Makes Milk with Emma Pickett: breastfeeding from the beginning to the end

Emma Pickett - Board Certified Lactation Consultant
  • 4.7 (13)
  • Parenting
  • Updated Weekly

A companion to your infant feeding journey, this podcast explores how to get breastfeeding off to a good start (and how to end it) in a way that meets everyone's needs.Emma Pickett has been a Board Certified Lactation Consultant since 2011. As an author (of 5 books), trainer, volunteer and breastfeeding counsellor, she has supported thousands of families to reach their infant feeding goals.Breastfeeding/ chest feeding may be natural, but it isn't always easy for everyone. Hearing about other parent's experiences and getting information from lactation-obsessed experts can help.

  1. 6d ago

    Hayley’s story - twin challenges after a Covid baby

    Today, I’m talking to Hayley, a midwife and IBCLC from Queensland’s Sunshine Coast in Australia. Hayley’s first baby, Isla was conceived in Scotland in March 2020. Her return to Australia at 30 weeks with her husband Rob involved costly flights, and a two week hotel quarantine stay. After having an induction at 42+2, Hayley describes returning to on-call night work when Isla was 14 months and how Rob settled their breastfeeding toddler without bottles. Breastfeeding Isla was smooth and she later weaned gradually around age three using boundaries like “booby when the sun’s up.” Hayley then recounts an unexpected twin pregnancy, induction at 38 weeks due to growth restriction and preeclampsia. Twins Magnus and Oscar had a difficult early feeding period with pain and weeks of triple feeding, until an IBCLC advised stopping pumping. Breastfeeding then settled, and she is now exclusively breastfeeding the seven-month-old twins alongside solids while balancing family life and planning a part-time return to work. My picture book on how breastfeeding journeys end, The Story of Jessie’s Milkies, is available from Amazon here -  The Story of Jessie's Milkies. In the UK, you can also buy it from The Children’s Bookshop in Muswell Hill, London. Other book shops and libraries can source a copy from Ingram Spark publishing. You can also get 10% off my books on supporting breastfeeding beyond six months and supporting the transition from breastfeeding at the Jessica Kingsley press website, by going to https://bit.ly/JKPbooks and using the code MMPE10 at checkout. Follow me on Instagram  @emmapickettibclc or find out more on my website www.emmapickettbreastfeedingsupport.com  Resources mentioned -  Kathryn Stagg IBCLC  https://kathrynstaggibclc.com/  Breastfeeding Twins and Triplets https://breastfeedingtwinsandtriplets.co.uk/    This podcast is presented by Emma Pickett IBCLC, and produced by Emily Crosby Media.

  2. Oct 12

    Hannah's story - breastfeeding as a comfort through grief, gentle weaning

    I’m delighted to be joined by a fellow ABMer today -  Hannah Shaw from Morecambe. She’s a peer supporter and newly qualified probationary breastfeeding counsellor. We talk about ABM training and about Hannah’s two breastfeeding journeys. Hannah describes early struggles feeding her first child, Holly, including sore bleeding nipples, positioning issues and six months of rugby hold, then breastfeeding into toddlerhood despite family comments, bedsharing after a near-miss falling asleep while feeding, episodes of breastfeeding aversion, and postnatal depression treated with talking therapy and antidepressants compatible with breastfeeding. Weaning happened gently as work routines changed. With her second child, Imogen, breastfeeding began easily after an emergency C-section but sleep was difficult, and after the traumatic death of Hannah’s six-year-old niece Millie and a later trial, breastfeeding provided comfort and oxytocin through grief. Imogen, now four, mostly feeds briefly at bedtime from one side, with Hannah emphasising that breastfeeding must work for both parent and child.  My picture book on how breastfeeding journeys end, The Story of Jessie’s Milkies, is available from Amazon here -  The Story of Jessie's Milkies. In the UK, you can also buy it from The Children’s Bookshop in Muswell Hill, London. Other book shops and libraries can source a copy from Ingram Spark publishing. You can also get 10% off my books on supporting breastfeeding beyond six months and supporting the transition from breastfeeding at the Jessica Kingsley press website, by going to https://bit.ly/JKPbooks and using the code MMPE10 at checkout. Follow me on Instagram  @emmapickettibclc or find out more on my website www.emmapickettbreastfeedingsupport.com  Resources mentioned -  ABM Breastfeeding Training https://abm.me.uk/breastfeeding-training/  Milk and Cookies, by Emma Rosen https://emmarosenbooks.co.uk/collections/breastfeeding-books  BASIS https://www.basisonline.org.uk/  This podcast is presented by Emma Pickett IBCLC, and produced by Emily Crosby Media.

