Spilling the Milk: Breastfeeding Chats

Carolyn - Rest & Nutrition Tips from a Functional Nutrition & Lifestyle Practitioner

Emily Stone, Empowered Bumps & Boobs Season 2 Episode 5

Send us a text

My guest is Carolyn LaPan, a Masters level psychologist and Certified Functional Nutrition & Lifestyle Practitioner. Carolyn and I connected in our local Holistic Networking Group and have been collaborating on ways to combine forces in support of women’s health. She is passionate about gut health, hormone health, and longevity, as well as eating for the seasons, with whole food, plant-based recipes. Carolyn has contributed her expertise to Breastfeeding Bootcamp and runs her own individual and group coaching programs @satori_cl. 


In this episode, we cover a lot! Some topics include:

  • Tongue tie 
  • Strategies for fitting in restorative rest when caring for a newborn
  • How to think about nutrition when breastfeeding
  • Importance of movement postpartum
  • Importance of mental health postpartum
  • Difference between carbs that spike blood sugar and those that provide longer-lasting energy

Credits
Podcast artwork by Staci Oswald Creative - logos, branding, and photography
Produced by Empowered Bumps & Boobs - modern, holistic support & education for women navigating fertility, pregnancy, birth and beyond. 

Support the show

Enjoying the show? Please consider supporting us in our mission to put out valuable content for pregnant and new mamas. Become a supporter

Do you have questions about breastfeeding? Could you use on-demand, accurate information, videos, a place to ask questions, and the opportunity to connect with other moms?? Yay! We have that for you! Check out the BREAST online classes and community for nursing mamas, Empowered Breastfeeding Bootcamp, and sign up today! With a 30-day money back guarantee you have nothing to lose and peace of mind around breastfeeding to gain.

Feeling social? Follow us!
@empoweredbumpsandboobs (IG)
@empoweredbumpsandboobs (FB)

Subscribe to our newsletter and we'll send you our best stuff each week.

Be Our Guest!
If you'd like to be a guest and come Spill the Milk with Emily, please send an email to emily@empoweredbumpsandboobs.com. We'd love to have you :)

Podcast artwork for Seasons 1 & 2 by Staci Oswald aka my favorite designer EVER + mom of 2 bundles of boy energy

Transcript 

00:00:00 

Hello and. 

00:00:01 

Welcome to. 

00:00:02 

Is spilling the milk, the podcast where we have a real conversations about what it's. 

00:00:06 

Really like to breastfeed a baby? 

00:00:08 

Today, my guest is Karen Leppan, Carolyn and I. 

00:00:11 

Met at a. 

00:00:12 

Local holistic networking group that we both attend regularly and where we both draw lots of inspiration and have made some great connections. 

00:00:20 

We clicked right away. 

00:00:21 

Clearly our missions to support the health and Wellness of women. 

00:00:25 

Align in many ways and Carolyn is. 

00:00:27 

A contributor to our Breastfeeding boot camp. 

00:00:31 

It is a treat to talk to her today, not only about her own experience as a mom and with breastfeeding her first baby, but also now that she has all this knowledge from her functional nutrition practice. 

00:00:43 

When she looks back, what kind of advice can she give to new moms based in what she knows now? 

00:00:50 

Without further ado, please enjoy my conversation with Carolyn. 

00:00:57 

Carolyn, tell us a little bit about yourself and maybe start back with when you were first breastfeeding your first child. 

00:01:04 

Well, thank you for having me. 

00:01:06 

I'm super happy to be here. 

00:01:08 

My name is Carolyn Lupan and I am a masters level psychologist and I am a functional. 

00:01:16 

Nutrition and lifestyle practitioner. 

00:01:18 

So I look at everything from nutrition to lifestyle and I work a lot with women and hormone balance and with gut health issues and longevity. 

00:01:35 

So those are kind of the three areas that I like to focus on. 

00:01:40 

And really, helping women is close and dear to my heart, so my experience, and I'm also a mom, add that to the resume. 

00:01:51 

So I have two kids. 

00:01:54 

I have a boy and a girl. 

00:01:55 

My daughter will be 17 in a couple months and my son is. 

