other lactation textbooks, which includes anyone who had ever given birth to any baby. Due to...

Barbara first meet Kay Hoover at her favorite conference, Lactation Consultants in Private Practice about 18 years ago. Kay and her dear friend Chris Mulford, created the conference to help private practice folks improve their skills. Kay has been in the field for years, in many different roles, working in private practice, at the hospital, and in public health.

From the introduction to The Breastfeeding Atlas, 7th Ediction, Kay…”retired from her hospital job as a lactation consultant at the end of 2019. During the pandemic she provided many on-line presentations to maintain her career-long commitment to educating the next...

Wanting to get to know some of her favorite mentors who are the leaders in the field of lactation, Barbara Robertson is creating a series of podcasts to share with all of you! The first is with Dr. Anne Eglash. Barbara did an interview with Dr. English in 2015 about pain that is published here. Since that time Barbara became an advid fan of IABLE, the Institute for the Advancement of Breastfeeding & Lactation Education that Anne is a huge part of. This organization has a great find lactation support including breastfeeding medicine doctors. It also has one of my favorite...

What’s the deal with lipase?

There was a recent paper published called Food-Derived Compounds Extend the Shelf Life of Human Milk.

Nancy and Barbara found this very interesting and discuss the merits of the findings from this paper, what we actually know about lipase and human milk, and what should we be doing about lipase, if anything. They had many questions about this paper including the fact it was not peer reviewed, not published in a journal, they didn’t actually measure the lipase levels of individuals, and address the question of fresh expressed milk...

How to become an IBCLC….
The answer to this is not as simple as we would hope!

In this podcast Nancy and Barbara answer some of the most common questions people ask about how to become an IBCLC.

Below is a description of the process. You can also join us for our monthly “How to become an IBCLC” Zoom meeting on Monday, August 25 at 7 PM ET. Email barbara@lactalearning.com to join!

How to become an IBCLC
The International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBLCE) defines the standards for IBCLC certification. These...

What’s the deal with infant growth spurts?

The fact is we aren’t sure. One theory is that the babies are growing faster so needed more calories. The idea is the babies ate more frequently because they needed more food! However, a recent 2024 systematic lit review shows that this is most likely not true. It is true that there are times when babies do nurse intensely for several days. The problem is instead of understanding that this is a common part of infant growth and development, both families and health care providers panic and reach for infa...

Nancy and Barbara discuss a new article that came out in 2024. The study was a large study (20,000 women) in Canada and it looked at the length of breastfeeding, overall years/months of breastfeeding and the onset of menopause. Breastfeeding and women are the terms used in the study so we will be using them here and in the podcast to reflect accurately how the authors used these terms.

As we age, this becomes more important to us!

They looked at different lengths of breastfeeding. We discuss the study and what does the term “menopause” mean.

The Breastfeeding Center of Ann Arbor (BFCAA) has been operating for more than 15 years!! To celebrate this milestone Jessica and special guest Barb, the original co-host of the podcast, interviewed Barbara on the journey of starting, building, and growing the Center.

From Barbara: “I opened the center in 2008 as a place for all of families’ nursing needs. We had weekly support groups, consults, classes for families, a human milk depot, and some retail. In 2012 I started offering more professional lactation trainings under BFCAA. I was able

to combine my two greatest professional loves, education and lactat...

Barbara has been honored to work with many families over the past 20 years but Jamie and Nikki were some of her favorites.

Barbara worked with Nikki when she had the family’s first baby a few years ago. The commitment to nursing was powerful! After a few bumps, things went really well. Fast forward and it was Jamie’s turn to carry the new baby for their growing family. There were more hiccups than with the first baby but after a few months, everything settled down as it usually does.

Barbara talked with this couple to e...

Barbara and Nancy discuss the ABM 2022 Mastitis Protocol.

Both Nancy and Barbara feel this Protocol is a step in the right direction! However, we don’t agree with everything and you can see others feel the same way. Listen and find out!
The ABM (Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine) Mastitis #36 Protoco replaces Protocols #4, #20, and Engorgement Protocol has been retired. From the Protocol: ”…Scientific evidence now demonstrates that mastitis encompasses a spectrum of conditions resulting from ductal inflammation and stromal edema. If ductal narrowing and alveolar congestion are worsened by overstimulation of milk production, then inflammatory mastitis can develo...

Breastfeeding during emergencies used to be a topic about something that was happening somewhere else to someone else. However, now with the rise in tragedies that are happening everywhere in the world, breastfeeding during emergencies affects all of us. We know these emergency situations are increasing and will continue to do so as time goes by. These could be earthquakes, hurricanes, flooding, drought, or war. As Nancy and Barbara were recording this episode, Florida and the surrounding areas were expecting another hurricane.

We know that during emergencies, nursing is key to infant health and survival. It provides...

In this episode, Barbara Robertson and Nancy Mohrbacher review recommendations and outcomes of parental leave policies around the world.  Paid parental leave varies by country, but the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM) has issued a new position statement for maternity leave guidelines, recommending at least 6 months of paid leave.

Nancy and Barbara dive into some of the details of when mothers return to work, the economic cost of not breastfeeding babies, as well as the long-term health outcomes for women who breastfeed, such as reduced incidences of heart disease and diabetes.  Nancy also reviews a study looking at...

In this parent interview episode, we focus on Emily‘s experience with returning to work and breastfeeding, specifically going back to work after maternity leave, pumping and continuing to breastfeed her baby. She worked as a hospital pharmacist in a fast-paced and high-pressure role, the type of job where taking a “break” to pump meant leaving extra work her team needed to cover. This is a challenging factor many working and pumping parents can relate to. Emily shares how she made the situation work, logistics of the (let’s be honest, tedious!) task of pumping every day, and about her emotions...

We have another parent interview episode! We were thrilled when Alicia reached out to us from across the country to offer to share different parts of her feeding journey with baby Grant, especially factors related to returning to work and breastfeeding. We discussed Grant’s week-long nursing strike soon after Alicia returned to work, the intense emotions involved, and what helped resolve that difficult time. Next, Alicia gives lots of ideas about traveling and pumping, which she learned from her regular multi-day work trips. Her tips will be helpful to anyone traveling without the baby, and/or flying with a...

Jaundice and Hypoglycemia

Did you know there are new guidelines for diagnosing and treating jaundice and infant hypoglycemia?  In this episode, Barbara Robertson and Nancy Mohrbacher discuss updates to the clinical practice guidelines for safe bilirubin levels and when babies might need intervention.

Nancy and Barbara review why bilirubin levels are important and some of the risk factors, like baby’s gestational age.  And there’s the question, is a baby’s stooling is a good indicator of milk input and bilirubin levels?

It’s also important to remember that when babies are diagnosed...

How important are our communication skills as lactation professionals for our families’ success? This episode is all about the power of words as lactation supporters to boost or undermine our nursing families self efficacy. Barbara and Jessica discuss how the social emotional state of breast/chestfeeding families plays a huge role in the postpartum period and whether or not a family will achieve their infant feeding goals. With all the voices directed at families in the post-partum period, our words as health care providers can be that of empowerment or dis-empowerment. Do we take this seriously enough? We know th...

Lots of families are using formula to feed their babies, either partially or fully, short-term or long-term. But there’s not a lot of info shared with parents on how to feed formula in the healthiest way. In today’s episode, we share some guidelines and ideas on bottle feeding techniques, appropriate amounts based on age and baby’s size, preparing formula bottles, and more. We also discuss the emotions that can come with needing to use formula, especially for families that didn’t plan to or want to. And, we absolutely support families who plan to use formula from the...

Breastfeeding/chestfeeding should not be painful! Ongoing and significant breastfeeding pain is a sign that something is wrong. Unfortunately, Julie‘s feeding journey was full of pain for the first few months! She was in a lot of discomfort both while the baby was feeding, later in between feeds and throughout the day as well. It turned out this was from multiple causes. If you are a lactation professional, this is a great episode to learn from a case study around how to navigate a complex case of pain. If you are a parent, this could be a good ep...

This one is so special! Liz shares her journey of growing her family via a gestational surrogate, and how she induced lactation to bring in her own milk supply! Jessica hosted, and said “beautiful” and “oh my gosh” more times than you can count throughout this amazing story of strength, support, and love for baby Eve and Liz‘s family. (Apologies that Liz‘s microphone was a bit crackly during our Zoom recording!)

Some resources on induced lactation:

For parents in...

Duration: 00:33:20

New Mastitis protocol?

Yes, the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine has added a new protocol, #36, the Mastitis Protocol. Actually, it is updated but the ideas in it are so revolutionary, it may as well be new!

Dr. Katrina Mitchell was a major force behind these changes. She had noticed in her clinic as a Breastfeeding Medicine Doctor, that parents with recurrent mastitis tended to be massaging their breasts like crazy to “get out plugs”. She believed doing this then led to more plugs!

Go to her amazing site, The Physicians Guide to Breastfeeding to lear...

Sarah’s breastfeeding story

Sometimes it is so nice to just hear a positive breastfeeding story!

We tend to hear more about the how things went wrong instead of right.

Sarah is lucky enough to have a lot of family support and access to lactation help when she needed it, so guess what? She reached her infant feeding goals!

This doesn’t mean that her journey was easy but she was able to keep working on doing what she felt was best for her family.

Her journey illustrates what woul...

Barbara is joined by Nancy Mohrbacher to talk about education, particularly about professional lactation education.

In the field of education, the traditional method of lecture and Power Point stills dominates the trainings that are available. Research has show over and over again that this is one of the most non-effective ways to help people learn.

The purpose of education is suppose to lead to change, in one’s thinking, beliefs, and behavior. In order for this to happen, the brain needs to be engaged, not passively listening to a person talk.

In this po...

My work is extremely important to me and is a perfect fit for all of my beliefs and my personality.

To me, what we do here at the Breastfeeding Center of Ann Arbor is to help families either become more attached to their babies (hopefully through breastfeeding but sometimes this isn’t possible) and also help professionals learn how to best help families.

