Best Emma Pickett Podcasts (2025)

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A Q&A on tandem feeding with Nicola de Sousa 1:13:24

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2d ago1:13:24

1:13:24

My guest this week has personal and professional experience of tandem feeding to share with us. Nicola De Sousa is an infant feeding coach from Jersey, in the Channel Islands. She fed her toddler Mikayla, all through her pregnancy and alongside her infant Diogo. We talk about Nicola’s experience of feeding both her children, but also from 28:30 we …

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Golnessa's story - triandem feeding 1:04:56

9d ago1:04:56

1:04:56

My guest this week shares her amazing journey of triandem feeding - what she calls the ‘path of least resistance’, though I think the rest of us would describe her as inspirational. Golnessa is a GP from Fife in Scotland, and is currently breastfeeding her three children, Gus (10 months), Gertie (3 years) and Gilligan (5 years). We talk about the c…

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Listeners Q&A 1:13:56

16d ago1:13:56

1:13:56

In honour of this being officially my 100th episode, I’m answering listeners’ questions this week. We cover natural term breastfeeding, weaning older children, dealing with conflict with family and a response to a request to share my own breastfeeding story. If you’d like to read the questions, you’ll find each one in Bold in the transcript for thi…

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Preparing for puberty with confidence, with Tara Ghosh 1:10:46

23d ago1:10:46

1:10:46

We’re trying something a little different this week - Tara and I have created a section of the show especially for young people. If someone in your life would like to know more about periods, breast development and what else can change from the age of about 8 to 12 years, they should listen from 46:45 onwards. My guest this week, Tara Ghosh, is a c…

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Cara and Jodie's stories - breastfeeding with a Pavlik harness 54:05

1M ago54:05

54:05

If you have a baby, or are supporting parents of a baby, who has a Pavlik Harness, the chances are that you haven’t found much information about how to combine a Pavlik Harness with breastfeeding. I’m hoping this episode helps. I’m speaking to Cara from Midlothian, and Jodie from Essex, both twin mums who have breastfed babies through their treatme…

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Shonagh's story - tandem feeding 1:03:08

1M ago1:03:08

1:03:08

We often cover struggles and challenges on this podcast, but my guest this week, Shonagh Johnson, from East Lothian, is a great example of how well tandem breastfeeding can go. Although she had some nipple sensitivity, Shonagh found feeding her first daughter Freya relatively easy after a swift home birth. Despite having no expectations of how long…

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Pumping and flanges with Amber Clark IBCLC 1:06:17

1M ago1:06:17

1:06:17

Every so often a project comes along with the potential to radically change the experience of lactating parents. My guest this week, Amber, has one such project. Amber Clark is an infant feeding specialist nurse and IBCLC working in Wessex. Her work, the Early Breast Milk Improvement Project is all about improving outcomes for pumpers by fitting fl…

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Becca's story - returning to breastfeeding after exclusive pumping 1:03:46

2M ago1:03:46

1:03:46

Sometimes the thing we need most is the space and time to figure it out ourselves. My guest this week, Becca from Oxfordshire, had a challenging start to breastfeeding her son, Rupert. A combination of a tongue tie, slightly inverted nipples, and troubles latching, led to severe nipple damage just days after Rupert’s birth. Becca turned to exclusiv…

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Louise's story - a crisis of confidence second time around 50:04

2M ago50:04

50:04

My guest this week is Dr. Louise Goldsmith, a urologist and aspiring IBCLC from North London. Louise successfully breastfed her first daughter but was taken aback when that previous history didn’t protect her from a crisis of confidence second time around. Carrie’s feeding style was very different to Paloma’s, which surprised Louise and her husband…

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Vicky's story - working as a nurse while breastfeeding 55:54

2M ago55:54

55:54

Vicky, my guest this week, is a fantastic example of successful breastfeeding at work. She is a nurse in a busy intensive care unit, who takes regular breaks to pump in a dedicated room, with the full support of her manager and colleagues. This success story is even better when you hear how she got to this place - her daughter Evie’s birth was pain…

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Babywearing and breastfeeding 1:13:11

2M ago1:13:11

1:13:11

Many breastfeeding parents also choose to carry their baby in a sling or wrap as they go about their day. There are so many carriers out there to choose from that it can be an overwhelming decision. That’s where my guest today can help. Lizzy Allen is a babywearing consultant, but she's also a breastfeeding peer supporter, trained with the ABM. She…

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Coral's story - 'uni-boobing' after duct surgery 1:07:52

3M ago1:07:52

1:07:52

Uni-boobing - feeding on just one breast - is more common than many of us think. Whether through child-preference, injury, or as a result of surgery, like my guest this week, it’s absolutely possible to exclusively breastfeed on just one breast. My guest, Coral, had duct surgery due to unexplained bleeding and a family history of breast cancer, in …

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Photographing natural term breastfeeding 51:04

3M ago51:04

51:04

Back in 2020, Ann Owen felt like she was the only person in the UK breastfeeding a four year old. Not an unusual feeling for an extended breastfeeder, but Ann’s next step was unusual. She’s a photographer, specialising in documenting birth and post-partum journeys, so she started a project to meet and photograph other families with older nurslings.…

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Sarah's story - breastfeeding toddler twins 1:00:28

3M ago1:00:28

1:00:28

My guest this week, Sarah, is a great example of the power of self belief. Sarah’s twins, Louie and Robyn, were conceived through IVF during the COVID lockdowns, and had a tricky birth resulting in transfusions and a hospital stay. Throughout all this, Sarah knew that she wanted to breastfeed her twins, and advocated for herself despite busy matern…

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A history of wet nursing with Liz Lee-Smith 1:01:47

