The Feeding Hour

In this episode of The Feeding Hour Podcast, Melanie Calhoun, a licensed professional counselor and mental health therapist specializing in perinatal mental health, shares her personal and professional journey. She discusses her transition from a marketing executive to a mental health therapist, her experiences with motherhood, and the challenges she faced with her children's feeding journeys....

In this episode of The Feeding Hour Podcast, Catherine and Abby discuss the journey of starting solids for babies, emphasizing the importance of early exposure to a variety of foods and textures. They share insights on how to prevent picky eating, the role of oral exploration, and the significance of responsive feeding. The conversation also touches on the benefits of breastfeeding and the transit...

In this conversation, Takema shares her personal journey through pregnancy, childbirth, and the challenges of breastfeeding. She discusses her initial expectations of breastfeeding, the realities she faced, and the emotional and physical hurdles she encountered. Takema emphasizes the importance of seeking help, the impact of dietary choices on her baby's health, and the emotional aspects of we...

In this episode, Abby and Catherine discuss the #1 reason moms's end nursing earlier than they would like, as well how we know how much milk baby is getting at each nursing. We also discuss suck swallow breathe patterns, typical duration of feeds, and red flags to watch out for that could indicate inefficiency. An important note in this episode is the expertise of speech language pathologist o...

In this episode, Rachel shares her personal journey through pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding, highlighting the challenges and triumphs she faced along the way. She discusses the impact of her prenatal care on her breastfeeding experience, the difficulties she encountered with her baby's latch, and the support she received from lactation consultants. Rachel also reflects on her weaning proce...

In this episode of The Feeding Hour Podcast Abby and Catherine discuss the challenges faced by mothers with low milk supply, particularly focusing on second-time moms who may have had difficulties in their first breastfeeding experience. They emphasize the importance of understanding that each pregnancy and breastfeeding journey is unique, and that previous experiences do not dictate future outcom...

In this episode, we get to hear all about Katie McGee, registered nurse, lactation consultant and mom of five, and her personal journey in the NICU with her twins. The conversation delves into the emotional and physical aspects of parenting, the role of lactation consultants, and the long-term effects of attachment parenting on child development. Listeners will gain valuable advice and encourageme...

In this episode, Laura discusses her journey from cardiac nursing to baby led sleep specialist, sparked by her own experiences as a mother. She emphasizes the importance of understanding co-sleeping and responsive caregiving. She also addresses the societal misconceptions about baby sleep, discussing the profound impact of Dr. James McKenna's book on her understanding of co-sleeping and breastfeed...

To kick off Season 2, Abby and Catherine dive into the profound impact of nurture on early childhood development. Drawing insights from Dr. Greer Kirshenbaum's work, we explore how nurturing practices from birth to age five can lay the foundation for mental health and resilience. Discover the science behind attachment, the importance of responsive caregiving, and how these early experiences shape...

To end our first season of the Feeding Hour, Britny Lievano, a mom of seven, joins us to share her feeding journey. She explores the ups and downs of breastfeeding and formula feeding. She encourages patience and support for new moms and reminds us all of the incredible health benefits of breastfeeding. She discusses the unique challenges she faced while balancing work and breastfeeding, as well a...

Julie opened up about her breastfeeding journey, sharing both the ups and downs she encountered along the way. She talked about how COVID-19 changed things up for her and highlighted the importance of trying different feeding methods. As an occupational therapist and lactation consultant, she began with a vision of a low-intervention birth but ended up having a C-section. Right from the start, she...

In this episode, we’re happy to welcome Gabby to share her journey into feeding her little one! She opens up about her positive experience as a new mom, her straightforward pregnancy, and the invaluable support from her healthcare providers. Gabby discusses her breastfeeding challenges, including using a nipple shield and getting help from a lactation consultant. She emphasizes the importance of k...

In this episode, Abbey with an E opens up about her breastfeeding journey, and Catherine celebrates passing the speech-language pathology PRAXIS exam! Abbey Gray shares the story of feeding her first son, and the rewards and challenges of breastfeeding can be. She talks about her long, unmedicated birth experience and a positive hospital birth. Abbey faced some challenges while breastfeeding her f...

In this episode, we’re happy to welcome Sarah Shugar, a birth and postpartum doula! We dive into how our birth experiences can really shape our early feeding journeys. Sarah opens up about her own path to becoming a doula, sharing some insights from her educational background and hands-on training and her role as a doula, advocating for clients and providing unwavering support during labor and tho...

In this episode, we're thrilled to welcome Jacqueline Murphy, a speech-language pathologist and feeding therapist! She’s here to share her personal journey and professional insights on infant feeding and breastfeeding challenges, as going back to work with breastfeeding goals. Jacqueline opens up about becoming a mom and how her background as an infant feeding specialist made her feel like she...

In this episode, we are happy to welcome Emily, from @theloveofbreastfeeding to share her story with us. We talk about the importance of movement and diet during pregnancy, and empowering mothers to make informed decisions for their babies' health.  Emily's breastfeeding journey with her first child was difficult due to latch issues, low weight gain, and her daughter’s silent reflux and li...

In this episode, we are joined by Lisa Paladino, a Certified Nurse Midwife, IBCLC, mom, and grandma. Lisa shares her wealth of experience (over 35 years!) in mother-infant care and shares her own journey of feeding with her three children, including a cleft palate, tongue ties, and home births, with us. We also talked about her twins nieces and nephews, who were born at 30 weeks and spent time in...

Katherine Benkeser, a mother of three boys, is with us to share her feeding journey. She opens up about her struggles with an infant with tethered oral tissue/tongue tie pain during breastfeeding and multiple hospital admissions for her youngest. Katherine's story underscores the importance of timing and readiness in making decisions about interventions for children. She also advocates for the...

In this episode, Catherine and Abby dive into Michaeleen Doucleff's book, "Hunt, Gather, Parent." The book takes a look at ancient cultures and how their approaches to parenting can offer valuable lessons for us today. One of the key takeaways is that involving children in chores from a young age can boost their ability to handle tasks on their own and even enhance their mental well-...

In this episode, we’re happy to have Cecile sharing her feeding journey with her two boys. She talks about the challenges of breastfeeding, including tongue ties, the birth crawl, and the importance of support, as well giving herself grace as a mother and sticking with her goal of breastfeeding despite challenges. Cecile tell us about breastfeeding her first child, the learning curve that came wit...

In this episode, Abby and Catherine dive into the purpose of the podcast, by sharing their own journeys in pediatric feeding and speech pathology. The bond between mothers and children inspired Catherine, who observed while working as a teacher in Northern Idaho. Catherine and Abby sought mentorship to pursue their interest in pediatric feeding and speech pathology. Abby gained valuable experience...

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Today Abby and Catherine welcome Nadda Diasti, holistic SLP, IBCLC, sleep coach, to discuss tongue ties, airway health, and its efffects on feeding. We dive into the common confusion parents face when getting differing opinions from various providers regarding tongue ties, and why it’s crucial to focus on building feeding skills and looking at other factors before considering any release for tongu...

In this episode, Catherine and Abby talk about the amazing importance of infant mental health and neuroprotective care, as well as the vital role that speech-language pathologists play in helping little ones thrive in the NICU. The speakers shared heartwarming insights on how these approaches can foster healthy social and emotional growth for our tiniest patients. They emphasized how speech-langua...

In this episode, Abby and Catherine discuss the importance of cue-based feeding, seeking help when needed, and the benefits of breastfeeding for newborns. The first few days after birth are crucial for establishing milk supply through frequent feedings. Feeding should be cue-based, with the baby latched on effectively every 1-2 hours. Babies' cues for feeding include alertness, stirring, and m...