Jessica, my colleague, has joined me whole heartedly in this work!

In this post, we are discussing what we consider our North Stars. The foundational and guiding principles that keep us...

Used with permission from USBC

Yes! Yes! Yes!

We say birth and postpartum doulas are the front line defenders of breastfeeding along with nurses and midwives!

I believe that the explosion of doulas in Detroit, MI is one of main reasons for this incredibly, too long time in coming change: “According to Michigan Department of Health and Human Services data, Detroit’s infant mortality rate plunged from 16.7 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2018 to 11 per 1,000 live births in 2019, representing a one-third rate reduction.” How amazing!

We know that breastfeeding is important for he...

In 2020 Nancy Mohrbacher published her latest book, Breastfeeding Answers, 2nd Edition. We jokingly call this book BA2 and it is one of the most important books in the field of lactation.

I was honored that Nancy was willing to co-host a professional book group with me. I had hosted two other book groups before, Making More Milk, 2nd Edition with Lisa Marasco and Supporting Sucking Skills with Catherine Watson Genna, and this format had worked really well to help me (and apparently many others!) to read the other entire book. Having a book group allowed for time...

So sorry for the delays in podcasts! COVID has done a real number on me and I have been struggling to get tasks done that are not critical. Jessica and I are committed to recording and releasing more often! Thank you for your patience. Barbara

Back in May 2022 I got this email: “I don’t expect you to remember, but 2 years ago we corresponded about writing a clinical perspective essay for Clinical Lactation about Exclusive Pumping and lessons I gained as an IBCLC from being an exclusive pumper. I really appreciate you reaching out when you did to a...

Breastfeeding twins?

Yes! Sometimes you feel like breastfeeding one baby is almost impossible but then you have TWO babies! Anna shares her story about how she is successfully breastfeeding her twins. It was not easy but also achievable with the right help and support. When you have babies who are early, even a little bit, it can make the process harder. Although Anna’s babies were born “term” for twins, 37 weeks, that is still early! These babies often need some supplementation while they transition to the breast.

Getting started with breastfeeding twins

Anna had ta...

Becoming an IBCLC is not easy!

Many people are surprised to find out that to becoming an IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant) is hard. You need 8 college courses, 6 continuing education courses, 300-1000 clinical hours working with breastfeeding families, a 90 hour professional lactation course, and THEN you can qualify to take a four hour exam. It is a true profession! If you want to learn more email barbara@bfcaa.com to learn more! We have monthly Zoom meetings to review the process and help answer questions.

Jessica and I first met when she had her...

What is hand expression?

Great question! Basically it means getting breastmilk out of a lactation breast without a baby or a breast pump. At The Breastfeeding Center of Ann Arbor, hand expression is a typical tool we review with most of our families because you never know when you might get caught with no baby, no pump, and a full breast! Literally a life saver. Practice does make perfect with hand expression.

We have a brand new podcast about this! Enjoy here!

Reasons to hand express

Here are just a few...

Breastfeeding book groups?

What on earth do I mean by breastfeeding book groups?
So, fall of 2019 I had just finished helping Lisa Marasco with some final edits of her and Diana West’ new edition of Making More Milk, 2nd Edition. The holidays were coming and I ordered a copy of the book for each of my interns. I thought to myself, we should read this together as a book group.

Let me explain a few things here. First of all, I am a voracious reader. Have been my whole life. I read 1-4 books pe...

OMG. It has been too long! Karen and I recorded this back in June but due to Covid I haven’t been able to get this to move to the top of my list to publish. Thank Jessica for pushing me (in the nicest way) to keep after this and get it done!

We love breastfeeding stories. Karen’s is very interesting because she is actually part of the health care system herself. She did great with breastfeeding but actually in spite of the “help” she got.

What happens before and after the birth can make or...

Barbara Robertson chats with Nancy Mohrbacher about her new edition of Breastfeeding Answers, 2nd Edition and their upcoming project.

Do you want to unlock the secrets of Breastfeeding Answers, 2nd Edition? Barbara D. Robertson will be joined by Nancy Mohrbacher, the author of the book, to discuss their upcoming venture and break this down for you. Having a structured format of a book group tends to move things from the “oh I should do that” to DONE!

Barbara and Nancy will talk about how this group will be using Zoom Meeting. and Thinkific, an o...

Oversupply?

Too much breastmilk? Is that really a problem? The answer is, YES, oversupply is a big problem for people who are struggling with this.

Milk everywhere, choking babies, are there answers? For sure! Listen to this podcast to get more information.

Symptoms:

Baby choking
Baby clucking at the beginning of feed (when the milk is flowing fast) or during let downs
Fussy babies
Milk everywhere!

What to do about an oversupply?

First, figure out what is really going on. Some families can actually...

Another breastfeeding story!

This one is particularly dear to Barbara’s heart. Melissa came to see Barbara after the birth of her first baby and was struggling with her rate of breastmilk production. Although Melissa was able to increase her supply a bit, she still needed to supplement her baby.