00:02:02 

So I have learned a lot being a mom and going back to when I was breastfeeding my daughter, my first born. 

00:02:14 

There was a lot of unknowns. 

00:02:16 

I felt like I tried to read all the books and the articles. 

00:02:21 

And you know, talked to other moms, and I was open to everything, and I still felt, personally, I still felt kind of unprepared. 

00:02:33 

So with her, I remember, you know, being in the hospital and working on breastfeeding my milk did come in right away. 

00:02:46 

So they maybe I'll know the name of this, but it's like that little tube that they put. 

00:02:53 

So there was like a little bit of formula, but then. 

00:02:55 

They're latched and sucking, so to get the you know the 1st. 

00:03:03 

So it was still practicing the latch, but the nourishment was coming from the formula. 

00:03:08 

And this little tube that was like over. 

00:03:09 

Yeah, yeah, yeah. 

00:03:12 

So it was like a combination. 

00:03:14 

Of both of. 

00:03:14 

Those things. 

00:03:15 

And then my milk was coming in and everything was gravy and good. 

00:03:18 

And so and then we came home and for me it was painful that, you know, with her and. 

00:03:30 

I would. 

00:03:31 

Beholding her and she looked very relaxed and peaceful, and, you know, she's latched. 

00:03:39 

She's sucking, she drinks, she's swallowing. 

00:03:40 

She's just like calm. 

00:03:42 

And I was feeling very tense. 

00:03:45 

So you were tense because of the pain. 

00:03:49 

Yeah, it was painful for me and I, you know, again I go back to like the literature and the data. 

00:03:56 

What am I doing? 

00:03:59 

So we went back to the doctor for a checkup like you. 

00:04:05 

Do you know, after the first couple days? 

00:04:07 

And they noticed the frenulum under her tongue was really close to the tip of her tongue. 

00:04:14 

And so they thought that that would be part of the problem. 

00:04:18 

Like she's she's sucking hard. 

00:04:21 

And that was. 

00:04:21 

It was a tongue. 

00:04:21 

Tie like now you know that's what it was, yeah. 

00:04:24 

Tongue tight. 

00:04:24 

Yeah, it's it's the frenulum. 

00:04:26 

That little strip of skin. 

00:04:27 

Your new. 

00:04:28 

So right then and there, they did a snip and it was 100 times better. So that was something that I had no idea was a thing. 

00:04:40 

I didn't know why it was hurting. 

00:04:43 

Was it me? 

00:04:43 

Was it her? 

00:04:44 

Was it, you know, whatever the case, but. 

00:04:48 

That was something that I wasn't told about, you know, in the hospital or from my doctor. 

00:04:54 

And so, having had some education before as like this could be something that, you know comes up. 

00:05:04 

I think you know could have saved me a lot of discomfort. 

00:05:09 

So but yeah. 

00:05:10 

Yeah, for sure and. 

00:05:12 

It's not like we want to tell everyone. 

00:05:14 

Watch out. 

00:05:14 

Your baby might have. 

00:05:15 

A tongue tied, but. 

00:05:16 

Just know this happens to a handful of people and say something rather than just literally gritting your teeth at every. 

00:05:25 

I was literally gritting my teeth. 

00:05:27 

Yeah, it was. 

00:05:29 

Yeah, it was very painful. 

00:05:31 

So if anyone experiences something like that, like you said, it's important to mention that because like I said, it wasn't brought up to me as a possibility. 

00:05:41 

So when I raised it as an issue then. 

00:05:45 

You know, I was, I understood what was going on, but again, being a new mom and sleep deprived and hormones and in pain and just like. 

00:05:56 

What's what am I doing here so and after that it was a really great experience and that was, you know, we're talking about a week or so in. 

00:06:09 

So after that, I did nurse her and it was it was a really good experience. 

00:06:16 

For both of us. 

00:06:16 

So I did that with her for about, I think. 

00:06:19 

Till she was. 

00:06:21 

10 months. 

00:06:22 

And then a couple of years later, I had my son and he just latched right away and it was a great experience from the beginning for both of us, and that was about a year I nursed him so. 

00:06:33 

So awesome. 

00:06:34 

Yeah, that first week. 

00:06:35 

It's funny cause like you described all that you're like. 

