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

In this episode I’m talking about natural term breastfeeding with someone who has both personal and professional experience of it. Olivia Hinge is an IBCLC, midwife and mum of three, currently breastfeeding her youngest child (who makes a sleepy appearance in the episode). We talk about the realities of breastfeeding support on the maternity ward and what training Olivia would provide to all hospi...

Volunteer breastfeeding peer supporters are among the unsung heroes of the breastfeeding and chest feeding world. This week we’re exploring who they are and what they do.  I’m joined by two peer supporters, Hilary and Katrina, who volunteer for Treasure Chest, in York. We talk about how they came to train as supporters, what they enjoy and find challenging about the role, and how they help familie...

It’s my pleasure to be joined this week by Rakhee to talk about her gradual weaning journey with her daughter Isla.  It was lack of sleep and aversion connected to her cycle that made Rakhee consider putting in some boundaries with Isla when she was around 18 months. With the support of her husband, Sandy, she made these changes very slowly, allowing for Isla to adapt and grow as she went. Eventua...

This summer bonus episode is a replay of episode 5, where I explore your motivations for weaning, and whether a refresh on nursing manners could help. I talk about ways you can upskill to meet your child’s needs without the breast, how to cut down on the number of feeds and how you can talk with your child to wean with kindness and authenticity. I’m taking a break over the summer holidays, and rep...

This summer bonus episode is a replay of episode 2, where I explore why you might want to end breastfeeding/chest feeding. I discuss the misleading advice that some parents receive, the societal pressures, and the guilt that you may be feeling, but also the autonomy that you can have to make this decision for yourself and your family. I’m taking a break over the summer holidays, and replaying a fe...

‘You’re not feeding him again are you?’ ‘I’m only saying this because I’m worried about you’ ‘Don’t you think she’s a bit old for that now?’  Unsupportive comments from family members can be hurtful and stressful for you and your child. Especially when you’re trying to relax and enjoy your holiday. This summer bonus episode is a replay of episode 16, where Raksha and Lauren share their stories of...

Today we’re talking about a condition that is surprisingly common in babies, but little known - torticollis. Alessia Testa had already suffered mastitis following a painful latch on one side by the time her son was six weeks old, but it was her insistence that her son had a head tilt that led to him being diagnosed and treated. With the help of physiotherapy and some simple changes at home, Luca’s...

This week we’re talking about all things childcare and I’m delighted to be joined by Molly Morgan, a holistic sleep coach & maternity nurse.  Molly and I discuss choosing between a nursery, childminder or nanny, what to look out for when making your decision, how a setting can support your breastfeeding journey and some of the practicalities of breastfeeding a child around nursery schedules. F...

This week, I’m honoured to have a true legend of UK breastfeeding support for you - Sarah Oakley, IBCLC, Registered Nurse and Health Visitor and Tongue-Tie Practitioner. Sarah and I discuss how and why tongue-ties happen, what you can expect from a tongue-tie division, if it’s right for your child, how to find a practitioner and what after-care is needed. We also dive into the ethics and history o...

Katie had a difficult route to pregnancy, going through two rounds of IVF and several transfers, as well as multiple surgeries to prepare her for conception. Her story is one of struggle, but also of trusting her instincts to continue. Did her route to conception give her more determination to make breastfeeding work? After a c-section delivery, her daughter, Ava, struggled to latch with a high pa...

Breastfeeding and perimenopause both suffer from a lack of research and investment. When you put the two together, mothers in their 40s and 50s are often met with a lack of understanding and no clear path to follow. So this week, I’ve got together two women who know as much as anyone can do about these tricky subjects, Dr Claire Phipps, the Menopause GP, and Tamzin West IBCLC, to help me untangle...

Few people who practise mostly child-led weaning know when their last feed is. Feeds tend to get few and far between until one day, you realise that it’s probably over. When that happened for today’s guest, Lucy, she chose to mark the occasion by writing a beautiful letter to her daughter, Ivy, which she shares here.  However, Ivy had other plans! She returned to breastfeeding, alongside her young...