Second baby

When Melissa was pregnant with her second baby she called Barbara to set up a prenatal breastfeeding consultation. Barbara was surprised because she remembered Melissa as being a very successful breastfeeder. Melissa was, she nursed for over two years! She also st...

Here are our COVID updates!

Barbara accidently published the unedited version of this podcast! Here is the edited version. Sorry!

Jessica COVID updates

Jessica is at home with her two your children trying not to miss a beat while being a full time parent and having her and her partner continue to work full time. This sadly, is a common theme. Although this is very challenging, Jessica is very aware of the privilege that she has, being able to continue to work from home, that she hasn’t lost her job, or been de...

A conversation with Laurel Wilson IBCLC!

Yes, we were lucky enough that Laurel Wilson IBCLC reached out to us to do a podcast. We have been big fans of Laurel for a number of years. I attended a talk to hers in Grand Rapids a number of years ago and was hooked!

Don’t know Laurel Wilson IBCLC yet?

Laurel has the site Mother Journey. “Tens of thousands of research articles are published each year with potential health implications for new families. Healthcare providers rarely have the time to read, digest, and implement the...

What is your breastfeeding support network?

Who do you need in this team?

Partners

Partners are a critical player in your breastfeeding support network. A partner can make or break a breastfeeding relationship. Not necessarily because they don’t support breastfeeding but if you are struggling with breastfeeding, this struggle can be hard to watch if your partner is suffering. Helping make sure your partner is educated about how breastfeeding works and having them know who to contact if you are having trouble with breastfeeding. Here is a podcast about partners so you ca...

A new breastfeeding story!

Lauren is a very experienced breastfeeding mother. She joins us today with baby Luke today to talk about her breastfeeding story. She has nursed four children! When you have more than one child it is important to remember that each breastfeeding experience will be different. Each breastfeeding journey is a unique journey.

In her breastfeeding story you will hear how some of her babies were easy to nurse and some were more challenging. Her first two were the easiest so it has been a surprise that the babies have gotten harder...

Caleb not latching? Oh no!

We continue Jessica’s breastfeeding story. Please don’t worry, it has a happy ending! We ended with Jessica in the pit of despair and Caleb not latching. Even with all the support and knowledge that Jessica has, she is ready for the final hoop to become an IBCLC, taking the exam, she really struggles with what her instincts tell her to do to help with a not latching baby and what she knows works.

Caleb has been through so much! In addition to not latching, he wanted to suck all...

Jessica’s second breastfeeding story is a doozy!

When we have our second baby we think, well this has to be easier than the first time. Right? In Jessica’s case this was not true! Her breastfeeding story is powerful! Yes, those baby worries weren’t there (you rarely worry that you might accidentally kill your second baby like you do your first), you know the signs of a well fed baby, and your assessment at a glance (A quick look noting is this baby doing OK or not) skills are strong.

However, even though in Jes...

New Breast Pumps?

What are these new pumps? Jessica and Barbara are going to talk about two types of relatively new pumps that are on the market now. We wanted to make sure that these pumps were reliable before we gave our thoughts. In the pump market that takes 2-3 years! The first few thousand families who buy these pumps are essentially paying for the privilege to be a tester!

The Haakaa

The Haakaa has been on the market for a few years now and has many copycat products. It is a little...

Know when it’s time to wean your baby is not always easy.

When is it time to wean your baby? Only you get to decide!

Once a baby is over six months of age you can start to get pressure from others. Is that baby STILL nursing? Yes! Remember, the World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding for at least 2 years! Here at The Breastfeeding Center of Ann Arbor we think the longer the better!

Another thought is that maybe you never envisioned nursing a baby for more than six months to a year. I...

Jamie’s Breastfeeding Story

In this podcast episode Barbara and Jessica talk to Jamie about her breastfeeding journey with her little one Zelda. Each breastfeeding story is very different and Jamie’s is no exception. She struggled with unexpected infertility which made her story very different than she planned before getting pregnant.

Take a listen and enjoy!

At The Breastfeeding Center of Ann Arbor we share family’s breastfeeding stories because of all the miss-information about what actually happens while breastfeeding.

Either people have been told what a nightmare breastfeeding can be or...

Partners and breastfeeding?

How do partners fit is with breastfeeding?
This can look many ways, there is no one size fits all. In this podcast Jessica and Barbara talk about options for how this can look for families. The sound is a little wonky in this podcast so please forgive us!

Many times if a family is breastfeeding, we think of the partner as the one who changes the diapers. Literally does the dirty work. While this may be true there are so many ways to support the breastfeeding partner that don’t involve di...

What is hand expression?

Great question! Basically it means getting breastmilk out of a lactation breast without a baby or a breast pump. At The Breastfeeding Center of Ann Arbor, hand expression is a typical tool we review with most of our families because you never know when you might get caught with no baby, no pump, and a full breast! Literally a life saver. Practice does make perfect with hand expression.

We have a brand new podcast about this! Enjoy here!

Reasons to hand express

Here are just a few...

Nipple shield survey results!