00:06:37 

All of this happened within a week. 

00:06:39 

But at the time, it feels like the longest time of your life. 

00:06:42 

And what if it what if the pain never went away? 

00:06:45 

You're probably thinking I can't. 

00:06:47 

Right. 

00:06:49 

I mean, it was because you're right. 

00:06:52 

It felt like a month because every two hours or so, I had to go through this. 

00:06:58 

And I remember. 

00:07:00 

I had a C-section and the nurse came to my house to remove the staples and when she did that I mentioned this is, you know, I'm having a really hard time breastfeeding. 

00:07:15 

And she said let me see. 

00:07:17 

And so I showed her and I'll never forget. 

00:07:19 

She's like, oh, you poor thing. 

00:07:21 

Like you, I was just in rough shape. 

00:07:24 

So it was it was painful and but I'm glad. 

00:07:30 

That I said something and I got some help because I know how important that is, you know, for her from a nutritional standpoint and then for us for bonding and things like that. 

00:07:41 

It ended up. 

00:07:44 

Like I said it it, it was resolved and it was a really good experience for both of us from that point on. 

00:07:51 

Yeah, that's a happy story. 

00:07:52 

Glad. Well in the. 

00:07:53 

End it was a happy story. 

00:07:54 

I'm glad that you said something and got it addressed and then it changed everything and you were able to. 

00:07:59 

Nurse for 10 months. 

00:08:01 

So if you could go back to yourself like you know, day two or three with that baby. 

00:08:06 

Like, what would you tell? 

00:08:07 

That person now. 

00:08:08 

Oh my gosh. 

00:08:08 

Knowing what you know. 

00:08:12 

I would say your instincts are right. 

00:08:16 

Trust yourself. 

00:08:19 

Keep doing what you're doing and just talk about it to keep talking about it to people until you find, you know, there's obviously something wasn't right that it. 

00:08:32 

I just knew that it shouldn't be that painful. 

00:08:35 

I didn't know exactly what I mean. 

00:08:37 

It was my first baby, so I. 

00:08:39 

I didn't have anything to compare it to, but I just thought you know this just is hurting me too much so. 

00:08:49 

Yeah, just bring it up and call the doctor and it doesn't. And and I waited until it was my daughter's checkup. 

00:08:58 

You know, it wasn't like I made an appointment just for that. 

00:09:01 

I was like, oh, and by the way, you know, so putting myself second. 

00:09:07 

And so yeah, I guess that's what my advice would be is just to, you know, speak up, speak up for yourself and protect yourself just like you're protecting your baby. 

00:09:19 

Right. If someone's in pain, you you figure it. 

00:09:23 

So that's really good point, because of course, we're gonna speak up for our baby, but maybe not. 

00:09:27 

Always for ourselves, yeah. 

00:09:30 

Well, and while I have you here with all of your expertise and functional nutrition, I have to ask if you could go back to your new moms self. 

00:09:39 

Now, knowing everything you know about gut health, hormone, health, longevity, all the wonderful things that you teach others about, what is some advice? 

00:09:49 

You'd give to your. 

00:09:50 

New moms self based on this new knowledge that you have. 

00:09:55 

I have. 

00:09:55 

A lot of knowledge now. 

00:09:57 

That's good. That's amazing. 

00:10:00 

So what would I give myself as a new mom? 

00:10:07 

I would say. 

00:10:10 

Two things you have no idea how important sleep is. 

00:10:16 

Sleep is. 

00:10:19 

You know, I've said it. 

00:10:21 

I've said it many times that you could have the best diet in the world, but if you're not sleeping, your body needs sleep. 

00:10:28 

It needs sleep for blood sugar balance. 

00:10:31 

It means just so many things. 

00:10:33 

Cognitive functioning, so many things, hormonal balance and. 

00:10:38 

And patience as a new mom, you know you need patience and you need energy, so sleep is is very important. 

00:10:49 

And then the other thing too would be. 

00:10:52 

To try your best to. 

00:10:56 

Well, now my list expanded to three I first. 

00:10:59 

I said two things. 

00:11:00 

Allowed. You're allowed. 

00:11:03 

So sleep and if you can, I want to say exercise. 