This week it’s the return of your questions - this time on the topic of natural term breastfeeding. Questions answered - 2:28How does self weaning happen? 8:57Is there evidence of calories needed to not affect milk supply while pursuing weight loss? 12:47My baby is 13 months old and my health visitor recently said she only needs two feeds a day at this age, so not to feel guilty if I want to impos...

If you’ve been around breastfeeding support for any amount of time in the UK, you will have benefited from the work of my guest this week. There are few people who have made such an impact on the lives of breastfeeding families. Wendy Jones MBE is a founding member of the Breastfeeding Network (BfN). She ran the Drugs in Breastmilk helpline for many years and she is a respected author of many book...

This week’s story from Chloe is about not just breastfeeding through pain and discomfort, but also a wound that seemingly would not heal. Chloe dealt with repeated bouts of mastitis, and an infection, before finally being pain free after 8 months of breastfeeding. She is also a nurse, specialising in wound management, so she’s uniquely placed to talk about how infection and pain affected her feedi...

I’m honoured this week to talk to Leanne Pearce about five of her paintings depicting human milk feeding, and her work in general. You can look at the paintings we focus on as you listen by going to Leanne’s website - www.leannepearce.co.uk/emma-pickett-podcast or by visiting my instagram account @emmapickettibclc .  Leanne is a contemporary British artist specialising in portraiture. She has feat...

There are as many approaches to weaning as there are nurslings, so in this episode, I thought I’d get another perspective from an IBCLC across the pond. Katy Baker-Cohen works with the Nurse Family Partnership and has her own private practice called Crescent Lactation Care based in Pennsylvania. Together we talk about our approaches to transitioning from breastfeeding, how to talk about bed sharin...

In this episode, Charlotte shares her story of her son Noah’s journey with faltering growth and weight gain challenges. Her family struggled with bottle refusal, insufficient NHS support and hospital stays. Thanks partly to the remote support of lactation consultants, Noah is a happy 14 month old today with some great fat rolls, but the journey to get here was not an easy one. Charlotte is @the.sm...

My guest today has achieved something that many people don’t think is possible - breastfeeding triplets. Tracey Chow-Seegoolam was already feeding her son Miles when she found out she was pregnant with three more babies.  In our conversation, we talk about how Miles weaned during the pregnancy, where Tracey found support and advice for breastfeeding multiples, how she built up her supply through t...

Today, doula and peer supporter Terri Dell is sharing her breastfeeding story which ends with her night weaning her daughter Riley on attempt number 3. It’s a story that covers some early challenges but ends with a demonstration of how putting some boundaries in place, and getting to grips with nursing manners, can help a breastfeeding journey to continue. As Terri describes, she ‘fell back in lov...

The breadth of experiences that people from the LGBTQI+ community go through cannot possibly be covered in one episode, but today we’re making a start on how to support the community with lactation in its many forms. I’m speaking to BJ Woodstein IBCLC, who is also a doula, an academic and a translator, about the many choices open to Queer parents, including induced lactation, feeding after surroga...

This week, I’m speaking to Shona, just three weeks after the birth of her second child, Vaila, who you can hear in the background! We talk about her feeding journey with four year old Jura, anxiety, miscarriage and aversion,  and how he weaned during her pregnancy. My new book, ‘ Supporting the Transition from Breastfeeding: a Guide to Weaning for Professionals, Supporters and Parents ’, is out no...

Although the episode title refers to blood loss, Leanne’s story is about far more than that. It is important to flag up that Leanne’s birth contained trauma and her calm and articulate description of her experience is testament to who she is as a person, and the support and debriefing she has received. It won’t be an easy listen for everyone so please consider this a trigger warning for birth trau...

Although the episode title refers to blood loss, Leanne’s story is about far more than that. It is important to flag up that Leanne’s birth contained trauma and her calm and articulate description of her experience is testament to who she is as a person, and the support and debriefing she has received. It won’t be an easy listen for everyone so please consider this a trigger warning for birth trau...

Sometimes you meet someone who you instantly connect with, and it feels like you will never run out of things to talk about! That’s how I felt when I met life coach, Mubareka Virjee.  In this episode, Mubareka brings her creative, intuitive, positive attitude to life to our discussion about her breastfeeding journey. We touch on pressure from family members, divorce and single motherhood, lockdown...