Our nipple shield survey is discussed in this podcast. We had a whopping 4500 families and 500 lactation professionals fill out the survey! We got so much interesting information from this survey. Of course there are some limitations from the information we gathered. First of all, this survey was only distributed from Facebook. I put an announcement on my Facebook page, two professional pages, and three colleague’s Facebook pages. This means our reach went as far and our reach! Secondly, people who are viewing these pages are peo...

Breastmilk changes over time!

Really, this is true! Yes, in this podcast Barbara and Jessica talk about how breastmilk changes over time. It is really quite amazing! Many health care providers tell families there is no nutritional value for babies from breastmilk after one year. Like it turns into water! Breastmilk is a living, dynamic fluid that works in real time to protect babies with the optimal nutrition.

At birth:

Your breastmilk is perfect! Full of ready to utilize goodness. Designed perfectly to help the baby’s body shift from intrauterine feedings to or...

Breast feeding failure?

Most women in the USA want to breastfeed yet many of these women don’t reach their breastfeeding goals which is often defined as “breast feeding failure”. In some states, as many as 90% or more of families initiate breastfeeding. These states tend to be on the east and west coasts of our country. The lowest number of mothers who start out breastfeeding is Mississippi which has an initiation rate of 63.2%. But still, these numbers are high! Why aren’t we seeing breastfeeding everywhere? This podcast is about all the reasons we are struggling with this “na...

Nursing in public?

Didn’t we all decide that nursing in public was fine? Apparently not! There are still so many people who get their panties in a bunch when they see a family breastfeeding in public!

Jessica and Barbara discuss the latest study on nursing in public. This article concerns the images of women nursing in public and how they are almost always of a woman by herself, not in a social situation. This implies that woman SHOULD nurse alone, whether they are at home or out and about. Where are the images of wo...

Milk banking

Non-profit milk banking in the United States is rapidly growing! We have the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA) here is the US, Mexico, and Canada. At this point we have 27 milk banks and 5 under development in North America. Milk banking was developed in 1985. These milk banks have donor screening, testing for bacteria, and pasteurize the donated breastmilk. Milk banking had a rough time in the 1980s when the HIV virus was emerging and it was not understood that the pasteurization destroyed the virus. Now, mother’s are screened for HIV and due th...

D-MER?

What is D-MER? This is a condition that every family should be aware of, not because it is going to happen to you. It is actually quite rare. But because when it does happen to a breastfeeding family the mother can feel like she is going crazy. So please listen to this podcast so you can help other families!

D-MER stands for Dysphoric Milk Ejection Reflex. Let us explain. When a mother starts to breastfeed (or pump or hand express) she may feel a wave of emotion that is not pleasant. These feelings can...

Breastfeeding and Medications

Breastfeeding and medications can cause a lot of confusion! Many mothers are told they cannot breastfeed while taking certain medications but this is often not true.

We will discuss how medications can possibly get into breastmilk, a process called diffusion, FYI, and what families can do if they have questions or concerns about medication usage.

Most medication are safe for breastfeeding. Some things to consider are whether a baby could take it. Many medications are given to babies safely so this is something to look for. Also, how is the...

Barbara and Jessica are busting breast feeding myths! What have you been told about breastfeeding? So many things! People have all kinds of thoughts and opinions.

Breast feeding myths come from many places. Family and friends have many old wives tales or assume that what happened to they must be going to happen to you, no matter how weird. Sadly, our health care providers can also harbor miss-information from past personal experience or out dated information.

The biggest source of breast feeding myths is, of course, the internet! So many lies out there so please...

What are the top 5 breast feeding concerns? Well, we have been busy bees figuring this out and helping to provide information to families! I have spent a lot of time and resources on marketing this past year trying to address the needs of my clients. This means a new website! I have created new sections on the website that address specific topics that many families have concerns about.

The top 5 breast feeding concerns we found are:

Milk supply worries:
This section reviews the signs of a well fed baby and talks about how much...

Why are we talking about the World Health Assembly and breastfeeding? Because world policy sets the priorities for money spent on support. And we all know we can use more breastfeeding support. The New York Times released a story about the news. Here is another story about this.

What was the controversy?  World Health Assembly and breastfeeding news was all about the USA trying to block other countries from supporting the WHO Code and really this is all about the MARKETING of formula and feeding bottles and teats. Companies making money at the expense of our health. Duration: 00:19:49

Jessica’s Working and Breastfeeding Story!

We are adding a new type of podcast to our collection beginning with our new intern Jessica! We have been having mothers share their breastfeeding stories but now we want mothers to hear from other mothers about the realities of going back to work while you are breastfeeding. Jessica’s working and breastfeeding story is worth the listen as you consider what needs to happen before you return to work.

Jessica was very lucky that she had a lot of time off, five months, compared to most families in the...

Breastfeeding Missions? What does this mean?

I, Barbara Robertson, want to make Breastfeeding Missions a reality! I have always worked on giving back to the community. I have been hosting a weekly, free, breastfeeding support group for over 10 years, volunteer when I can for her local WIC office, and offer a sliding scale for her consultation services for families who need it. I am still a La Leche Leader filling in where needed. This feels like it is not enough. I want to do more! I feel I could do so much more for Washtenaw County, Michigan...

