Born to be Breastfed

Are you planning to take a trip, a visit, or a vacation? Aren't all of those the same? No, not really! Each has some specific implications for the impact on traveling with your baby. Car, train, plane: What will work best for a breastfeeding baby, a mother who is pumping, or both? How much extra drive-time do you need to build into your car trip to reach your destination on time? You've got to pack, but how can you plan for diapers, feeding gear, snacks, clean-up, and pump equipment? What about a backup plan, especially if you're in a rural neighborhood where overnight delivery of a replacement part isn't possible? With all of the conflicting information about storing and saving, what do you need to know about transporting your milk? Then, of course, there are the little extra hassles like if you don't have access to electrical power, potable water, or if your family criticizes you for breastfeeding your baby. Join Marie as she answers these and many more questions!

Mothers who breastfeed often prefer to use natural foods and natural treatments. It's only natural, right? But just because it's natural doesn't mean it's safe; essential oils are potent. If you're a nursing mother—or anyone else, really—there are number of questions you should raise about essential oils before you use them. Is it an herb or an essential oil? Does it matter if it's “sage” or “clary sage”? Is it okay to ingest it if it's okay to put it on your skin? Join Marie and her guest, certified aromatherapist, Lea Harris, as they take you on a whirlwind tour of the “essentials” of essential oils for everyone—and especially for pregnant or breastfeeding mothers. You'll discover how essential oils can help you to avoid using medications when you have a sore throat, a bee bite, or other simple ailments; some factors related to safe use—whether you're breastfeeding or not; the difference in administration methods and dilutions, cautions for children, and much more!

Use of telehealth services skyrocketed during the pandemic, but it won't be decreasing any time soon. To the contrary, it's likely that telehealth services will increase. We've seen that telehealth can be a more convenient alternative to on-site care. Yet, there are some special factors to be considered before offering or accepting telehealth. What about issues of privacy and security—and how can those be overcome? Can competent clinicians simply begin offering telehealth services, or do they require special training and if so—what would that be? How comfortable must each party be with this type of communication? Are there situations that still require an in-person on-site visit now that telehealth options are available? Join Marie and her guest, Melanie Silverman, RD IBCLC, owner and Chief Clinical Officer of Pacify, for a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the answers to these and other questions that arise as we forge new pathways to telehealth services for ourselves or our clients.

Ever since 2005, when the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released their first statement on sleeping with your baby, we've all wondered: Is the AAP right? Do I risk having my baby die if I sleep with him? And some of us have asked the much more difficult question: Is there real data for this, and if there is, does it apply all babies, or is it okay for breastfeeding babies to sleep with their mother? Join Marie and her guest, James McKenna PhD, internationally-recognized infant sleep expert and author of over 180 peer-reviewed articles and chapters on SIDS and related topics. Unquestionably, safe sleep practices are paramount. But “safe” does not necessarily mean putting the baby to sleep in a crib. Learn how Dr. McKenna's research sheds a light on newborn/infant sleep in terms of what's normal, what's safe, and what parents really do. And, gain a perspective for how parents can be empowered to make their own decisions about where to sleep.

It's just food. Or just a beverage. You don't need to worry about whether it will affect your milk or your baby, right? Or, maybe you should worry? Heck, maybe you're already worried, but perhaps there's nothing to worry about! Get answers about safety, side effects, allergies and more as Marie interviews her guest, Philip O. Anderson, PharmD, FASHP, FCSHP, the author of the National Library of Medicine's LactMed database. They'll talk about the research to substantiate answers to questions about food and beverages that you probably consume on a regular basis, as well as some foods you might never have heard of. Listen as Marie asks Dr. Anderson about the effects of coffee, tea, colas, chocolate, alcohol, garlic, onions, cauliflower, broccoli, mushrooms, fava beans, turtle meat, and more! Are you curious about food allergies, maternal vaccinations while breastfeeding, food poisoning, botulism and breastfeeding? Get the information you need on those topics, too!

Exclusive breastfeeding has been the “gold standard” for many years now. But for some families, combination feeding, either by choice or necessity, occurs. Parents aren't always informed that some breastfeeding is better than no breastfeeding or that there are some interim solutions that might work to bring you back to exclusive breastfeeding. If you're feeling confused, conflicted, guilty, grieving, or shamed for the way you feed your baby, this show is for you. Join Marie and her guest, Lucy Ruddle, IBCLC, as they look at the issues and provide some answers.

Okay, so it’s just a vitamin. And hey, we’re all in good health, so consuming a little more or a little less vitamin D in a day won’t make much difference to us or to our fetuses or infants, right? And if we’re a little short on Vitamin D, we can just get a little extra sunshine on our shoulders, right? Wrong. Join Marie and her guest, Dr. Carol Wagner, as they discuss several well-researched but lesser-known facts about the critical role of Vitamin D during pregnancy and lactation—more than any other time in a woman’s life cycle. You’ll learn the astonishing findings from Dr. Wagner’s research, the dangers of getting too little or too much vitamin D, and factors that can impact vitamin D status. And, you’ll understand why some studies suggest that Vitamin D plays a minimal role in achieving optimal health while some studies say otherwise. You’ll also get some real-life advice on natural sources of vitamin D, and find out a relatively simple way to reveal your own vitamin D status.

Imagine having twins and wanting to breastfeed. Now, imagine having those twins born at 29 weeks gestation. You know your tiny, fragile little girls need you and your milk. Thankfully, you have an abundant supply of milk within two days. You’re thinking you’ve already cleared the big hurdle. But oh, there are other hurdles to jump, too. Well, yes, you can hold the babies skin-to-skin, but …Yes, you can do other things, but …Then, there are certain rules about what and when the babies will be “allowed” to go to breast. And just the minute you think the babies are meeting the criteria for those “rules,” well, no, um, maybe later. All of the questions about cow’s milk-based formula, bottles, frequency, how to hold them, and much more start surfacing. Join Marie and guest Brie Merhar as Brie tells her story and explains how she advocated for her now 3-month old babies so that they’ve yet to have a drop of formula since they were born.

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 Sandy, M.D., as they talk about this potentially life-threatening disorder to both mom and her baby. You’ll want to know the risk factors for hypertension. Is it possible to have this condition without knowing it? Who is at highest risk, and how can they and other women take steps to avoid developing it or at least reduce their risk? What questions should you ask if you have preeclampsia and want to breastfeed – and what about medications? Get answers to these and other questions!

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 maternity leave if you are self-employed? Is it okay to put your children in daycare, or does that make you a second-class parent? How does the COVID pandemic play into all of that? Join Marie and her guest, Caitlin Aarab, JD, as they talk about these and other issues that any young professional woman faces. Be sure to listen to Caitlin’s final insight on how breastfeeding families can get through it all and make it all work.

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 addresses how clinical professionals exhibit helpful and unhelpful actions for the LGBTQIA community. Begin to become aware of how your attitude, your language, and even your clinical environment can undermine rather than empower parents, beware of how “othering” can creep into your messages, recognize how issues such as continuity of care and consent and body autonomy impact care. And, get Marie’s free handout at mariebiancuzzo.com to help you take actions to facilitate gender-equitable parental social protection.

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 episode, Aimee shares her realization that she wanted to move down a new career path, and how she needed her IBCLC certification in order to carry out her mission to improve breastfeeding and birthing support for women. Amy talks about the depth and breadth of what she now knows is not just meeting the requirements for the IBLCE exam, but also, building a strong foundation for her future practice in direct care and global advocacy.

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 exam performance? Join Marie for this special episode where she describes seven strategies that are aligned with the science, her personal experience, and the experience of other test-takers over the past several years. And, if you haven’t already discovered this, Marie reveals how — for a very limited time — you can get access to her expertise for free! Don’t miss the unusual episode!

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 assumptions have been based on anecdote, not evidence. Dr. Paul has given us the NEWT, i.e., the nomogram which represents the new and evidence-based standard to understand newborn weight loss. Whether you are a parent or a provider, you’ll learn the who-what-where-when-why of the NEWT, the research from 160,000 babies that propelled its inception, how it compares with expert recommendations, how weight loss in babies born by vaginal compares to cesarean birth, and how 36-weekers compare to 37-weekers. Don’t miss this exciting episode!

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. How can sexual abuse impact breastfeeding? How can family, other mothers, and health care providers help? What can any of us do to be helpful and supportive of mothers who want to breastfeed after such trauma? Listen as Marie and her guest, Elizabeth Johnson, talk about how to have the conversation, and how to help. If you’ve wondered about “touching”, triggers, flashbacks, and more, this show will help you to develop a clearer perspective.

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” to support the initiation and continuation of prolonged skin-to-skin contact. How and why does this critical period have a profound and life-long impact on the newborn? How long should skin-to-skin contact (aka kangaroo mother care) last? How do birth practices, especially skin-to-skin (or lack thereof) affect hormones, sensory stimuli, the limbic brain, and emotions? What is the effect of labor inductions? Whether you are the parent, the healthcare professional, or the “kangaroula”, you can create a transformational experience for the new family.

