Born to be Breastfed
Every new mother hears that breast is best. Many decide to breastfeed so their baby has the best. But soon after birth, the days are often fraught with sleep deprivation and conflicting messages from peers, family members, and health care professionals. Later, negative messages from the media and critical comments from family members and others may trigger mothers to question their decision. Feelings of inadequacy, intimidation and societal pressure to wean can cause mothers to give up breastfeeding before meeting their goals. The aim of this show is to empower parents to overcome the barriers that keep them from beginning or continuing to breastfeed. Through discussion of hospital practices, milk supply, medications, returning to work, milk storage options, and more, this show will provide an informed and supportive voice for new families and established families, so that they can take charge of their breastfeeding experience from conception through weaning.
Episodes
May 17, 2021 • 60 min
May is Preeclampsia Awareness Month. Only a small percentage of women develop preeclampsia during pregnancy, but it can and does happen. According to the Preeclampsia Foundation, preeclampsia remains a leading cause of maternal and infant illness and death. Hypertension (high blood pressure) is the leading indicator of preeclampsia. What is this condition, and can it be avoided, minimized, or cured? Join Marie and her guest, Carla...
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May 10, 2021 • 60 min
What’s it like to be the breastfeeding mother of three small children when you’re also a criminal defense attorney? How do you pump at a 200-year-old courthouse that doesn’t have an electrical outlet in a private place? And since by definition an attorney represents someone else, how does that affect your ability to take a break, the time you need to show up for work, and even the clothes you wear? Can you take several months of ma...
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May 3, 2021 • 56 min
Happy World Breastfeeding Week! Join in celebrating with all who protect, promote, and support breastfeeding throughout the globe! Yet, as you celebrate, recognize that there’s work to be done. This year’s World Breastfeeding Week theme calls us to focus on gender-equitable strategies for breastfeeding families everywhere. So how can we do that?
Join Marie and her guest, Stephanie Brown, IBCLC for a lively discussion that addresse...
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April 26, 2021 • 46 min
Aimee Sing started out like so many others. She was hoping to complete a 90-hour lactation education course and learned about the annual Felix Biancuzzo Scholarship. Aimee envisioned hundreds of people applying, and having her application get lost in the shuffle. Yet, she realized that she stood no chance unless she applied. Join Marie and her guest, Aimee Sing, PhD, as they talk about her journey to becoming an IBCLC. In this epi...
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April 19, 2021 • 45 min
The mere thought of taking a comprehensive, career-critical exam like the IBLCE? exam makes most people feel stressed, whether they’ve taken the exam before, or if they are a first-time test-taker. You might be wondering: What are the three main causes of test anxiety? What do the studies say about the relationship of the test-taker’s stress and their score? What do studies say about the relationship between decision-making and exa...
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April 12, 2021 • 54 min
No doubt, you’ve heard someone say that babies lose weight after birth but need to surpass their birth weight by 7 days, or 2 weeks, or 3 weeks. Similarly, you’ve probably heard that babies who have a 10% weight loss in the first few days require formula supplementation. But is this “decaphobia” justified?
Join Marie and her guest, clinical pediatrician and expert researcher Dr. Ian Paul, who says that these numbers and assumption...
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April 6, 2021 • 42 min
Sexual abuse affects more women than you may think. Some estimates suggest that it has happened to 20 to 25 percent (or more) of U.S. women. You’ve probably met these women. Survivors of sexual abuse come from all walks of life and all socioeconomic backgrounds, and the effects have a profound and life-long impact. For breastfeeding mothers, their supporters, and their health care providers, this raises a multitude of questions. Ho...
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March 29, 2021 • 57 min
After birth became medicalized, skin-to-skin care was assumed to be optional, irrelevant, or unimportant. But in truth, the skin-to-skin contact between the newborn, the mother and—yes, the father—is a critical component of the transition to extrauterine life for the baby, and the transformation of individuals into family units.
Join Marie and her special guest, Nils Bergman, MB ChB, MPH, MD, as they discuss the “NurtureScience” ...
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March 22, 2021 • 44 min
Uh-oh. You see that lactation exam lurking around the corner. You’re huffing and puffing, wondering how you’re going to slog through the 105 subtopics that are fair game on that exam. It’s your first time. Or it’s your third time. Or you’ve failed before and you know that failing is a real possibility. Will Marie’s course work for you? Maybe! Marie has helped more than 5,000 IBCLCs from 6 different continents, and she can help you,...