How to become an IBCLC?

This week Barbara and Barb talk about Barbara’s journey to becoming an IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant)!
Some people think because the IBCLC credential is consider part of the health care field that you have to be a nurse. This is not true! Many of the biggest movers and shakers in our field are not RNs. Cathy Watson Genna has a bachelors of science. Liz Brooks is a lawyer! Diana West and Lisa Marasco who wrote The Breastfeeding Mother’s Guide to Making More Milk are not RNs.

Ba...

As promised, we are back in business and Dawn is going to be sharing her breastfeeding story.

Dawn’s work with babies has led her down paths she didn’t expect. Isn’t this often the case? Who knew my own struggles with breastfeeding would lead to a whole career I never imaged? We encourage you to check out some of Dawn’s resources that are below.

Dawn tells us about her two experiences. With her first baby, breastfeeding did not go as planned. Baby number one was premature and had an extended stay in the NICU...

Barb and Nolan

Barb is getting ready to take her IBCLC exam in April and I have been busy doing other things besides creating a breastfeeding podcast!

But we are back to making our breastfeeding podcast!

I am being joined by my new intern, Jessica, who is going to continue my podcast journey. Don’t worry, Barb is not gone! You will see her here and there!

We want to be able to deliver our breastfeeding podcast to you again on a regular basis. Please let us know what you would like to he...

Breastfeeding class? Why take one?

Today’s episode is just a quick informational show on the importance of taking a breastfeeding class before you have your baby! A little knowledge can go a long way! Please share this episode with new mamas and friends!

Breastfeeding a new baby is natural but not always easy. Some people say breastfeeding a baby was the easiest thing they ever did, some say it was the hardest! A good breastfeeding class should focus on the first critical weeks of your ba...

Breastfeeding and dentistry?

What do teeth have to do with breastfeeding?

This week on the podcast Barbara and Barb discuss breastfeeding and dentistry. Is there any truth to the idea that breastfeeding causes cavities?

There was a recent study that found babies who had been breastfed for more than 6 months had more cavities than the babies who were not breastfed for at least 6 months. Sadly, they did not sort for family history of strep mutans, the most common cause of cavities, or consumption of sugar, the next most important factor in...

Postpartum depression can happen to any women, no matter how much she wanted her baby, no matter what her socioeconomic status.

This week on the podcast, Barbara and Barb talk about postpartum depression (PPD). A very common occurrence in many woman after they have a baby, yet not talked about often enough. We were inspired to talk about this subject after doing a podcast with Michelle. She had suffered through a serious episode of postpartum depression after the birth of her first child and didn’t reach out for help. We talk about why she di...

Breastfeeding in public!

This week, Barbara and Barb do a round-up on breastfeeding in public, just in time for the summer. Moms are out and about, and babies still need to eat.
We discuss a recent incident where a breastfeeding mother had an employee suggest she might be more comfortable nursing in the bathroom after other customers had been complaining. People don’t understand how brave a breastfeeding mother is to even attempt to nurse in public for fear of someone getting offended.
We are trying to be discreet! We don’t want to o...

Michelle’s Breastfeeding Story!

We haven’t had a podcast for a while! Michelle’s breastfeeding story has many ups and downs! This week on the podcast, Michelle shares the story of breastfeeding her one year old daughter. She comes from a very supportive breastfeeding family who nurse for years, and knew she wanted to breastfeeding as long as baby wanted. There are some cultural differences and challenges that Michelle has faced along the way. Join in and listen as Michelle shares her journey.

Michelle dealt with isolation living away from her fam...

What’s in the numbers?

This week on the podcast we talk about numbers! Birth weights, how accurate they might be, comparing one scales weight to another, and all the variables to take into consideration when looking at numbers. Sometimes the scales might not be calibrated properly. What if the baby was weighed with a full belly and full of poop? The next weight might have your baby starving and you might have just changed a blow out diaper! How was that particular feed if you are doing a pre and post weight? If it wa...

Are breastfeeding support groups right for you?

This week on the podcast, Barbara and Barb chat all things breastfeeding support groups. Why are they helpful and who might benefit from a breastfeeding support group? Many people feel that a “support group” is old fashioned or if you need to go to one, it is a sign of weakness. Far from it! Gathering with a group of like minded people feels good!

Not all of our moms are singing Kumbaya, and talking about how easy breastfeeding is, believe me. Many of our mothers are stru...

You never know what is going to happen in your breastfeeding adventure!

This week on All Things Breastfeeding, host Barbara Robertson who is the owner of the Breastfeeding Center of Ann Arbor, shares her second breastfeeding story. This story was delayed in being recorded due some unexpected changes in Barbara’s family. She wanted to get the story just right! The great breastfeeding relationship you have when the babies are little, that closeness and connection, can last a lifetime. Breastfeeding is so much more than food!

Even though Barbara was a La Leche Le...

There is nothing worse than a nursing strike!