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, too! Join Marie for answers to the most frequently-asked questions about her highly-acclaimed Online Lactation Exam Review course. Marie describes the course in terms of its content, methods (audio, video etc.), what is or isn’t required to complete it, access and availability, and how long it might take some people to complete it. Plus, Marie invites you to get your questions answered for FREE about anything related to the exam – and beyond – by signing up at MarieBiancuzzo.com.

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 “motivational triad” in our brain, and why does it matter? Is it possible that limiting beliefs are holding us back from crushing our goals of reaching our dreams? Is seeking validation a good thing, or not? Join Marie and her guest, Becca Brown, a Certified Life Coach and host of The Military Wife Podcast. Whether you’re seeking better relationships or seeking a new career, Becca helps us to gain clarity about what empowerment really means, and how to make it work for us.

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 Dorough, DC, as they help you to realize you’re the only one who can find the best solution if your baby has a flat or unusual head shape. Is plagiocephaly just cosmetic? Should you do nothing and believe he will outgrow it? Should you do something now or wait until later…or doesn’t it matter? Does his head shape have anything to do with his continued feeding difficulties? In this episode Marie and Dr. Dorough will help you to follow your gut, ask the right questions, consider all of the treatment options, and understand how chiropractic care can help.

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 IBCLC as a helper, advocate, and teacher. Here’s your chance to get a complete behind-the-scenes glimpse of the IBLCE test-taking experience with home proctoring during COVID. What kind of preparation did she need for home-proctoring, and what was the 4-hour experience really like? What were some of her lessons-learned from the home proctoring experience? And, if she had it to do over again, would Melissa choose home-proctoring if on-site testing was a choice? Be sure to join Marie and Melissa for some insights that you won’t find anywhere else!

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. Join Marie and her guest, Crystal Karges, RD, IBCLC, as they talk about conditions such as anorexia, bulimia, binge-eating, and other disorders that can occur any time—including while breastfeeding. If old food intake patterns are re-surfacing or new patterns are emerging, listen so you can take charge. Learn when to ignore food advice, how eating disorders can co-exist with other conditions (e.g. postpartum depression), how to find free resources, and how to be proactive in taking the first steps to getting professional during your breastfeeding journey.

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 eating during labor is frequently forbidden, how is the need and craving for food later affected? How does postpartum nutrition affect the healing process after specific birth practices and interventions? What about foods that are reported to improve milk supply? Are there some “big picture” strategies that can be used to promote evidence-based, simple-to-prepare, delicious meals during the postnatal period? Join Marie and her guest, Jaren Soloff, RD IBCLC, author of The Postnatal Cookbook, to learn the answers to these and other perplexing questions!

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 Pathway 2 program at Johnson C. Smith University, a historically Black university. You’ll get a glimpse of the learning experience when the student is not a healthcare professional. And you’ll hear Natisha share her motivation, her decision-making process, and a description of her journey through the groundbreaking program. She’ll also talk about her passion for and commitment to improving health disparities among Black populations by promoting, protecting, and supporting breastfeeding in her community.

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 Milk Mommies. Hear how some simple grass-roots strategies have been used in Alabama, a state that has had the lowest breastfeeding rates in the country for decades. Jennifer describes her struggles to initiate and continue breastfeeding without support, her passion to help other women, and how she and a very small band of like-minded mothers have used their skills, passion and ambition to reverse an inter-generational trend of formula-feeding among Black families. Learn how all of us can help in great or small ways.

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 Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Who is eligible for WIC? Why might families who are eligible for WIC not participate in the WIC program? How are the food packages different for breastfeeding mothers versus non-breastfeeding women and children—and does that matter to the recipients? Which types of breast pumps does WIC offer? Has WIC had a positive impact on breastfeeding over the last few decades? Here’s your chance to get an inside look into these and other questions about the WIC program.

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 point, what happens if you don’t hold a certification, or if you have certification but you’re not using it to your own advantage during these uncertain times? Or, what about if you’ve already failed the IBLCE exam and you’re wondering if now is the time to re-test? Regardless of what license or other certification you might hold, here’s some practical advice on how having certification can help you. Get out of the quicksand and join Marie as she gives some rock-solid advice that will help you get, renew, or use your IBCLC certification to your advantage.

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 Felicia Broccolo from The Life Coach School. How is a life coach different from a BFF of a counselor or a therapist? Why do women seek help from a life coach? What kinds of services can a life coach offer—and how do you find and use those services? What’s the relationship between a thought, an emotion, and a result? How can we gain more confidence in ourselves, or help others to develop more confidence? Be sure to join Marie and Felicia as they talk about how to truly achieve that new you.