00:11:10 

But again, me sitting here. 

00:11:13 

With two teenagers and trying to put myself back to when I had a new baby at home, you know, exercise can be. 

00:11:23 

Very difficult number one to fit into a. So any sort of schedule and #2 again going back to energy levels, right, I mean, but it doesn't have to be rigid. 

00:11:35 

It doesn't have to be every day, but going out and just getting a 10 minute walk by yourself. 

00:11:44 

Doing some sort of, even if it's just. 

00:11:46 

Like put on. 

00:11:47 

Some headphones and Just Dance. 

00:11:50 

For like a couple of songs worth, right? 

00:11:52 

I mean just that sort of thing from a physical health and a mental health, I think is just. 

00:12:01 

Is what new moms need to just keep going, right? 

00:12:05 

I mean, it's a, it's a. 

00:12:08 

It's a time that's so special and precious. 

00:12:11 

But at the same time, like we know it's, it can be exhausting. 

00:12:15 

It can be tiring. 

00:12:17 

It's just not. 

00:12:18 

It's it's so yeah, it's. 

00:12:21 

It's not just all laced with, you know, positive it it's. 

00:12:25 

It's hard. 

00:12:26 

It's exhausting. 

00:12:28 

Getting rest and trying to do things to to treat yourself or exercise it feels good. 

00:12:34 

I mean, when I say the word exercise, I don't mean like you have to go take a class, right? 

00:12:38 

I mean, it's just getting blood flowing. 

00:12:41 

I think is very helpful for recovery postpartum, things like that. 

00:12:48 

And then I said three things. 

00:12:50 

So the last would be nutrition. 

00:12:53 

I can't, I certainly can't leave that out. 

00:12:57 

It's super important to. 

00:13:01 

Get calories in because you need 3 to 500 more calories a day when you're breastfeeding, so if you're not getting that in again, that's affecting your energy level just along the same lines. When I was talking about sleep, so I would stick with things that are. 

00:13:21 

Easy if you can do smoothies with you know, I put vegetables I put in my smoothies. 

00:13:28 

I do peanut butter, I do cinnamon. 

00:13:32 

I do like a whole mix of things I do. 

00:13:36 

You know, if you can get a protein shake in once a day, that would be great. 

00:13:41 

And then just something easy like steamed vegetables. 

00:13:44 

It doesn't have to be anything overly complicated, but trying to get in healthy fats an adequate amount of protein. I mean, I I would say nothing's. 

00:13:57 

I mean sugar and highly processed foods are. 

00:14:00 

Or, you know, never beneficial for the body, but as far as the macro nutrients, I would say nothing's off the table like I would not be. 

00:14:12 

I would not be counting calories that would not be avoiding carbs. 

00:14:15 

I would not be doing any of those things as a new mom. 

00:14:19 

But just to go. 

00:14:19 

Back to the carbs thing. 

00:14:21 

Could you explain maybe. 

00:14:22 

An example of. 

00:14:23 

A carb that you would avoid because it would like spike, spike, blood sugar and leave you with less energy or a carb that you would recommend because it would give. 

00:14:31 

You more of a sustained energy. 

00:14:33 

So curbs that are short lived and have that spike that you're talking about would be something like a bagel. 

00:14:43 

Right. 

00:14:43 

I mean it's quick, it's. 

00:14:44 

Easy, it's. 

00:14:48 

Popular and making things good sometimes, however, it's something that would most definitely spike your blood sugar, and then you would crash after that, and that's applicable to anyone at any stage. 

00:15:04 

So if you do have something like that. 

00:15:08 

I would have it with a cream cheese or with a peanut butter, or pair it with something else or like salmon and lox or. 

00:15:15 

That sounds delicious right now. 

00:15:18 

I have like a small lunch and that sounds like lunch. 

00:15:20 

Number two, yeah, I actually had that earlier today. 

00:15:20 

OK. 

00:15:22 

So I that's why I thought of it. 

00:15:24 

So with some capers it was really good. 

00:15:26 

So I would, I would pair it with something like that and then you know, your fruits can be carbs too, like bananas, you know, or carbs. 

00:15:38 

I would. 

00:15:39 

I would never avoid those. 