This week on the podcast, Intern Barb tells her experience with a recent nursing strike. Just when breastfeeding was so easy, a new challenge presented itself. It was an extremely emotional experience, and luckily Finn is back to nursing now!

Finn nursing for the first time in the middle of the night using the “bait and swtich method”.

All Things Breastfeeding has a news roundup this week on the podcast. We chat about important breastfeeding topics and some hot button issues this week! Join us while we lay it all out. The good and the bad.

All Things Breastfeeding Show notes: 

9 Things Your Lactation Consultant Desperately Want You To Know About Low Milk Supply 

Internet and Breastfeeding: Friend or Foe-podcast episode

Active Feeding Video

Fed is best website 

Barbara’s blog on baby friendly hospital initiative

We want to you know what y...

Melissa’s son Issac at 3 days old.

This week on the podcast, Melissa shares her breastfeeding story. Melissa talks about her first baby’s slow weight gain and her low milk supply. Lot’s of great tips for supply in this episode!

Show notes:

Domperidone study

After our interview with Melissa, she had this to share about the second year of nursing her first son. “One thing that struck me after we recorded is I spent most of the time talking about the problems I faced in year 1 but I never really got around t...

Intern Barb nursing her youngest Finn after birth.

This week on the podcast Barbara and Barb discuss birthing and breastfeeding. How does birth affect breastfeeding? Does the birth experience matter? We tackle these questions and more!

Show Notes: 

March of Dimes-39 week induction

ACOG guidelines on induction

Listen to Jennifer Canvassar’s episode as mentioned in the show!

Suzanne Colson Womb to World 

In The News: 

This mom breastfed her sister’s baby! 

Thank you so much for listening today! Ple...

This week Megan shares her breastfeeding story. After having a hard time with her first child, Megan shares what it is like to overcome difficulties and have a successful breastfeeding relationship with her second child.

Thank you so much for listening! If you are enjoying the podcast, we would so appreciate you rating and leaving a review on iTunes

If you are interested in sharing your breastfeeding story email barbara@bfcaa.com

Thanks you and Happy Breastfeeding!

The post All Things Breastfeeding: Megan’s Brea...

This week on the podcast we talk about the “taboo” subject of nursing older babies. Despite recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization, mothers are still having to defend their choice to nurse older babies. We chat about why nursing older babies is normal and the benefits that nursing past infancy provide.

Shownotes:

World Health Organization breastfeeding recommendations

American Academy of Pediatrics breastfeeding recommendations

Pink backlash on instagram post

Barbara Blog Trusting Your Gut

Kellymom information on weaning

I...

Jenny and Jett

This week on the podcast we share Jenny’s Breastfeeding Story. Jenny has overcome so many difficulties throughout her journey so far including a really rough start, and poor weight gain for baby Jett. Join us today to see how Jenny came through to the other other side, and where she is now.

Jenny is our first out of area story that we have recorded! We are so excited to be expanding our stories. If you are interested in sharing your story, please contact us barbara@bfcaa.com

If you enjoy the po...

This week the topic of discussion is low milk supply. What exactly is a low milk supply and what can a mom do to help overcome this breastfeeding difficulty? Join us while we chat all things low supply!

Resource of the day: The Breastfeeding Mother’s Guide to Making More Milk

Paced Bottle Feeding: 

Bronson Mothers’ Milk Bank 

Tennessee grant for pre-term babies

Milk Sharing Podcast

Barbara’s Breastfeeding Story

Thanks so much for listening! The podcast is now available on Google Pla...

Summertime is in full swing and along with summer, comes a lot of outdoor activities, vacations, and trips out of the house with baby! Breastfeeding In Public can be scary and intimidating for new mothers, and seasoned moms alike. We will chat about how to feel more comfortable feeding your baby in public.

Show notes:

Breastfeeding Law Information: Clink Link below for Jake Marcus J.D. website

Breastfeeding anti-discrimination act in Michigan was signed into law in 2014.

Photo of mom nursing at wedding goes viral! We...

This week on the podcast Jessica shares her story! She had a rocky start, but is doing quite well now! We also chat about Jessica’s most recent development-preparing for returning to work!

Have you heard of the breast crawl? Jessica explained that her baby latched for the first time after doing the breast crawl! How cool is that?! Check out the video below!

Also, we mention Kellymom multiple times. As you know, it is one of our best recommended sites for accurate breastfeeding information.

For w...

Breastfeeding and the internet-Is it a friend or foe? It can be both and this week on the show Barbara and Barb chat about how the internet has affected breastfeeding mothers today.

Reliable breastfeeding resources: Kellymom , La Leche League , Jack Newman,  Breastfeeding Center of Ann Arbor  There are many other reliable websites, but these are a few of our absolute go-to’s.

You can also visit our Facebook page for up to date information on happenings in the breastfeeding world.

If you haven’t listened to Lindsay’s Breastfeeding Story on the podcast, check it ou...

This week on the podcast, Laura is sharing her breastfeeding story. Laura faced many challenges including having a baby who was small for gestational age at birth.