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, it isn’t working so it’s obvious that you’re a failure at breastfeeding and a terrible mother. Right? Wrong. Very wrong. Listen to Marie’s interview with Sarah Farrell Johnson who claimed she just “couldn’t ducking pump anymore” but finally realized her self-worth is not measured in the number of ounces she pumps. Sarah shares her story about her first baby, and then her second baby. Then, she talks about the tools that helped her to have a better breastfeeding and better mothering experience and she explains why for why those tools can work for you, too.

Whether you are a parent or a professional, you have already been frightened by some “scary” number associated with a newborns health. The baby has lost 10 percent of his weight. His glucose level is under 40. His bilirubin level is 18. Oh, these numbers are frightening, and the hospital insists on supplementing with artificial milk to make those numbers look better. But where is the context for these numbers? Where is the science? Are these numbers true indicators that some harm is about to happen? Join Marie and her guest, pediatrician Jenny Thomas, MD IBCLC, FABM, as they discuss numbers related to newborn weight loss, glucose levels, and bilirubin levels. Learn how the traditionally “scary” numbers are not always an indicator of some imminent danger, and, consider the latest science that suggests that supposedly out-of-bounds numbers may be protective rather than harmful, or they may be simply inaccurate or misleading.

Admit it. There’s a tiny part of the holiday season that you dread. You’ve got a few relatives who always poke their noses into your parenting business, and you never know exactly how to handle their comments. Should you just put up and shut up? Or should you lash back? Or is there perhaps a better solution that might help to avoid all of that negative energy floating around in the room? Listen as Marie and best-selling author and top psychotherapist Sandra Reich talk about why topics like breastfeeding are so likely to bring on criticism, and how the “crab mentality” works overtime—and is often contagious among family members—at holiday time. Ask yourself what story is playing in your head. Heed Sandra’s warning that negative emotional energy has been scientifically linked to physical disease, and get her tips on how to create appropriate boundaries and avoid unwanted consequences.

Just the minute you thought you knew something about human milk banking, you might find it’s time to step back and listen to Marie’s special guest, Kim Updegrove, CNM. Kim is the Director of the Mother’s Milk Bank at Austin TX and the Chair of the Standards Committee for the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA). How has the COVID crisis impacted donations, either from the perspective of the donor or the staff? And is the COVID-19 virus released into the milk, and if so, can it be destroyed through Holder pasteurization? Is donor milk a “breastmilk substitute”, or not? Has HIV ever been found in milk dispensed from a HMBANA-accredited milk bank? Is the fee covered by insurance? Is milk dispensed only for critically ill premature infants? Does donor milk protect against premature infants developing necrotizing enterocolitis, or must it be mother’s own milk in order to offer such protection. Find out the answers to these and other questions on this episode!

Body modifications—piercings, tattoos, and laser removal of tattoos—are increasingly popular among women of childbearing age. Millions of women in the U.S. have them, and these days, many artists may refuse to offer body mods to pregnant or breastfeeding women. Does that mean they’re incompatible during the childbearing cycle? What’s the impact of body mods on breastfeeding? And, conversely, what is the impact of breastfeeding on body mods, if any? Join Marie and her guest, Robyn Roche-Paull, RN BSN IBCLC, as they explain that it’s not just a matter of safety. What are the best practices, worst practices, or optional practices? Find out: What questions should you ask? What precautions should you take? When is the optimal time for getting your body mods in relation to pregnancy or breastfeeding? The extent of physical, practical and financial implications differ from one individual to another, but you need to know those implications, their effect on breastfeeding and beyond.

Traumatic birth occurs in 1 out of 3 births in the U.S. and Australia. It can negatively impact bonding and breastfeeding, and is often associated with postpartum depression. Why does it occur? Are hospitals failing mothers and babies? Many hospitals have a rigid power structure that restricts the delivery of evidence-based care. What are we doing to change that? Join Marie and her guest, Rebecca Dekker, RN PhD, author of Babies Are Not Pizzas: They’re Born, Not Delivered. Rebecca describes her own birth experience and discusses her feelings, thoughts, and coping mechanisms after a traumatic birth. Meanwhile, we breastfeeding advocates often feel they are on the bottom of the power hierarchy; what can we do to ensure adequate care during birth and the postpartum period? How can we help to empower mothers? Where does the role of the doula fit in? Listen for answers to these and other questions on this insightful interview!