00:15:41 

So yeah, I mean meals that are. 

00:15:45 

That are all carbs, so like just a bagel for breakfast, or just pizza or a dish of spaghetti with garlic bread. 

00:15:55 

Like those are all that's just all carbs. 

00:15:59 

If you have, say, spaghetti, maybe put some meat in the sauce or some chicken on this you know side so those would be much better options to pair it with a protein. 

00:16:13 

That makes sense. 

00:16:15 

That's helpful. 

00:16:15 

And I know I mean in that stage of life, the more convenient. 

00:16:19 

So I honestly think a really wonderful gift for a new mom would be a subscription service to like a healthy smoothie delivery or, you know, protein shakes or like I do those factor meals sometimes. 

00:16:33 

I do too, those are. 

00:16:34 

And those are it's like Whole Foods. 

00:16:36 

They're delicious. 

00:16:37 

Like, I would eat. 

00:16:39 

Those meals at a restaurant, and there's usually healthy fats, protein and some carbs. 

00:16:44 

So I think that might be my go to now when someone has a baby, I'll just ask like would you like some meals at the ready? 

00:16:52 

Because otherwise you're grabbing what's convenient, which may not be. 

00:16:56 

The healthiest choice? 

00:16:57 

Right. 

00:16:58 

Right. 

00:16:59 

What's convenient? 

00:17:00 

What's quick? 

00:17:01 

You're not giving much thought into it. 

00:17:02 

You're probably already hungry or somehow depleted when you're making that decision. 

00:17:09 

You know when things start to settle down, then we work on meal planning and and. 

00:17:14 

But at the time I love that idea. 

00:17:17 

Having meals delivered and. 

00:17:20 

Yeah, I do those factor meals and they're non-GMO, no antibiotics, no, I mean really, really good healthy grass fed meats and they have, you know, Mediterranean, I mean, whatever you're looking for but. 

00:17:34 

Even vegan options, I think, or at least vegetarian and factor is not a sponsor of the podcast, but if they would like to be, I would. 

00:17:41 

Welcome them because. 

00:17:42 

We're giving them free. 

00:17:43 

Airtime right now? Yeah. Great. 

00:17:46 

But yeah, more importantly, just finding what's going to work for your family, or at least nowadays we have grocery delivery. 

00:17:53 

So you know, while you're feeding the baby in one arm, you could almost be on your phone on shipped or Instacart ordering healthy groceries. 

00:18:01 

So having a good idea about, you know, what types of foods would be good right now. 

00:18:05 

I think it's still. 

00:18:07 

And even if you're ordering groceries that way. 

00:18:10 

That's a great point. 

00:18:11 

That wasn't. 

00:18:12 

Around 17 years ago for me. 

00:18:15 

So that is a great point and just being able to get deliveries a couple of times a week, right, so you can just pick out a few meals. 

00:18:25 

And go from there so. 

00:18:27 

During a time when you don't know what day it is, or if it's day or night, actually, let's go back to sleep for a minute because we know sleep is so important, especially during that time. 

00:18:36 

And yet it's so hard to get when you are the only person making milk. 

00:18:41 

And if the baby is hungry every two hours, that's on you to be awake. 

00:18:45 

Two hours to feed the baby. 

00:18:46 

So how do we help people balance the demands of on demand, feeding and getting adequate sleep? 

00:18:54 

Like, what are some tips? 

00:18:56 

Yeah, that's a great point. 

00:18:59 

And so our typical sleep cycle is 90 minutes, so and that's going through 4 stages. 

00:19:07 

And so, you know, when you sometimes wake up or you're well, when you're woken up and you're just really dragging. 

00:19:16 

Really groggy, it's because you were in the middle of that cycle. 

00:19:19 

That 90 minute cycle. 

00:19:21 

So I would say. 

00:19:24 

The best that you can, because typically you know post feeding the baby you you. 

00:19:32 

Feed the baby. 

00:19:33 

You burp the baby. 

00:19:34 

You you know, if you change. 

00:19:36 

Him or her before or after, but typically right after. 

00:19:40 

That the baby. 

00:19:40 

Will fall asleep sometimes while nursing right. 

00:19:43 

So if the mom can, I would say. 

