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The Feeding Couch
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Welcome to The Feeding Couch podcast; a place where the real, uncensored, breastfeeding and postpartum stories are told. I am a midwife and Lactation Consultant and over the decades working with families I’ve seen a variety of feeding journeys and I can tell you that not one of them is the same. In our worId of perfect portrayal of postpartum on social media its time to shine a light on what's really going on in those first weeks, months and years when we set out to feed our babies.
28 Episodes
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In this episode I’m joined by Nandi—a midwife, doula, and Hypnobirthing educator based in Sweden. But beyond her professional expertise Nandi is also a mother of three—an 18-year-old daughter and two sons, aged 10 and 6—all of whom were breastfed, though each journey looked very different. From struggling with painful latching and early formula supplementation with her first, to recovering from a c-section and learning the power of breast compressions with her second, to finally experiencing ...
Today, I’m joined by Bria—a mother of two, living in Grenada in the West Indies—who has embraced breastfeeding as more than just feeding. From her first-ever public feed on the London Underground to nursing a four-year-old despite outside opinions, Bria has navigated her journey with strength and conviction. She shares how witnessing women breastfeed before becoming a mother shaped her own openness, the pain and power of feeding through a medicalised birth, and the raw beauty of her second ex...
In this episode Claire joins me; a mum of five and midwife, whose feeding journeys have been anything but straightforward. After breastfeeding her first baby with ease for a year, she assumed it would be the same with the rest—but life had other plans. When her second baby needed surgery just days after birth, she found herself expressing around the clock. Then came her third, who struggled to latch for six long weeks due to an uncoordinated suck reflex. And just when she thought her fa...
I’m joined today by Mel, who takes us through how she navigated early struggles when her milk took almost a week to come in, and the overwhelming pressure from professionals to supplement with formula. A lactation consultant even told her she might never be able to breastfeed at all as her boobs were too small– so how did these seeds of doubt impact Mel’s feeding experience? With family doubting her supply, she stood firm, trusting her body and her baby. Bed-sharing from day one became a life...
In today’s episode, I have a special guest—someone you probably already know and love. Sophie Walker, the incredible founder and host of Australian Birth Stories, joins me to share her personal breastfeeding journey. With a Master’s in Public Health, Sophie is passionate about helping pregnant women and their support teams actively prepare for birth and postpartum. Her podcast was born from her own experiences—after a first birth filled with intervention and trauma, she went on to have a rede...
Content Warning: This episode of The Feeding Couch discusses baby loss and the emotional journey of grieving as a parent. While the conversation is filled with compassion, hope, and healing, it also touches on sensitive topics that may be difficult for some listeners. In this episode we’re delving into a topic that’s both deeply personal and profoundly important—supporting families through the joy and heartbreak of infant feeding, even in the most challenging circumstances. Our guest is Hanna...
I’m thrilled to introduce Farida; a proud Muslim Oromo Australian woman, a mother of four, a midwife, and a nurse who has dedicated her life to nurturing and caring for others. Her passion for meaningful, thought-provoking conversations shines through in everything she does. We’ll delve into her remarkable breastfeeding journey, which began at 19 and evolved alongside her career as a midwife, with each child bringing its own unique experiences. From the struggles of cracked nipples to the tri...
Welcome back to The Feeding Couch Season 2! I am thrilled to welcome Nadine Richardson—a visionary in childbirth education, a doula, yoga teacher, and founder of She Births®, the world’s first scientifically verified antenatal program. Nadine has empowered tens of thousands of new mums, dads and parents across the globe with her approach to birth preparation, blending science, community, and holistic care. She’s a thought leader, a social impact entrepreneur, and a passionate advocate ...
In this episode I have a conversation with Hannah, a wife to her high school sweetheart, a mother of two, and a passionate advocate for empowered childbirth and motherhood. After experiencing her own journey through birth trauma and healing, Hannah found her calling as a childbirth educator and doula, specializing in VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean). Hannah’s two birth experiences were vastly different. After her first, a traumatic c-section, she found herself grappling with postpartum PTS...