Let’s see. You’re trying get your IBCLC certification, and you feel sure your dream job is to be in private lactation practice. Right? But do you know what that entails? Join Marie and her guest, retired IBCLC Judy Eastburn who worked as a lactation consultant in private practice in the greater Dallas area for more than three decades. What will it be: Booking office visits, or doing home visits? Pursuing clients who can get their insurance to pay for the visit…or accept only clients who pay cash? Selling or renting breastfeeding equipment…does it make sense? Is it realistic to have only a part-time private lactation practice? Are there some hidden time-consuming activities that you can’t bill for? What about liability insurance for your practice…or any other types of insurance? Do you really need an EIN? Get a glimpse of how a lactation expert and a businesswoman learns how to establish, maintain and grow a private lactation practice.

So many people say, “If I’m not a nurse, can I get a job in a hospital as a lactation consultant?” It’s possible. But are you asking the right question? Join Marie and Paula Hanna, MSN, RNC-MNN, IBCLC, ICCE for a behind-the-scenes look at the roles and responsibilities of the international board-certified lactation consultant (IBCLC) in the hospital setting. How does your background color your perception of/or your abilities to do the job? Whether you’re already a nurse or if you have some other credential, maybe you feel confident you can provide top-notch direct care for premature infants as well as full-term infants. But likely as not, that accounts for only a fraction of your day. What else might you need to do in a typical day at the hospital—for either for inpatient or outpatient responsibilities? What are the toughest parts of the job? What are the most rewarding parts of the job? Marie and Paula will give you a true behind-the-scenes look at what the job is really like.

Are you planning to take a trip, a visit, or a vacation? Aren't all of those the same? No, not really! Each has some specific implications for the impact on traveling with your baby. Car, train, plane: What will work best for a breastfeeding baby, a mother who is pumping, or both? How much extra drive-time do you need to build into your car trip to reach your destination on time? You've got to pack, but how can you plan for diapers, feeding gear, snacks, clean-up, and pump equipment? What about a backup plan, especially if you're in a rural neighborhood where overnight delivery of a replacement part isn't possible? With all of the conflicting information about storing and saving, what do you need to know about transporting your milk? Then, of course, there are the little extra hassles like if you don't have access to electrical power, potable water, or if your family criticizes you for breastfeeding your baby. Join Marie as she answers these and many more questions!

Are you planning to take a trip, a visit, or a vacation? Aren’t all of those the same? No, not really! Each has some specific implications for the impact on traveling with your baby. Car, train, plane: What will work best for a breastfeeding baby, a mother who is pumping, or both? How much extra drive-time do you need to build into your car trip to reach your destination on time? You’ve got to pack, but how can you plan for diapers, feeding gear, snacks, clean-up, and pump equipment? What about a backup plan, especially if you’re in a rural neighborhood where overnight delivery of a replacement part isn’t possible? With all of the conflicting information about storing and saving, what do you need to know about transporting your milk? Then, of course, there are the little extra hassles like if you don’t have access to electrical power, potable water, or if your family criticizes you for breastfeeding your baby. Join Marie as she answers these and many more questions!

This was a crazy year. Events and activities that we had planned either didn’t happen or they were rearranged, postponed or cancelled. Of course, those unplanned glitches happened with the IBLCE exam, too. Now, there are some planned changes that new candidates and re-certifying IBCLCs will be facing for 2021. If you took the exam in the fall of 2020, what can you do while you’re waiting for your test results? If you get your results and you fail, what can you do to pass the next time? If you’re a newbie who has never taken the exam before, what are the new eligibility requirements and deadlines? If you’re totally confused about the eligibility requirements, how can you get help—for free! Or, if you’re already an IBCLC, what are the new requirements for renewing? Join Marie as she gives you the answers to help you plan for your 2021 success!

We all know that prolactin is the milk-making hormone. But do all human bodies respond to it in the same way? And if not, which groups of people are likely to have a greater, or a lesser response? And, is there anything we can do to enhance the response? Join Marie and her guest, Kathleen M. Rasmussen, ScD, RD, the Nancy Schlegel Meinig Professor of Maternal & Child Nutrition and International Professor of Nutritional Science at Cornell University. Dr. Rasmussen enlightens us about what her research says, and what it doesn’t say, about the prolactin response. And, she helps us to understand her work in the context of research related to milk production conducted by other prominent researchers. Further, she helps us to understand why federal funding for studies on this and similar topics is so limited.

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 Dorough, DC, as they help you to realize you’re the only one who can find the best solution if your baby has a flat or unusual head shape. Is plagiocephaly just cosmetic? Should you do nothing and believe he will outgrow it? Should you do something now or wait until later…or doesn’t it matter? Does his head shape have anything to do with his continued feeding difficulties? In this episode Marie and Dr. Dorough will help you to follow your gut, ask the right questions, consider all of the treatment options, and understand how chiropractic care can help.