00:19:47 

If you can fit in a 90 minute solid nap in between those feedings, that is ideal. 

00:19:57 

If you can't, I would say a 20 minute. 

00:20:01 

If you can only do a short window, I would do 20 minutes and try not to do more than that a 20 minute. 

00:20:07 

Even like a seated relaxed meditation will help you get some rest. 

00:20:14 

And if you can't do the full sleep and the full cycle, so even just that alone will calm your calm your mind. 

00:20:24 

It will. 

00:20:25 

Release serotonin at a lower cortisol. 

00:20:28 

It'll activate the parasympathetic nervous system, so you know sometimes, like Transcendental Meditation and trained in that, so that will sometimes show a deeper rest during meditation than during sleep. 

00:20:46 

So I would give that advice to the new moms if they could do either. 

00:20:51 

Of those options, that's fantastic, because that's realistic. 

00:20:54 

And I've actually been thinking about this. 

00:20:55 

I listened to doctor Andrew Huberman. 

00:20:58 

I know you're also a big fan, and he has been talking about it's like NSTR, non sleep deep rest, I think, and I believe he's referring to like a meditative. 

00:21:07 

Or just. 

00:21:09 

Giving yourself intentional rest time is better than nothing, and so at least that's actionable. 

00:21:14 

However, but what if you want to do laundry at that time? 

00:21:17 

And what if your older child needs you? 

00:21:20 

And what if this is your only time to, like, go on Facebook and you know, like the struggle is real? 

00:21:26 

It's real. 

00:21:27 

And those things. 

00:21:29 

So, like, if you were to do the nursing and then say a 20 minute just because the moms there too, right after, right? 

00:21:37 

I mean, that's it's raining for the mom. 

00:21:41 

So if that's something that they do right after nursing. 

00:21:45 

Then yes, you're right. 

00:21:48 

The laundry still has to get done, and there's good chance there are other kids in the house. 

00:21:53 

So I would say trying your best to. 

00:22:00 

Again, not knowing what time it is, it's so it's so easy to just say, but in the evenings, if you can get those 90 minute blocks in between nursing then. 

00:22:12 

And I would say that would be your best bet and then a couple of the 20 minute ones that we talked about between breastfeeding during the day and I and I say that because you want to try as best as you can to stay in your circadian rhythm that your body is designed to do so during the day. 

00:22:34 

We have that little pineal gland in between our eyebrows. 

00:22:38 

That that's another thing that Doctor Huberman talks about getting light early in the morning. 

00:22:44 

And that sets your circadian rhythm for the day, and it releases cortisol, which we want in the morning. 

00:22:52 

That's our get up and go hormone. 

00:22:54 

But then later on, we want that melatonin to kick in and that's when we start to feel tired. 

00:22:59 

So as much as we can stay with that schedule. 

00:23:02 

So the laundry, the kids. 

00:23:04 

You know, during the day, getting help wherever and however we can is important to. 

00:23:12 

But yeah, if we can get as much sleep at night and just try to stay on that schedule, I think that would be best. 

00:23:19 

For mom and baby. 

00:23:21 

And you said getting help and if you think. 

00:23:23 

About it, if you are. 

00:23:24 

Breastfeeding you are the only one that can do that one particular job. 

00:23:29 

But it's very possible and hopefully true, that someone else could help with other kids. 

00:23:33 

Could prepare meals, could do the laundry, could do all of the other things that don't involve, like expressing milk out of. 

00:23:39 

Your body so it's. 

00:23:41 

This is not the time to be shy, and in general people do want to be helpful, but they. 

00:23:45 

Don't always know how. 

00:23:46 

To be helpful or to what extent or when? 

00:23:49 

And so just asking for what you need, I think is a good is good advice for new moms. 

00:23:54 

But I'm. 

00:23:55 

I agree. 

00:23:56 

That's because, like you said, that is the one task you can't delegate so. 

00:24:03 

I agree that. 

00:24:05 

People in general want to help, and so going back to where we started in, in my story, just asking for help. 

00:24:15 

When you need. 

00:24:16 

It and it could be something as simple. 

00:24:20 

As can you. 

00:24:22 

You know, take my kid, my other kid to airborne or something, or drop them off or just. 