  3. Oct 5

    Jo's story - neurodivergent, taking 5 weeks to transfer milk, feeding at 2

    This week, the brilliant Jo from Cheshire, mum to two-year-old Cecilia, is here to talk about breastfeeding beyond infancy alongside Jo’s neurodivergence. Jo shares her long conception journey, pregnancy complicated by preeclampsia, a five-day induction ending in an emergency C-section, and subsequent PTSD. Ceci struggled to latch and transfer milk in the early weeks. We discuss how Jo overcame those challenges. We also touch on toddler feeding patterns, co-sleeping, sensory factors, and using boundaries to reduce overwhelm and sustain breastfeeding.  My picture book on how breastfeeding journeys end, The Story of Jessie’s Milkies, is available from Amazon here -  The Story of Jessie's Milkies. In the UK, you can also buy it from The Children’s Bookshop in Muswell Hill, London. Other book shops and libraries can source a copy from Ingram Spark publishing. You can also get 10% off my books on supporting breastfeeding beyond six months and supporting the transition from breastfeeding at the Jessica Kingsley press website, by going to https://bit.ly/JKPbooks and using the code MMPE10 at checkout. Follow me on Instagram  @emmapickettibclc or find out more on my website www.emmapickettbreastfeedingsupport.com  You can follow Jo on Instagram @‌cecilias_mama  This podcast is presented by Emma Pickett IBCLC, and produced by Emily Crosby Media.

  4. Sep 28

    Becky's story - twins from NICU to exclusive breastfeeding

    I’m joined this week by the lovely Becky from Southampton to talk about breastfeeding her identical twins, Sully and Knox. Becky shares the shock she and her wife Sarah felt when discovering they were expecting twins. The pregnancy was monitored closely due to a shared placenta, and then growth restriction led to a 35-week C-section in Bournemouth because Southampton lacked NICU space. Her babies needed CPAP and NICU care, and Becky started pumping within hours and maintained three-hourly pumping while navigating inconsistent feeding support. After discharge, with crucial IBCLC support from Polly Smith, the twins gained strength and transitioned to mostly breastfeeding. Now nearly aged one they feed less, with a recent nursing strike linked to illness and teething, but Becky is determined to breastfeed them for as long as they need.  My picture book on how breastfeeding journeys end, The Story of Jessie’s Milkies, is available from Amazon here -  The Story of Jessie's Milkies. In the UK, you can also buy it from The Children’s Bookshop in Muswell Hill, London. Other book shops and libraries can source a copy from Ingram Spark publishing. You can also get 10% off my books on supporting breastfeeding beyond six months and supporting the transition from breastfeeding at the Jessica Kingsley press website, by going to https://bit.ly/JKPbooks and using the code MMPE10 at checkout. Follow me on Instagram  @emmapickettibclc or find out more on my website www.emmapickettbreastfeedingsupport.com  Resources mentioned -  Breastfeeding Twins and Triplets https://breastfeedingtwinsandtriplets.co.uk/  Polly Smith IBCLC https://www.pollysmithibclc.co.uk/  This podcast is presented by Emma Pickett IBCLC, and produced by Emily Crosby Media.

  5. Sep 21

    Sharnaé's story - nipples shields, hospitalization and a weaning journey

    This week, I’m delighted to be joined by listener Sharnaé Storm from New Zealand. We’re talking about breastfeeding her three-year-old son Enzo. Sharnaé shares how night weaning and ending the bedtime feed happened gently through repeated “cuddles for sleep” affirmations, with breastfeeding temporarily increasing during illness (recent RSV). She describes early breastfeeding challenges, flat nipples, mixed opinions about possible tongue tie, and choosing to persevere with a nipple shield. Sharnaé also recounts Enzo’s hospitalisations for complex febrile seizures starting at 11 months, including ICU and a drug-induced coma, later seizures managed with medication, and how this shaped their vigilance and childcare choices.  My picture book on how breastfeeding journeys end, The Story of Jessie’s Milkies, is available from Amazon here -  The Story of Jessie's Milkies. In the UK, you can also buy it from The Children’s Bookshop in Muswell Hill, London. Other book shops and libraries can source a copy from Ingram Spark publishing. You can also get 10% off my books on supporting breastfeeding beyond six months and supporting the transition from breastfeeding at the Jessica Kingsley press website, by going to https://bit.ly/JKPbooks and using the code MMPE10 at checkout. Follow me on Instagram  @emmapickettibclc or find out more on my website www.emmapickettbreastfeedingsupport.com  This podcast is presented by Emma Pickett IBCLC, and produced by Emily Crosby Media.

  6. Sep 14

    Clarisse's story - tandem feeding but only a year apart

    This week I’m talking to brilliant mum of two Clarisse Allen, from South London, about tandem feeding with a small age gap after Clarisse became pregnant when her first baby was six months old. Clarisse describes a four-hour first labour with a birth-before-arrival home birth, early breastfeeding that looked good on paper but felt hard due to worry about weight gain and latch pain, mastitis, and mixed advice about frequent feeding and bottles. Pregnancy brought nipple soreness and later reduced supply, but her daughter, Talia, continued nursing. Clarisse’s son, Zayn was born at home with a doula. His was a longer early labour, as a back-to-back baby, and his first newborn feed became an immediate tandem feed. We explore the realities of tandem feeding, co-sleeping, reflux, boundaries, night challenges, and the importance of intuition, selective information, and supportive help.  My picture book on how breastfeeding journeys end, The Story of Jessie’s Milkies, is available from Amazon here -  The Story of Jessie's Milkies. In the UK, you can also buy it from The Children’s Bookshop in Muswell Hill, London. Other book shops and libraries can source a copy from Ingram Spark publishing. You can also get 10% off my books on supporting breastfeeding beyond six months and supporting the transition from breastfeeding at the Jessica Kingsley press website, by going to https://bit.ly/JKPbooks and using the code MMPE10 at checkout. Follow me on Instagram  @emmapickettibclc or find out more on my website www.emmapickettbreastfeedingsupport.com  Resources mentioned -  You can follow Clarisse on Instagram @‌the_sacral_moon Breastfeeding: The dangerous obsession with the infant feeding interval https://www.unicef.org.uk/babyfriendly/breastfeeding-the-dangerous-obsession-with-the-infant-feeding-interval/  This podcast is presented by Emma Pickett IBCLC, and produced by Emily Crosby Media.

