Since it’s the season of giving I wanted to talk about one of the greatest gifts of all - that of donated breast milk. My special guest on this episode of the boobingit podcast is Dr Natalie Shenker, Cofounder of The Human Milk Foundation. Natalie is an Oxford-trained doctor and researcher, and she co-founded the Hearts Milk Bank in 2016. In 2019 she was awarded a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship at Imperial College London. In this episode Natalie talks to us about how donated breast milk is used by hospitals around the world to help give sick and premature babies the best possible start in life when mother’s milk is not available. Natalie tells us why donor milk is needed more than ever, with babies being born to mothers with Covid 19 and too ill to feed them. The last three months in particular have seen hospitals and families in urgent need of donor milk for babies. We also look at why it's so important for pregnant people to get vaccinated and protect themselves against Covid 19.

This week on the boobingit guest my special guest is international speaker, campaigner and author Zainab Yate. Zainab is a breastfeeding advocate and infant feeding research ethics specialist. She’s also a specialist on the complex topic of breastfeeding aversion and agitation having suffered from negative emotions whilst breastfeeding her own children. Last year Zainab released her book about aversion, called ‘When Breastfeeding Sucks’ based on the research she did with thousands of breastfeeding people around the world. Her findings have shaped how we view breastfeeding aversion and have helped many seek help and be better understood by the breastfeeding supporters who work with them. In our chat, Zainab explains what breastfeeding aversion is, how it can come about and what we can do to seek help and support. It's not always a case of needing or wanting to stop breastfeeding. Zainab also talks openly about her own experiences of aversion with her two children, how it defined her early motherhood and why she struggled to tell anyone about it in the beginning. In her Iranian culture and as a Muslim woman, breastfeeding was assumed, and so for Zainab there was no other option but to breastfeed. She tells us how she found it difficult to describe what was happening to her and why this motivated her to do her own research into the phenomenon.

This week on the boobingit podcast we talk all about the importance of eating well when recovering from birth and breastfeeding. My special guest is Registered Dietician and Lactation Consultant Jaren Soloff, who recently brought out her first book  ‘The Postnatal Cookbook: Simple and Nutritional Recipes to Nourish Your Body and Spirit During the Fourth Trimester’. During our chat we discuss the importance of eating well postnatally and how it can impact our mental and physical recovery from birth and throughout the fourth trimester. We look at realistic ways new parents can keep their energy up with snacks and convenient meals that don't necessarily need to be made from scratch. Jaren also lists really helpful tips on how others can support us in meal planning and prep! Jaren and I also talk about how tricky relationships with food, body and weight can manifest after having a baby, with Jaren offering ways people can look after their mental state in the best possible way during this key transitional time. Jaren also touches on her own recovery from an eating disorder and how her mental state was impacted after becoming a mother. You can purchase Jaren's Postnatal Cookbook book now via Amazon.

This week my guest is Rachael Shepard-Ohta, a sleep specialist who has helped families around the world through her business and online community Hey Sleep Baby. On Instagram alone Hey Sleep Baby has over 150K followers. This is all thanks to Rachael’s real-life sleep tips and advice and her down-to-earth take on parenthood and raising well-attached kids. In this episode of the boobingit podcast Rachael talks about what normal infant sleep behaviour is, and what we can expect in terms of sleep from a newborn, older baby and toddler. Rachael dishes out some really helpful and practical tips for sleep-deprived parents. and offers helpful guidance on safe co-sleeping – looking at why it could be a viable option for many families. We also talk about how best to transition a baby to their own room (when parent and baby are ready) and how to promote better sleep in young children by first tending to their emotional needs. This Sleep Special episode of the boobingit podcast is sponsored by AdoraCub, an organic baby clothing brand that have comfort and safety as their top priorities. Their award-winning soft and sustainable zip sleepsuits are made from organic cotton and bamboo and are loved by parents and babies everywhere. All AdoraCub sleepsuits can be purchased online at adoracub.com or on Amazon. If you visit AdoraCub on Amazon, the first 50 customers to add the code ‘BOOBINGIT’ to your cart at checkout with AdoraCub sleepsuits, you will get 10% off.  Alternatively, for the first 50 customers, if you add the code ‘BOOBINGIT15’ to your cart at adoracub.com, you will get 15% off if you order directly from their website.

My guest on the podcast this week is Connecticut blogger, YouTuber and mama of two Kallie Branciforte. Kallie runs the popular blog butfirstcoffee.com and is mama to her toddler son Miles and baby girl Finley. In this podcast on combination feeding we talk alot about the benefits that can come from doing a mix of breastfeeding and infant formula feeding. Kallie talks openly about her tough breastfeeding experience with her firstborn Miles and how, second-time-around, her experience and outlook was completely different - leading to a more positive and relaxed feeding experience. From the very beginning with Miles, Kallie nursed at the breast, pumped milk for top-ups, and also gave infant formula to ensure Miles was getting enough. Despite loving breastfeeding her son, that first year of feeding was relentless and full-on. Fast forward to then being pregnant with her baby girl Finley and Kallie knew she couldn't go through the same rigorous process - especially now with a toddler in tow too. With this awareness came an acceptance that she wouldn't put the same pressure on herself to breastfeed Finely as she did with Miles. So when they did encounter some blips in their feeding journey, Kallie was open-minded about combination feeding once again - minus the guilt!

Kimberly Seals Allers, the co-founder of Black Breastfeeding Week, is my guest on the podcast this week. Kimberly lives in New York, is a world-renowned speaker, five-time author and host of the Birthright Podcast. Most recently, Kimberly added tech founder to her impressive repertoire having set up the Irth app to address racism and bias in maternity and infant care. Kimberly is on a mission to transform the experience of motherhood for all and to eradicate the racial disparities in birth and breastfeeding. Needless to say, I am a huge fan of the work Kimberly does and I was very excited to get the opportunity to speak to her during Black Breastfeeding Week. Kimberly's talking points The deep history of breastfeeding practices for black women Why breastfeeding amongst black and brown communities is a social justice issue and a public health issue The work being done to close the policy gaps that affect all mothers in the US Why Black Breastfeeding Week is something we can all celebrate and honour Ways we can reframe breastfeeding as an important time to rest and pause The new book coming out, 'Breastfeeding in Colour, about the impact of racism on birth and breastfeeding.

The podcast is back with a World Breastfeeding Week special! My special guest is author and breastfeeding peer supporter Emma Rosen. We talk about how important it is to normalise breastfeeding through everyday personal stories as well as in books. Emma is a mama of three and author of two books - soon to be three books! Emma is a self-confessed ‘breastfeeding geek’. She believes the more we talk about breastfeeding, and share our stories, the more we will help normalise breastfeeding. She breastfed all three of her children and had very different experiences with them all. Her first journey in particular was a struggle and inspired her to write her first book 'Milk: A Story of Breastfeeding in a Society That's Forgotten How', a memoir about her own experiences and what she learned along the way. She's passionate about not sugar-coating breastfeeding and showing the lived experience of breastfeeding, warts and all. Emma's now in the final stages of bringing her third book to market with the help of a Kickstarter campaign. It's a children's book called 'Milk and Cookies' - and you guessed it - all about breastfeeding! We talk about what drove her to write a book for children and why it is important to normalise breastfeeding for young children. We also look at the merits of building breastfeeding into the curriculum and educating children about breastfeeding from a young age. Thank you to BREAST-FRIEND for sponsoring this episode of the boobingit podcast. BREAST-FRIEND was set up by a mother and daughter duo who wanted to make life a little easier when breastfeeding. They offer a range of eco-friendly breastfeeding accessories, including their best-selling Top-Pop which instantly makes any clothes feeding friendly. You can check out their range of eco-friendly products on www.breast-friend.co.uk.

This week on the podcast I’m joined by mama of two and owner of NINE+QUARTER maternity wear Martina Minarik. Martina discusses her own pregnancy and breastfeeding journey and shares some of her top style tips for what to wear during the postpartum period to make you feel good and also to make life that little bit easier! Martina was inspired to set up her own business NINE+QUARTER maternity wear after having her first child and struggling to find cool pieces to wear during pregnancy and then whilst breastfeeding. However, it wasn’t until she had her second child that she decided to do act on her inspiration (and frustration!) and create her own designs. She knew she wasn’t the only mama-to-be who felt constrained by a of lack style options available for maternity wear. Originally from Sweden, Martina spent many years in London, and is now currently living in Bermuda with her family. She’s full of practical advice and top tips for rocking your body no matter what stage of motherhood you’re in. Martina is offering boobingit listeners 10% off all NINE+QUARTER maternity & breastfeeding wear. Listen to the episode for the discount code!

On the podast this week I am joined by academic and author Professor Amy Brown. Amy has dedicated the last fifteen years to breastfeeding research, specifically looking at the psychological, cultural and societal barriers to breastfeeding. As well as publishing over 100 papers on breastfeeding, she’s also the author of several books including ‘The Positive Breastfeeding Book’, ‘Breastfeeding Uncovered’ and ‘Why Breastfeeding Grief and Trauma Matter’. I wanted to pick Amy’s brain about a number of breastfeeding matters – including society’s lack of regard for breastfeeding and why breastfeeding grief and trauma exist. Whilst most of us get the message during pregnancy that breastfeeding is a fantastic thing to do and we should all be doing it – the support and infrastructure to help women breastfeed is a long way off being where it needs to be. Due to generations of formula use, our breastfeeding knowledge amongst families and communities has been lost and we’re left struggling to find the right information and support to help us breastfeed. So how can professionals, friends and family and society as a whole do better to support a person to breastfeed? Listen to the episode to see all that Amy has to say, and to get an update on the latest edition of her book ‘Breastfeeding Uncovered‘.

On the podcast this week I am joined by, not one but, two special guests - Pharmacists Sarah Robinson and Dr Wendy Jones MBE. Sarah and Wendy talk to me about the big issue of breastfeeding and medication. The topic is one of the most searched for terms online so we look at what more needs to be done to better inform breastfeeding mothers when they need help the most. Wendy is a founding member of The Breastfeeding Network and was responsible for setting up the Drugs in Breastmilk Service in the 1990s. From relatively small beginnings, the service now helps advise 1000s of breastfeeding mothers and healthcare professionals each and every year. Wendy was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List for 2019 for all the work she has done in supporting breastfeeding mothers and their families. As a clinical pharmacist, Sarah recently joined the Drugs in Breast Milk Service as a volunteer. Motivated by her new role and her own experience of breastfeeding her two children, Sarah wrote a fantastic article for boobingit, in which she talks about the devastating impact poorly given advice about medicine use while breastfeeding can have. Sarah is passionate about ensuring women are informed about their options when breastfeeding and requiring medication. Read the full write-up along with helpful links on boobingit.com