Episode 11: Instinctive breastfeeding, nursing strikes, and cultural differences with Bente Riehn
When Bente Riehn was learning how to latch her first baby, a lactation consultant's advice changed the game for her. She learned how to feed in a natural, instinctive way, instead of a rigid position. From there, she went on to nurse her 2nd and 3rd babies for over 12 months each, even while struggling with an autoimmune disease. She talks about her move from the Netherlands to Texas, the cultural differences in birth and breastfeeding, and encouragement to not give up even when babies go on a nursing strike.
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Episode 10: Bereavement pumping with Laurel Herron
When she was 14 weeks pregnant with her first baby, Laurel Herron received devastating news that her baby would not be able to survive outside the womb. She continued plans to carry the baby to term, but at 17 weeks, baby Elijah's heart stopped. Hospital staff gave her instructions for drying up her milk, but Laurel decided instead to pump and donate her milk. She was able to pump for 3 months and donate to a milk bank. Today, a year later, she is nursing her rainbow baby, equipped with the lessons she learned about breastfeeding from that time, and continuing to remember and celebrate the life of her first child.
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Episode 9: Pregnancy after loss and breastfeeding after the NICU with Brittany Suell
With her 4th baby, Brittany Suell suffered a stillborn loss at 40 weeks, despite having an otherwise healthy pregnancy. She entered her 5th pregnancy with new fears, focused on having a living baby no matter what. At 29 weeks, she found herself back in the ER waiting for the doctors to tell her if the baby was OK. She was rushed to an emergency c-section, and her baby was taken to the NICU for a 6-week stay. She had to keep track of pumping on top of driving back and forth to the NICU daily, but she was able to build a milk supply. When her baby got out, she was able to transition him to exclusive nursing successfully and continued to nurse into toddlerhood! Today she helps women stay fit and healthy even while breastfeeding. Her story is one of healing, mentally, physically, and spiritually.
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Episode 8: Surprise babies, body image, and donating milk with Jane Howell
With her first two babies, Jane Howell barely made it to 12 months of pumping and nursing - both times finding out she was pregnant and having to stop suddenly and use up her freezer stash. On top of that, her weight loss goals also took a hit to her milk supply. But with Baby Girl #3, she was able to continue long past 12 months, nursing at home, pumping at work, and even having so much leftover milk she donated to another mom in need! She discovered that "bouncing back" was more about her mental acceptance of her body, and even though she didn't force weight loss, she felt fitter the 3rd postpartum than she did before.
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Episode 7: Twins, tandem feeding, and nutrition with Allegra Gast
As a lactation consultant and nutritionist, Allegra Gast of Aloha Nutrition assumed breastfeeding would come naturally and easily. But with her first baby, latching and tongue tie struggles threatened to cut her journey short. She persisted, and once she got in her rhythm, she went on to nurse throughout toddlerhood, even while pregnant with her 2nd baby. Her 2nd baby also nursed into toddlerhood throughout her 3rd pregnancy with twins! Allegra explains that motherhood doesn't have to equal low energy or exhaustion. Even though she was nourishing 3 babies at once, she actually felt better because of the work she had done to have enough nutrients. And she shows that nursing twins beyond 12 months is totally possible!
The Breastfeeding Diaries is a podcast sharing real stories from moms who’ve overcome challenges to breastfeed their babies. From NICU stays and tongue ties, to low supply and emotional hurdles, each episode features one mother’s journey - proving that even when the beginning is tough, breastfeeding for a year or more is possible. Hosted by Haley Laurence, this show is a space for encouragement and hope for moms at any stage of their breastfeeding journey.
Ireland