00:24:28 

I'm sure there would be another parent or friend that would be happy and and make them feel good inside that they're helping you so. 

00:24:36 

Especially if it's a mom who has been where you are, they understand the impact of that small act of kindness can like make or break your entire. 

00:24:44 

Day totally. 

00:24:45 

I think they would love they. 

00:24:47 

Would be happy to do it, you know. 

00:24:49 

And this brings up another point, something I'm thinking a lot about is. 

00:24:54 

Being a new mom within community, there's such a difference between being a new mom in isolation and feeling like you're part of a larger, larger community. 

00:25:02 

You can just sort of vent to people who. 

00:25:05 

Get what you're going through. 

00:25:07 

And or you can ask for help. 

00:25:08 

Or advice did you? 

00:25:10 

Have that kind of community when you were. 

00:25:12 

A new mom. 

00:25:14 

I did not. 

00:25:16 

And so that's why I just really, you know, when we met and I just heard about, you know, your company, your program and what your vision is just. 

00:25:28 

And like I said, I I really want to help women as well and I love the idea of. 

00:25:36 

This 360 surrounding people, with help from recently new moms and moms that have maybe like me that have teenagers. 

00:25:47 

And so you have, like the personal experience and then you have your doctor or then you have your duo or you, then you have, you know, all these, you know, women. 

00:25:56 

Men doctors could be dads, you know, are just supporting this community of. 

00:26:03 

This new mom, or maybe not even a first time mom, but just you're just overwhelmed, and it's a different experience when you have it's your first or when you have two or three at home, right? 

00:26:15 

It's it's different. 

00:26:17 

So having that support and having a group to. 

00:26:23 

Like you said, vent to learn from to share from. 

00:26:26 

I mean there could be just something that's mentioned in cross conversation that could be. 

00:26:32 

The biggest light bulb for someone so that could have been my experience. 

00:26:38 

And it could. 

00:26:39 

Be very possible that had I been part of a group and I had mentioned that, gosh, I'm breastfeeding and it hurt so bad, someone could have said, oh, maybe her tongue is tied. 

00:26:50 

You know, I would have. 

00:26:53 

I would have really. 

00:26:54 

Benefited from having had that type of support so. 

00:26:57 

Or if you heard this podcast before you had your baby. 

00:27:00 

You would have thought, oh, maybe. 

00:27:02 

It yeah, maybe. 

00:27:03 

It is. 

00:27:03 

You know, you never know. 

00:27:04 

You hear things and you just sort of tuck it away for yourself or for someone else that you, you know, are in conversation with and they're struggling. 

00:27:14 

So just having the platform and this communication in this community is. 

00:27:21 

I'm excited. 

00:27:21 

And that's part of. 

00:27:22 

The reason for. 

00:27:22 

The podcast is hearing a variety of stories. 

00:27:25 

I am very happy to share my experience with my three babies and even with three babies I've had, you know, diverse experiences with breastfeeding and birth. 

00:27:34 

But talking to lots of different moms, there's just. 

00:27:36 

And again, you don't know who's listening, who's going to hear the one little tidbit that ends up being really useful for them. 

00:27:41 

And that it's like if we could do. 

00:27:42 

That one time. 

00:27:43 

Like this was. 

00:27:44 

All worth I feel like. 

00:27:46 

I absolutely. 

00:27:47 

And I'm so glad to be living in 2023 and we have iPhones and it's a wonderful time. 

00:27:52 

However, at other points in history or in other cultures, it was the norm that when you had a baby, you were surrounded by other women of different generations. 

00:28:02 

Who were there to give you advice to take the baby off your hands, to take care of the older children? 

00:28:08 

And it was more of a village community model. 

00:28:10 

And then with the pandemic. 

00:28:12 

We saw the. 

00:28:12 

Extreme opposite, where new parents were trapped in their. 

00:28:17 

House with a. 

00:28:18 

Baby having to figure out everything by themselves. 

00:28:21 

Normally we say ask for help, reach out, have someone come over and watch the babies. 

00:28:25 

So you two can like, you know, take a little bit. 

00:28:27 

Of a break. 

00:28:28 

And that wasn't an option. 

00:28:29 

So I think that was the kick in the. 

00:28:31 

Pants I was like. 

00:28:32 

Like we need to increase the amount of community for new moms. 

00:28:35 

No matter what. 

00:28:36 

But post pandemic like this is so very obvious that it's needed. 

00:28:41 

Yeah, that was. 

00:28:42 

I mean, what an extreme that was. 

00:28:44 

And even in the delivery room sometimes, you know, you couldn't have your partner or your, you know, the usually you have someone with you and. 

00:28:56 

Yeah. I I really having this available is I think going to help a lot of people because that was the case I had for me. I had my mother and my mother-in-law at my house helping and. 

00:29:11 

I needed it. 

00:29:12 

I just, you know, just to just to hold the baby while I go take a shower, you know? 

00:29:19 

And that's precious time. 

00:29:21 

I would that I needed, you know. 

00:29:24 

I I remember getting to. 

00:29:25 

The end of the day, it's like did I? 

00:29:26 

Shower today, I don't remember. 

00:29:28 

Did I eat today? 

00:29:30 

I don't remember AM. 

00:29:31 

I wearing the same clothes as two. 

00:29:32 

Days ago, I think I. 

00:29:36 

The baby well fed and rested and their diapers. 

00:29:39 

Changed yes. OK, well. 

00:29:40 

Yes. Yeah. 

00:29:41 

I'm doing something here. 

00:29:43 

Right. 

00:29:44 

I have the same, the same experience. 

00:29:48 

Is there are there any parting words, anything that we didn't cover yet today that you want to share with our audience, anything that comes to mind? 

00:29:55 

For you. 

00:29:58 

I think you know, maybe I didn't call this out earlier, but just. 

00:30:04 

You know, when I talk about sleep and nutrition and exercise, I think from a mental health standpoint, I keep going back to being patient with yourself. 

00:30:17 

And you know, we. 

00:30:20 

We oftentimes will feel, especially in a new situation like things are out of control and I think just. 

00:30:29 

Taking you know, a deep breath and only looking at maybe the next immediate task or in the next hour or in the next, like, otherwise it can be really overwhelming if you think I need to clean the whole House and I have all these errands to run and I have this and that. 

00:30:47 

I think that just. 

00:30:50 

Keeping keeping things in check and being patient with yourself. 

00:30:56 

And loving yourself through this and knowing that you know you and your baby through breastfeeding are giving your baby the best gift that you can. 

00:31:07 

I would say that. 

00:31:08 

That's great advice and be patient with yourself and focus at the task on the task at hand. 

00:31:13 

Be present. 

00:31:14 

That's advice that someone can apply, even if they're still pregnant or not pregnant yet, or you know the baby's older. That's something I love. The more I dive into. 

00:31:22 

What's useful for supporting a woman's health in the breastfeeding stage? Most of that is also helpful during pregnancy, before pregnancy, after after postpartum. 

00:31:34 

So that's kind of nice. 

00:31:36 

It's like everything you're learning now to take care of your body during the specific season and and how you're learning to relate to your baby. 

00:31:43 

It's going to translate, it's going to continue to pay. 

00:31:45 

If you put in the time now to learn how to take care of yourself. 

00:31:49 

Yeah, absolutely doing that now and then, I mean, you're now a role model for that baby, so. 

00:31:56 

Well, Carolyn, thank you so much for coming in today and speaking with me. 

00:32:00 

Yeah, you're welcome. 

00:32:00 

Thank you so much. 

00:32:06 

Thank you for listening to this episode of Spilling the milk. 

00:32:09 

If you enjoyed our conversation, please subscribe in your favorite podcast app and a new episode will land automatically in your feed once we release it. 

00:32:18 

Please also share with anyone you think would also enjoy our podcast. 

00:32:22 

You can follow us at empower bumps and ***** on Instagram and Facebook, and you can visit empoweredbumpsandboots.com to subscribe to our newsletter and stay updated on all the great things we have coming out. 

00:32:36 

Very specifically, we have breastfeeding boot camp launching soon, and if you subscribe to our list, you will be the first to know. 

00:32:44 

And enrollment is open. 

00:32:46 

Thank you so much and take great care. 

 

People on this episode