  7. Sep 7

    ADHD and breastfeeding with Kathryn Stagg IBCLC

    This week, I’m delighted to be joined by returning guest, the fabulous Kathryn Stagg IBCLC—also a musician, parent, and qualified neurodiversity coach—to discuss ADHD and breastfeeding. Kathryn explains ADHD subtypes, why the label can be misleading, common overlap with autism and other neurodivergences, and how diagnosis often follows identification in a child. She shares about her own assessment and how diagnosis improved self-awareness and self-forgiveness, alongside mixed experiences with medication. We explore how ADHD can help breastfeeding through antenatal hyperfocus and responsiveness, but can make difficulties like triple feeding, planning, and accessing support harder due to executive function challenges and rejection sensitivity dysphoria. Kathryn shares some practical support strategies,  and discusses some challenges with sensory sensitivities, breastfeeding aversion, app-related anxiety, and perimenopause effects. My picture book on how breastfeeding journeys end, The Story of Jessie’s Milkies, is available from Amazon here -  The Story of Jessie's Milkies. In the UK, you can also buy it from The Children’s Bookshop in Muswell Hill, London. Other book shops and libraries can source a copy from Ingram Spark publishing. You can also get 10% off my books on supporting breastfeeding beyond six months and supporting the transition from breastfeeding at the Jessica Kingsley press website, by going to https://bit.ly/JKPbooks and using the code MMPE10 at checkout. Follow me on Instagram  @emmapickettibclc or find out more on my website www.emmapickettbreastfeedingsupport.com  Resources mentioned -  ADHD and Breastfeeding - The Breastfeeding Network https://www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/factsheet/adhd-and-breastfeeding/ You can follow Kathryn Stagg on her website https://kathrynstaggibclc.com/ or @‌kathrynstaggibclc on instagram And thank you to FeedSpot for listing me as #7 in the top breastfeeding podcasts list https://podcast.feedspot.com/breastfeeding_podcasts/   This podcast is presented by Emma Pickett IBCLC, and produced by Emily Crosby Media.

  8. Aug 31

    Hannah's story - being an older mum, an IVF story

    This week, I’m welcoming Hannah Norris all the way from Melbourne, Australia, to talk about becoming a mother through IVF in her 40s and breastfeeding both her daughters. Hannah describes giving birth to her first baby, Twyla, in London during COVID: plans for a home birth changed, she advocated for herself when her platelets dropped, and she had a positive hospital birth despite limited access for her partner postnatally. Breastfeeding began smoothly but became difficult with engorgement, and Zoom support and education helped her push through, despite a stressful encounter with a midwife. Hannah later sought my help to gently wean Twyla around age three, ahead of long-haul travel where she used to rely on feeding. After Twyla was hospitalised with bacterial meningitis, Hannah decided to have a second child, using a remaining frozen embryo for an unmedicated transfer. She moved to Australia before the birth, but successfully negotiated a low intervention hospital birth for Maeve. SVT episodes led to a longer hospital stay, but they established breastfeeding well, and Maeve is thriving at four months. My picture book on how breastfeeding journeys end, The Story of Jessie’s Milkies, is available from Amazon here -  The Story of Jessie's Milkies. In the UK, you can also buy it from The Children’s Bookshop in Muswell Hill, London. Other book shops and libraries can source a copy from Ingram Spark publishing. You can also get 10% off my books on supporting breastfeeding beyond six months and supporting the transition from breastfeeding at the Jessica Kingsley press website, by going to https://bit.ly/JKPbooks and using the code MMPE10 at checkout. Follow me on Instagram  @emmapickettibclc or find out more on my website www.emmapickettbreastfeedingsupport.com  Resources mentioned -  Cordelia Uys https://www.cordeliauys.co.uk/  This podcast is presented by Emma Pickett IBCLC, and produced by Emily Crosby Media.

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A companion to your infant feeding journey, this podcast explores how to get breastfeeding off to a good start (and how to end it) in a way that meets everyone's needs.Emma Pickett has been a Board Certified Lactation Consultant since 2011. As an author (of 5 books), trainer, volunteer and breastfeeding counsellor, she has supported thousands of families to reach their infant feeding goals.Breastfeeding/ chest feeding may be natural, but it isn't always easy for everyone. Hearing about other parent's experiences and getting information from lactation-obsessed experts can help.

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