Today, I’m delighted to be joined by Katie and Daniella to talk about the experience of being an older mum. Daniella, 43 is a solo mum in Birmingham. She shares how her daughter Remi self-weaned gradually after daytime feeds ended around age 3–4, describing a comfort-led “symbolic” latch, continued co-sleeping, and not experiencing weaning blues; she also reflects on early challenges including severe tongue-tie, oversupply, recurrent mastitis, anxiety about working, and feeling unable to breastfeed in public as Remi got older. Katie, 41 in Suffolk, breastfeeds nearly two-year-old Monty frequently day and night. She discusses sleep changes alongside starting a 4:00 AM job, training as a holistic sleep coach, being a “motherless mother” after her mum died in 2020, and managing perimenopausal cycle-related rage, nipple soreness, and feeding aversion with supplements and support.

Katie’s Instagram is @good_nights_kip and her website is www.goodnightskip.com

Daniella’s Instagram is @‌daniellastaubphotographer and her website is www.daniellastaub.co.uk

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.

Today I’m talking to the amazing Alexis White from Canterbury, New Zealand, about feeding her son Flynn. Her older daughter, Norah’s birth did not go to plan, but breastfeeding did, and Norah was breastfed until she weaned herself when Alexis was pregnant again. After a victorious home VBAC birth, early breastfeeding seemed normal, but by day six Flynn had lost 11.5% of his birth weight and then failed to gain despite frequent feeds. Alexis began pumping and syringe top-ups, and at three weeks a lactation consultant identified a hard-to-spot cleft palate. Flynn was later also diagnosed with craniosynostosis. The cleft team told Alexis nutritive breastfeeding wasn’t possible, so she moved to a special cleft bottle while exclusively pumping for about a year, supported by a loaned pump, weigh-ins, and speech and hearing input, including grommets. After surgeries (craniosynostosis first, then cleft repair), Alexis slowly re-taught Flynn to breastfeed using babywearing, a nipple shield, and syringe/tube support. At 14 months he is fully breastfeeding, with ongoing monitoring of hearing and speech.

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 -

UK Cleft Lip and Palate Breastfeeding Support Group on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1CbAoTyibU/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Cleft Lip and Palate Action (CLAPA) - For the UK cleft community https://clapa.com/

CleftNZ https://www.cleft.org.nz/

This podcast is presented by Emma Pickett IBCLC, and produced by Emily Crosby Media.

This week I’m speaking to Naomi Cappallo on Vancouver Island about feeding their two daughters, Clara (6) and Juniper (3), focusing on breastfeeding grief after a second journey that didn’t go as hoped. Naomi describes early pain with Clara, brief formula top-ups for early weight loss, and eventually breastfeeding through the pandemic until age two, using boundaries to reduce frequent toddler feeds. With Juniper, a very fast birth was followed by severe nipple pain, limited breastfeeding support, early formula to cope, and then mastitis, fever, abdominal pain, and a long hospital wait. A pharmacist incorrectly said antibiotics meant they couldn’t breastfeed, which derailed their plans. A midwife/IBCLC later helped them restart breastfeeding and combination feed until Juniper preferred bottles at three months. Naomi shares how their grief persisted in waves, the impact on mental health, and what they wish they’d had in support.

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 Grief by Professor Amy Brown

This podcast is presented by Emma Pickett IBCLC, and produced by Emily Crosby Media.