In this episode I’m joined by Raylea, a first-time mom to baby Ellie,who faced more challenges in her first week of motherhood than many of us can imagine. After a significant weight loss of 12% by day three, the stress began to mount. Ellie’s weight loss was compounded by jaundice and a diagnosis that would change Raylea’s feeding journey: known as Insufficient Glandular Tissue or underdevelopment of the breast and milk making tissue. What followed were days filled with stressful weigh-ins, ...
In this episode I’m joined by Anja; a mum of three living in Coventry UK with a passion to advocate for women’s mental health, particularly around pregnancy and childbirth. Anya studied biomedical science at University, but her true calling has been in the charitable sector, where she’s spent years fundraising and providing vital admin support for local organizations. Since the birth of her first baby, she’s been on a mission to ensure that women have the support they need to experience good ...
In this episode I am joined by Sarah; a mum of soon-to-be three little ones (at the time of recording). She serves as the Head of Research and Education at a leading UK breast cancer charity. And in this episode we're focusing on Sarah's personal journey, navigating the complexities of motherhood and breastfeeding as an autistic woman. We'll be exploring some deeply personal and impactful experiences, such as how current breastfeeding guidance can interact with compulsive behaviours and routi...
Welcome to today's episode. I'm honoured to introduce my dear friend Orlanda, whom I've had the privilege of supporting with lactation and breastfeeding when her daughter, Cassia, was born almost five years ago. Orlanda joins us on the feeding couch to share her deeply personal story. She is the Co-Founder of Narcissus London Cosmetics Company, an Ambassador for the Charity Widowed and Young (WAY), and a widowed mother living in London. In this episode, Orlanda graciously opens up about her j...
Leah is a first time mum who prepared extensively for labour, birth and breastfeeding through her pregnancy. She was dreaming of the first breastfeed in the birth suite and having the ‘golden hour’ together. However, when her daughter Hazel was born she had breathing difficulties and was taken to the special care nursery within 5 minutes of being born. Leah tells me her story from the firsts minutes after birth establishing a milk supply and getting Hazel to feed at the breast whilst st...
Julia Neale is a mum of three, with two living children, and originally from the suburbs of Toronto, Canada. She now calls Switzerland, home. She is a former international primary school teacher, and is now a prenatal educator. Julia’s takes me through her three experiences with breast milk and feeding. Her first baby was born at 36 weeks, hospitalized for jaundice and heavily supplemented with formula in the early days. Her goal initially was to breastfeed for 18 months but after the...
Susanne really enjoyed breastfeeding her two children. She had made up her mind that she wanted to stop breastfeeding when her youngest was turning two, but she found herself with a difficult internal struggle. Susanne saw this as an opportunity for personal growth and she worked with a coach to dive deeper into all these mixed emotions. The coach provided a beautiful ending ritual and Susanne's closure of her breastfeeding journey became a very empowering experience, deepening the comp...
Kate is an endorsed midwife and IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant) based in Australia. She is passionate about a no bull-s**t approach to feeding and motherhood, and ultimately supporting families to have their most empowered experience as they transition into parenthood. Kate has honestly shared her own feeding and motherhood struggles through her work in Milky Business. Most recently, this journeyed her through a cancer diagnosis early in her third pregnancy, managin...
Ana is a 34 year old mama of two. Originally from Portugal, currently living in Austria with her German husband and their 2 kids: a fierce 4 year old girl and a 6 month old baby boy. Ana breastfed her eldest for 2.5 years, something she didn't expect to do when she was pregnant. Ana works in marketing in the tech industry but is using her maternity leave to focus on her baby and launching her new business as a postpartum doula in Vienna for expats families. In this episode we discuss:&nbs...
Born and raised in Perth, Australia, Johanna unexpectedly made Switzerland her home in 2010. Johanna has studied biomedical science, occupational therapy, English literature, philosophy and education… and yet tells me how nothing prepared her for the tumultuous early years of motherhood. Johanna shares with me her experiences of feeding her two boys, who are now twelve and nine years old, and how her own breastfeeding grief and mental health struggles throughout the perinatal period fue...
In this episode Zoe discusses with me how she had her first baby at 22 and really struggled with feeding. How she had to hand express for the first week and use nipple shields for first few months. She tells her story of how no one listened when she was saying how painful breastfeeding was, despite having purple nipples and a baby who fed constantly, all the time, with hardly any breaks. Eventually Zoe found out that her baby had a posterior tongue tie. She was only able to get it...
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