Thank you so much for listening and if you would like to share your breastfeeding story, please contact Barbara at barbara@bfcaa.com

~Happy Breastfeeding!

The post All Things Breastfeeding: Laura’s Breastfeeding Story appeared first on The Breastfeeding Center of Ann Arbor.

This week on the podcast we discuss nursing strikes. What is a nursing strike? How should you deal with a nursing strike? Also, find out what product Barbara and Barb are really excited about!

Show Notes:

Check out Barbara’s video on paced bottle feeding:

Pumping podcast episode

In The News:

The Breastfeeding Center of Ann Arbor is now selling the Spectra S1 and S2 pump! We have replacement parts for the pump including larger flange sizes as well!

T...

This week on the podcast we share another breastfeeding story! Lindsay shares her journey breastfeeding Jack who was born 2 months premature.

Do you want to share your breastfeeding story? Please contact Barbara! Barbara@bfcaa.com OR connect on Facebook!

Don’t Forget! This weekend is the 3rd Annual Miracle Milk Stroll! Barb the intern will be at the Ann Arbor location so come on out! If you are somewhere else in the country there is still time to register here. 

Lastly, Please consider rating and leaving a review on iTune...

This week on the podcast we chat about nutrition for the breastfeeding mother. Does a nursing mom need to follow a special diet? We will tell you what we think!

Shownotes:

Learn how to make your own Nettle Leaf Infusion. 

Visit Kellymom for more information on nutrition while breastfeeding.

In The News:

Find a Miracle Milk Stroll Near you!

Visit the NEC society to learn why human milk is so important for premature and medically fragile infants.

Hear Jennifer Canvasser’s Story

Barbara’s Blo...

This week on the podcast, Intern Barb shares her second breastfeeding story. Barb’s second breastfeeding experience had some hurdles to overcome, including tongue tie and bottle refusal.

Here is Barb and baby Nolan nursing when he was about a year old.

Thanks for listening today! Do you want to share your breastfeeding story? You can email at barbara@bfcaa.com or connect with us on Facebook.

~Happy Breastfeeding

The post All Things Breastfeeding: Barb’s Second Breastfeeding Story appeared first on The Breastfeeding Center of Ann Arbor.

This week on the Podcast we are sharing our results from a recent survey on introduction of solids! We had over 500 participants and we are excited to share with you! Although we were promoting meat as a good source of protein on the show, for all of you vegetarians and vegans, we support you too! There are excellent legumes and other sources of good iron, not just meat.

Resources: 

Kellymom is always a great place to get accurate breastfeeding information.

La Leche League also has great info!

APA Statement 

This week on the podcast we are sharing another breastfeeding story. Barb shares her experience with her first son Liam.

Check out Liam’s heart shaped tongue. This is one of the very fist pictures taken after Liam’s birth.

Thank you so much for listening to the podcast! Are you interested in sharing your breastfeeding story? Like the Facebook page and connect with us!

We would so appreciate for you to rate and review the show on iTunes. It will help others find our...

We are excited to bring our first breastfeeding story this week! Barbara, Owner and IBCLC at The Breastfeeding Center of Ann Arbor shares the story of her first breastfeeding journey.

Thank you for listening today! If you enjoy the podcast, please share with your friends! We would also love for you to rate and review the podcast on iTunes. 

Join in the discussion on our Facebook page.

~Happy Breastfeeding!

The post All Things Breastfeeding: Barbara’s Breastfeeding Story appeared first on The Breastfeeding Center of Ann Arbor.

We have a special announcement! We are going to start featuring breastfeeding stories on the podcast in addition to our regular informational shows! We are so excited to share these with our listeners. Please let us know if you want to share your story!

~Happy Breastfeeding!

The post All Things Breastfeeding: Special Announcement appeared first on The Breastfeeding Center of Ann Arbor.

Supplementation?

This week on the podcast Barbara and Barb discuss the ins and outs of supplementation. When is it necessary, and when might it not be necessary? We also discuss how to appropriately supplement your baby, if it is in fact needed. Sometimes we can be giving our babies extra food when we don’t need to and sometimes we may need to give our babies extra food if needed. Knowing the facts about supplementation is important so you can understand the process and what the possible pros and cons might be.

We know that ba...

Sharing breastmilk is not a new idea, but it is being discussed more and more these days. Milk sharing can be done both formally and informally and we will chat about both in this episode.

Resource of the day: Human Milk Baking Association of North America and the Bronson Mothers’ Milk Bank

For more information on NEC,  check out our podcast interview with Jennifer Canvasser and also the NEC Society

Informal milk sharing websites:

Human Milk for Human Babies

MilkShare

Eats On Feets

C...

This week on the podcast we share quick tips for engorgement. Although completely normal after birth when colostrum is transitioning to mature milk, it can be painful to deal with. Let us help you. Great listen for pregnant mamas!

Resource of the week: Kelly Mom information on engorgement

Getting off the to best start with breastfeeding podcast episode

Visit our Working and Breastfeeding page for more information on hand expression.

We also have a great YouTube video demonstrating hand expression.

Reverse pressure softening technique to help with en...