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March 15, 2021 • 40 min
We talk about empowerment. We talk about becoming empowered, or empowering others. And for sure, everyone has a different idea of what “empowerment” is all about. But sometimes, we need to take a step back and look at some of the underpinnings of “empowerment.” What does empowerment really mean? What does it mean to be “intentional”? How does emotional intelligence help us to get the results we want? What the heck is the “motivatio...
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March 8, 2021 • 60 min
Plagiocephaly (flat-head syndrome) affects as many as 47% of infants. If you’ve seen babies wearing helmets, you know how common this condition is. Maybe you’re wondering: My baby has an unusual head shape; does he need a helmet? Wait! Those helmets cost thousands of dollars and the cost is seldom, if ever, covered by insurance. Can you treat plagiocephaly without a helmet?
Join Marie and her guest, plagiocephaly expert Andrew Doro...
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March 1, 2021 • 35 min
The COVID-19 pandemic has seriously affected everything we do. That is especially true for healthcare professionals, those who work in hospitals, and IBCLC candidates who are sitting for the IBLCE exam. Join Marie and her guest, Melissa Bedward, MS, RNC-OB, C-EFM, to gain some insights into her journey to becoming an IBCLC; the ups and downs, the expenses and the rewards, and the subsequent real-life role of the hospital-based IBCL...
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February 22, 2021 • 57 min
Maybe you thought you had completely recovered from your eating disorder, but now, you’ve had a baby…and you’re wondering if you need help. Or, you’ve never been formally diagnosed with an eating disorder, but since your baby has been born, you’ve had a very different relationship with food. Or maybe this is normal. You’re breastfeeding—maybe it’s just hunger or a craving. Or maybe you’re just too busy to eat. But maybe not.
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February 15, 2021 • 39 min
We all know: Food is good. Eating is good. Breastfeeding is good. But as you take your postnatal journey, how do you navigate the intersection of breastfeeding, cooking, diet, dieting, nutrition and intuitive eating? Is weight-loss, “dieting” good, bad, or irrelevant during breastfeeding—and what about hormones? How does western culture affect not only maternal nutrition, but, also, the breastfeeding relationship? In the US, where...
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February 8, 2021 • 35 min
So, you’ve been thinking about getting your IBCLC certification, and you’re completely confused about how or if you can qualify through Pathway 2. Wouldn’t it be great to just get past the mystique of what’s involved so that you can decide if you’d be better off if Pathway 2 is the right option for you? Listen to the voice of experience! Join Marie and her guest, Natisha Simms, IBCLC, as they discuss Natisha’s journey through the P...
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February 1, 2021 • 37 min
Unquestionably, there are health disparities among Black families. And, breastfeeding, although a proven way to improve a baby’s short-term and long-term nutritional and immune health, has historically not been supported in Black communities. The question is, how can we help to reduce the barriers to breastfeeding and the health disparities among Black families? Join Marie and her guest, Jennifer Miller, co-founder of Chocolate Mil...
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January 25, 2021 • 34 min
We all recognize that breastfeeding a baby doesn’t cost money. What we may be less aware of is that socioeconomically-deprived mothers are often likely to initiate breastfeeding and, if they do, they are less likely to continue. What is being done to help families in this situation? Join Marie and her guest, Tori Gwilliam, RD, as they bust the myths and clarify the facts related to the federally-funded, state-administered Special S...
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January 18, 2021 • 34 min
You name it, we’ve had it. The COVID-19 pandemic, racial injustices, a disputed election, schools moving to an online format, healthcare professionals losing their jobs, and more. Sometimes, it feels like we’re sinking into quicksand. Wow! Is now the time to earn a certification you’ve never had before? Or is it worth the bother to renew your current certification? Or can you use your certification in a new way? Maybe, more to the ...
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January 11, 2021 • 36 min
Maybe you had an exhilarating experience when birthing your baby and you feel like you can now take on the world. Or maybe having a baby made you feel like you’ll never get your life back now that you have that tiny baby who is 100% dependent on you. Sure, parenting is touted to be the biggest and most rewarding job you’ll ever have. But do you think you can do it and still design the life you want? Join Marie as she talks with Fel...
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January 4, 2021 • 40 min
You’re looking at the amount of milk you’ve pumped. It should have been more. It could have been more. Probably every mom on the planet got more than that, but you’ve tried everything, and you just can’t get one more ounce. You want to give up because you know you just can’t pump even one minute or one drop more. You’ve tried oatmeal and fennel and fenugreek and everything that everyone has suggested and no, zip, zero, nada niente,...
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