​Welcome to the very first episode of my rebranded podcast: The Lactation Nerd Podcast. 

Quick question for you... When you were getting prenatal care, did you receive a breast or chest assessment from your provider to check for any risk factors that could complicate your lactation journey? 

My guess would be that you did not, as most of us don't. It's not standard practice, at least not here in the U.S., but it really needs to be. 

There are a few markers your provider, or lactation consultant, can look for that could mean you may struggle to produce milk. Knowing prenatally you have low supply indicators could save a baby’s life, a new parent’s sanity, and give them the opportunity to get comfortable with a combo feeding plan if they would still like to partially provide their milk if they don’t end up producing enough. Sadly, many, like my guest Kaia Lacy, don’t find out until it is much too late. 

Have you ever felt like an outright failure when it comes to feeding your new baby? You're not alone. There's nothing easy about learning to nurse a new baby, and those early weeks and months can take a toll on our sanity. 

You might have found yourself thinking....
"Am I making enough milk?"
"Am I latching them right?"
"I feel guilty because I don't love this like everyone else."
"Am I enough for this baby?"

I've had every one of these thoughts, and more. BUT there's something I really really want you to know. You ARE enough. And more than that... your worth is not measured in how much milk you make. Nobody knows this better than my friend Sarah Farrell Johnson, who's literally written the book on this concept. And she's right. But rather than hear it from me, I invite you to hear it from her. 

This post is about self love, and compassion when things aren't going how you might have wanted them to on your journey. Please enjoy this guest post from Sarah, and I hope that after you're feeling more confident in your journey, however that may look.... because after all... Supported is Best (#SupportedIsBest)! And as far as this post is concerned, that means supporting and loving yourself. 

Today I'm talking about your menstraul cycle!! Yayy!!!! (Or not.) I asked The Successful Breastfeeding Community on FB what questions they had about lactation and their periods... and whoa did they come through!

You may have heard that if you nurse your baby, you won’t get your menstrual cycle. You might have even heard that you can’t get pregnant while breastfeeding. Well, today I’m breaking that down, busting these myths, and sharing the truth about what to expect.  

The truth is, there is no black and white answer to almost any lactation related question. So, I thought it would probably just be easier to break it down on The Successful Breastfeeding Podcast. 
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So here you have it... your complete breakdown of your period when you're breastfeeding/chestfeeding.

Picture the following scenarios...
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Scenario One: You’re meeting someone you love for dinner. You’re having such a good time with them you’ve barely touched your food or sipped your drink. The server comes by after 15 minutes to take away your salad and water and puts down your steak and potatoes. Another 15 minutes goes by, laughing and catching up. The server returns, takes your barely touched food, and leaves the check. You’re still hungry! What’s going on here! You were just enjoying a leisurely meal with a loved one!

Scenario Two: You just woke up and you’re STARVING. You sit down to a breakfast buffet. There’s plenty of food and you can eat all you want. You go to town and after a few minutes, you notice you’re feeling pretty full. You nibble on a few more things, then get up to leave the table. The server comes by and informs you that you have to keep eating for another 20 minutes. You explain you’ve had all you want and you’re full! He tells you it doesn’t matter, and keeps poking you, even putting an ice cube on your bare skin to “wake you up” to eat more food. You’re mad. This isn’t a nice meal.

Scenario Three: You’re one of those people who prefers six small meals a day to three large ones. If you go for large meals, you feel bloated, or maybe your acid reflux flares up. You feel better and have more energy if you eat less food more often. But that server is back, telling you that you have to finish a large meal. You explain to him that you prefer small frequent meals. He tells you this is the way it is, as you struggle to clean your plate. Later that day your stomach feels bloated and your acid reflux is terrible, with painful burning in your stomach and throat. 

On today’s episode, we hear the wisdom and words from Autumnn Gaines, who is the subject of an iconic and powerful photo taken during a recent peaceful protest following the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers.