Have you ever gotten bad breastfeeding advice? Or thought you were seeing a lactation professional but they had no idea how to help you and just told you "latch looks good"? Or maybe you saw THE lactation consultant in your area and you just didn't jive with them at all. What's a mother to do?

In this episode, we discuss what all the lactation credential letters mean, and what different credentials are most helpful for. But more importantly, we discuss 7 questions to ask YOURSELF before looking for a provider and then 10 things to know about a potential provider to see if they're a good fit FOR YOU.

I hope this episode puts the power back in your hands. It's not about finding the world's best lactation consultant as much as it's about finding one who is a good fit for you and who will come alongside you as you learn and grow. Lactation care is collaborative care and it's not about "rescuing" you from your experience. If you let it, your breastfeeding journey will inform and empower your transition from maiden to mother, even if the road is rocky (maybe especially if the road is rocky).

Links we mention:

ILCA search

TLN (The Lactation Network) search

**PAY WHAT YOU CAN SALE**

Nourished Beginnings Breastfeeding Course

Nourished Mothers e-Cookbook

TWENTYFIVE for 25% off

FIFTY for 50% off

SEVENTYFIVE for 75% off

Like and subscribe to the podcast and follow me on Instagram @happy.mama.healthy.baby

If you're in Washington Country, Nebraska and you're interested in a consultation, you can find my information at happymamahealthybaby.co

This interview is the perfect way to launch into season 3 of the podcast and it transitions us gently into more of what I'm learning in my own life and lactation practice: at the end of the day, we get to choose how we respond to what life throws at us and how we show up for ourselves and our families. I can't wait for you to hear what Kristin has to say about the victim archetype and how to recognize ourselves in it and be gentle with ourselves moving out of it.

You can learn more about Kristin's offerings and herbal shop here: https://www.wombmedicine.com/

Links to things we discuss

The Fourth Trimester book by Kimberly Johnson

the Karpman Drama Triangle

Peter Levine on Triggers and Trauma

an explanation of the Polyvagal Ladder

pod episode 18: Tapping out of Rigidity and into Resilient Motherhood

Don't forget to check out my Nourished Mother ebook with quick nervous system reset ideas as well!

I meant to take a 3 month podcast break and it's turned into a full year. It's been a year. This is a catch-up episode because I feel like it would be weird to just jump back in after such a prolonged break. I talk about my endometriosis excision surgeries and iron infusions and other controversial things in the crunchy world that I zero percent regret.

**Trigger warning: This episode does briefly mention some sensitive subjects like postpartum hemorrhage, blood loss, anesthesia, and pediatric hospitalization. Like I said, it's been a year. But you might want to hold off on listening if the above subjects are particularly activating for you.**

In this bonus episode, my friend Stephanie Risinger (@stephanie.hopefulandwhole) and I talk about our personal experiences with the birth control pill and our professional experiences in working with women who are not always seen, heard, and respected in medical settings. In short, medical gaslighting is very common in the perinatal settings in which we see clients. So when the Washington Post came out with an article titled, Women are getting off birth control amid misinformation explosion, I knew we had to talk about it.

In holistic spaces, there's a lot of backlash against this article, referencing medical gaslighting but also calling out media at large and its glaring biases.

We discuss the article with an eye on critical thinking and curiosity more so than making a definitive statement or writing a thesis on birth control or feminism. As I re-listened to our conversation, I realized these are the kinds of discussions we need to be having as the media prepares to tell women how to feel and think and act about their bodies for the next 8 months of this election cycle.

So while I will be back to my postpartum and motherhood content soon, I think this discussion is an important one to have in the larger conversation about women's health and where the authority really lies (hint: the authority lies with you, not your doctor and not with social media and not with poorly-researched "news" articles).

For more on birth control's potential side effects, check out episode 16 on the Are You Menstrual? podcast.

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If you're enjoying this podcast, please subscribe and leave a review in Apple Podcasts to help other people find us! You can also find me on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠@happy.mama.healthy.baby⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more content.

Sign up for my monthly newsletter and get a free freezer meal download: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://happymamahealthybaby.ck.page⁠⁠⁠⁠

Learn more about my work and schedule an in-person or virtual lactation consult ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠at ⁠⁠⁠⁠happymamahealthybaby.co⁠⁠⁠⁠

Our online breastfeeding and postpartum course: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/nourishedbeginningscourse⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (15% off with code PODCAST15)

Postpartum recipes and resources: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/nourishedmotherbundle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

My allergy e-cookbook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/nourishedwithnuance⁠⁠⁠

I am solidly in my toddler breastfeeding era right now, so I figured this was the perfect time to talk about it! In this solo episode, I cover toddler breastfeeding myths, my personal change of heart in this regard, global breastfeeding recommendations and the benefits of breastfeeding, and the benefits of breastfeeding for more than a year. I talk about how your milk changes over time and how the experience of nursing definitely changes.

So many resources cited in this episode:

1.) "What to Expect" Instagram highlights: https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17884745341987178/

2.) KellyMom's article on breastfeeding past infancy: https://kellymom.com/ages/older-infant/ebf-benefits/

3.) Breastfeeding in Mongolia: https://www.naturalchild.org/articles/guest/ruth_kamnitzer.html

4.) Don't Take the Intimacy Out of Breastfeeding: https://www.janetlansbury.com/2010/10/theres-a-person-on-your-breast-dont-take-the-intimacy-out-of-breastfeeding/

5.) The Psychological Effects of Breastfeeding: https://tghncollections.pubpub.org/pub/8-the-psychological-effects-of-breastfeeding/release/2

6.) AAP Breastfeeding Policy Statement: https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/150/1/e2022057988/188347/Policy-Statement-Breastfeeding-and-the-Use-of?autologincheck=redirected

7.) Lily Nichols on Vitamin A: https://lilynicholsrdn.com/liver-organ-meat/

8.) Lily Nichols on Nutrients in Breastmilk: https://lilynicholsrdn.com/can-we-boost-the-nutrient-levels-breast-milk/

9.) Minerals + Mother's Milk podcast interview with Amanda Montalvo: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4O7bqZcRVHoNsqNXVoRo4V?si=BgV38RnjRiesyTJHp3dE_g

** 15% off Lactation Lab testing with code HAPPYMAMA: ​​https://lactationlab.com/discount/HAPPYMAMA **

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If you're enjoying this podcast, please subscribe and leave a review in Apple Podcasts to help other people find us! You can also find me on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠@happy.mama.healthy.baby⁠⁠⁠ for more content.

Sign up for my monthly newsletter and get a free freezer meal download: ⁠⁠⁠https://happymamahealthybaby.ck.page⁠⁠⁠

Learn more about my work and schedule an in-person or virtual lactation consult ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠at ⁠⁠⁠happymamahealthybaby.co⁠⁠⁠

Our online breastfeeding and postpartum course: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/nourishedbeginningscourse⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (15% off with code PODCAST15)

Postpartum recipes and resources: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/nourishedmotherbundle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

My allergy e-cookbook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/nourishedwithnuance⁠⁠⁠

This episode is sponsored by the Nourished Mother Recipe Bundle. Get a 15% discount here with code PODCAST15: ⁠⁠https://bit.ly/nourishedmotherbundle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In today's episode, strength coach Adina Rubin (@adinarubin_) and I chat about life with 3 kids, kettlebells, why moms need to be strong, how this looks practically in the postpartum season, why walking isn't always the best postpartum exercise, and how a strength program doesn't have to be complicated or even *hard* to be effective.

You can find Adina's self-paced kettlebell program here: Strength Training for Happy Hormones

Since this interview, Adjna has released her POSTPARTUM SPECIFIC program as well: STHH Postpartum

You can find her podcast with Diane Teall here: Get Your Sh*t Together

Resources we mention:

-Episode 10: discussing retained reflexes and rhythmic movement

-Episode 12: discussing infant sleep

-Adina's podcast episode on weight loss

**This podcast is for educational purposes only! The opinions of myself or my guests are never meant to replace individual medical advice. Please practice informed consent with your mom intuition and your care team.**

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If you're enjoying this podcast, please subscribe and leave a review in Apple Podcasts to help other people find us! You can also find me on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠@happy.mama.healthy.baby⁠⁠⁠ for more content.

Learn more about my work and schedule an in-person or virtual lactation consult ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠at ⁠⁠⁠happymamahealthybaby.co⁠⁠⁠

Our online breastfeeding and postpartum course: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/nourishedbeginningscourse⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (15% off with code PODCAST15)

My allergy e-cookbook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/nourishedwithnuance⁠⁠⁠

Certified Classical Homeopath Jenna Dodge (@projecthomeopathy) is chatting with us today about how homeopathy can be a helpful tool in your postpartum, breastfeeding, baby-raising era. She explains how she became a homeopath, what homeopathy is, how it works, how it differs from other home remedies like herbal tinctures, and how to find remedies that could work for you.

Resources we discuss:

projecthomeopathy.com

jennadodge.com

Homeopathy with Jenna FB group: https://www.facebook.com/homeopathywithjenna

Avoiding Urgent Care with Homeopathy course: https://www.jennadodge.com/avoiding-urgent-care-with-homeopathy

You can find the books Jenna mentions on my Amazon storefront: https://amzn.to/3KE2FfM

**This podcast is for educational purposes only! The opinions of myself or my guests are never meant to replace individual medical advice. Please practice informed consent with your mom intuition and your care team.**

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Shoutout to Branwynn Merino wool bras and PACT organic cotton bras. I finally switched to natural fibers after getting thrush this summer and have found that these are some of the few options out there for mamas with cup sizes D and above. When you use these codes, you get a discount and I get a small affiliate commission that helps support this podcast! I'll never promote a product I haven't personally spent money on and appreciated.

$10 off Branwyn wool undergarments with code HAPPYMAMA10: https://branwyn.com/theresedansby

20% off PACT organic clothing with this link: https://mbsy.co/3sBlhc

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If you're enjoying this podcast, please subscribe and leave a review in Apple Podcasts to help other people find us! You can also find me on Instagram ⁠⁠@happy.mama.healthy.baby⁠⁠ for more content.

Sign up for my monthly newsletter and get a free freezer meal download: ⁠⁠https://happymamahealthybaby.ck.page⁠⁠

Learn more about my work and schedule an in-person or virtual lactation consult ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠at ⁠⁠happymamahealthybaby.co⁠⁠

Our online breastfeeding and postpartum course: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/nourishedbeginningscourse⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (15% off with code PODCAST15)

Postpartum recipes and resources: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/nourishedmotherbundle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

My allergy e-cookbook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/nourishedwithnuance⁠⁠