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

This week, I’m welcoming Danielle Kyaligonza, who joins me from Uganda to talk about her breastfeeding journey with insufficient glandular tissue (IGT). Danielle describes a positive planned C-section birth in Cheshire, but on day five her baby Annie had lost 13% of birth weight and was later found to be severely dehydrated. This led to hospital admission, formula supplementation, and a traumatic start with pumping and limited breastfeeding support on a children’s ward. After weeks of triple feeding and minimal pumping improvement, a lactation consultant suggested IGT, with possible hormonal factors including suspected PCOS. Danielle sought domperidone via Dr Sharon Silberstein, and saw some supply increase and leaking, but experienced insomnia, vivid dreams and anxiety when tapering off too fast. She now combi-feeds, breastfeeding six months old Annie mainly when she isn’t hungry to encourage positive associations. Danielle is rightly proud of her perseverance in carrying on with breastfeeding despite all the challenges she faced.
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 from The 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 www.emmapickettbreastfeedingsupport.com 
Resources mentioned - 
Finding Sufficiency: Breastfeeding with insufficient glandular tissue https://www.lllgbbooks.co.uk/store/p230/FindingSufficiency.html
Breastfeeding Grief by Professor Amy Brown https://professoramybrown.co.uk/breastfeeding-grief
Caoimhe Whelan https://latch.ie/
Dr Sharon Silberstein https://www.breastfeedingdoctor.co.uk/
IGT And Low Milk Supply Support Group | Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/IGTmamas/?ref=share
Danielle would like to mention @thriveinfantfeeding on Instagram. Shami gave her lots of messaging support.
This podcast is presented by Emma Pickett IBCLC, and produced by Emily Crosby Media.

This week I’m talking to the lovely Emily from Glasgow about breastfeeding her two-year-old son Finn alongside multiple IgE food allergies and an unplanned separation. Emily and Finn call breastfeeding “bainne” (Gaelic for milk) to avoid confusion because Finn is allergic to cow’s milk. We discuss Finn’s allergy protocols, EpiPen use, contact reactions, and attempts at the milk ladder that caused hives, plus ongoing plans around night weaning. Emily shares a difficult birth, severe early breastfeeding pain linked to a posterior tongue tie that improved after division, the later development of eczema and escalating symptoms leading to allergy diagnosis, a nursing strike at 12 months, and a five-night hospital separation after Emily’s postoperative infection where advocacy and accurate medication guidance helped preserve 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 from The 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, that's uk.jkp.com using the code MMPE10 at checkout.

Follow me on Instagram  @emmapickettibclc or find out more on my website www.emmapickettbreastfeedingsupport.com 
Resources mentioned - 
Drugs in Breastmilk Service - The Breastfeeding Network https://www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/drugs-in-breastmilk/
Breastfeeding Medicines Advice service – NHS SPS https://www.sps.nhs.uk/home/about-sps/get-in-touch/medicines-advice-contact-details/breastfeeding-medicines-advice-service/ 
Breastfeeding and Food Allergies – La Leche League GB
Allergy in Childhood | Allergy UK | National Charity
https://www.bsaci.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Choosing-Wisely-on-IgE-request-in-eczema.pdf
This podcast is presented by Emma Pickett IBCLC, and produced by Emily Crosby Media.

This week, I’m honoured to be joined by Nicole from South London, the host and founder of the Squiggly Motherhood podcast. Nicole started the podcast because she couldn’t find motherhood content that reflected her experience as an exclusively breastfeeding Black mother working in a senior corporate role, and she wanted space for the two truths that motherhood can be both hard and loved at the same time, with practical, values-led gentle parenting reflections.
Nicole shares her feeding journeys with her two children who are just 18 months apart. She exclusively breastfed and delayed introducing bottles and dummies out of fear of disrupting breastfeeding, but later faced severe sleep deprivation with frequent night waking and significant pressure from others to stop breastfeeding or use formula, especially because her baby was small. She describes feeling isolated by exclusive breastfeeding and struggling to leave her baby, and explains how nights improved when her husband took over settling and they added other comfort methods.
Nicole’s second birth was an unplanned, very rapid home birth on the living room floor. With her son, early breastfeeding was harder due to a shallow latch and limited postnatal support because staff assumed she already knew what to do. She stayed in hospital longer specifically to get breastfeeding help, used different positions like the rugby hold, and took weeks to feel settled. She describes being more confident and accepting a second time, choosing co-sleeping from day one and not pursuing bottles or pumping. She later returned to work when her son was one. Nicole is still breastfeeding her two-year-old, who feeds frequently, and discusses managing boundaries within gentle parenting. She ends by advising parents breastfeeding past infancy not to justify their choices: it’s enough to say it works for their family right now.
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 from The 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, that's uk.jkp.com using the code MMPE10 at checkout.

Follow me on Instagram  @emmapickettibclc or find out more on my website www.emmapickettbreastfeedingsupport.com 
Listen to Nicole’s podcast, Squiggly Motherhood, wherever you get your podcasts.

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

I’ve got two amazing mums for you this week in a bumper episode about feeding five year olds.
Natalie, in Cornwall, breastfeeds her 5-year-old daughter Georgia mainly at bedtime (and occasionally in the morning or when ill), and describes how continuing breastfeeding helped with starting school, bedtime regulation, co-sleeping, and meeting Georgia’s high attachment needs. She discusses societal pressure, comments Georgia received from her classmates, her own feelings about reclaiming her body (supported by returning to exercise), and managing mixed reactions from family and professionals while staying confident in her choices. 
Dana, originally from the Czech Republic and living in Cambridgeshire, breastfeeds her 5-year-old son Alex every couple of days (around her evening work schedule) and tandem feeds him with her 3-year-old daughter River. She shares how tandem feeding worked after River’s birth, how feeds fit around school and very early bedtimes, and how breastfeeding has been largely straightforward for her, supported by family.
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 from The 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, that's uk.jkp.com using the code MMPE10 at checkout.

Follow me on Instagram  @emmapickettibclc or find out more on my website www.emmapickettbreastfeedingsupport.com 
This podcast is presented by Emma Pickett IBCLC, and produced by Emily Crosby Media.

This week, I’m pleased to be joined by Dr. Kelsey Bianca, an academic researcher and certified lactation counselor from Maryland, USA. Dr. Bianca shares her personal experience with breastfeeding and exclusive pumping, which inspired her PhD thesis - a qualitative study of women who exclusively expressed milk. She discusses her research work involving pumping, the decisions parents face, and her studies on children’s literature about breastfeeding. The conversation delves into practical aspects of exclusive pumping, attitudes of society and statutory protections in the US and UK. Dr. Bianca's insights shed light on the importance of understanding and supporting parents on their exclusive pumping journey.
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 from The 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, that's uk.jkp.com using the code MMPE10 at checkout.

Follow me on Instagram  @emmapickettibclc or find out more on my website www.emmapickettbreastfeedingsupport.com 
Find out more about Dr Bianca on her website https://drkelseybianca.com/
And read her research here https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-023-01666-2 
This podcast is presented by Emma Pickett IBCLC, and produced by Emily Crosby Media.