3M ago1:01:47

1:01:47

We’re doing something a little bit different this week, as you may have guessed from our title. I'm talking to Liz Lee-Smith, who is @‌thebirthhistorian on Instagram. She's an antenatal educator,a breastfeeding peer supporter, and she's a history nerd as well. And we’ll be discussing wet nursing, by looking at the lives of a handful of women throug…

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Jessica's story - Breastfeeding and work trips 1:03:39

4M ago1:03:39

1:03:39

There’s a common assumption that if you breastfeed, you can never be apart from your child, and you have to sacrifice career ambitions if you are going to breastfeed longer term. My guest this week is here to bust that myth, and show how you can both breastfeed and also travel for work. Jessica Greenfield is a singer-songwriter and member of Noel G…

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Sarah's story - wheelchair use and other journeys 1:13:15

4M ago1:13:15

1:13:15

My guest this week, Sarah Perry, is an author, lecturer and mum to two-year-old Zangi. She overcame a challenging birth, an extended hospital stay and inverted nipples, to meet her breastfeeding goals and continues to feed to this day. Sarah is also a wheelchair user and in this episode she shares some of her powerful writing about her experience o…

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Announcing...The Story of Jessie's Milkies 4:04

4M ago4:04

4:04

The Story of Jessie’s Milkies is available from Amazon here: The Story of Jessie's Milkies Or, if you prefer not to use Amazon, ask your local book shop to order from our other publisher, Ingram Spark, and libraries can order from them too. This podcast is presented by Emma Pickett IBCLC, and produced by Emily Crosby Media.…

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Infant feeding grief with Dr Harriet Holroyd 56:24

4M ago56:24

56:24

Many parents who don’t meet their breastfeeding goals experience feelings of grief and even trauma that can affect their lives for years to come. This week I’m joined by the brilliant Dr Harriet Holroyd, a clinical psychologist and EMDR (Eye-Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) practitioner, to discuss some approaches to resolving those feeli…

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Breastfeeding and dental health with Gillian Smith DDS 1:06:19

4M ago1:06:19

1:06:19

Too often I meet parents who have been told by their dentist that their toddler should stop breastfeeding because it contributes to tooth decay, so when I met this week’s guest, I knew I had to have her on the show to talk more about this issue. Dr Gillian Smith DDS is a dentist from Bray in Ireland, who specialises in treating children and patient…

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Abby's story - inverted nipples and disappointing support 1:06:39

5M ago1:06:39

1:06:39

The advice and support that we receive in the early days of breastfeeding can have a profound impact on our journey. My guest today, Abby, had an experience with an unnamed IBCLC that really knocked her confidence, and could have had dire consequences, had she followed the incorrect advice she was given. Abby discovered that she had inverted nipple…

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Bryony's story - Breastfeeding and aversion 1:06:28

5M ago1:06:28

1:06:28

My guest this week ticks so many different boxes when it comes to breastfeeding experiences - birth trauma, tongue tie, mixed/triple feeding, tandem feeding, gentle weaning - but what we’re going to focus on in this conversation is aversion. When I asked many of you recently about your experiences of breastfeeding in pregnancy, many of you mentione…

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Breastfeeding and Osteopathy 54:38

5M ago54:38

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This week, I’m pleased to be joined by Karly Proverbs, a specialist paediatric osteopath and maternal osteopath. She explains what an osteopath is, what goes into their extensive training, and what you can expect to happen during a consultation. We discuss the applications of osteopathy for breastfeeding babies and parents, including treatment of t…

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Hollie’s story - an eating disorder and postpartum psychosis 50:13

5M ago50:13

50:13

Trigger warning - In addition to maternal mental health and a discussion of postpartum psychosis, this episode deals with anorexia and disordered eating, which some listeners may find triggering. I’m honoured that my guest this week, Holly Crawley, is willing to share her story with us. Holly is a mother of three, who was diagnosed with anorexia in…

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Breastfeeding and D-MER 1:09:13

5M ago1:09:13

1:09:13

Most of us who breastfeed, or work with breastfeeding parents, are on the look out for the symptoms of postnatal depression, but we aren’t always fully informed when it comes to a condition known as D-MER. This week I’m joined by two guests with personal experience of D-MER, experiencing waves of sadness and emptiness that only coincided with breas…

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Lactation for the rest of us - induced lactation and supporting queer and trans parents with Jacob Engelsman 1:02:39

6M ago1:02:39

1:02:39

This week I’m delighted to be joined by American IBCLC Jacob Engelsman, whose new book, ‘Lactation for the Rest of Us’, is out now. Jacob and I talk about inducing lactation, for birthing parents and non-birthing parents, the drugs and supplements that are used to aid milk supply in different parts of the world, the mental health aspects of breastf…

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Thrush and breastfeeding with Dr Naomi Dow 1:08:55

6M ago1:08:55

1:08:55

Thrush in a breastfeeding dyad has commonly been diagnosed as a response to pain, but my guest today is a part of an important global conversation asking us to look at the evidence more closely. I’m delighted to be joined by Dr Naomi Dow, GP and IBCLC to talk about her work to better understand what is going on, and reduce the over-diagnosis of nip…

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Dads and breastfeeding with Scott Mair - The Sequel 1:16:57

6M ago1:16:57

1:16:57

For part two of our Q&A session all about dads and partners, I’m once again joined by the brilliant Scott Mair. In this part, we answer questions on natural term breastfeeding, dealing with comments from family members, where to go for advice, and sex and intimacy after birth. I’m grateful to Scott for joining me in some honest and open, and not al…

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Dads and breastfeeding with Scott Mair - Part 1 1:05:43

6M ago1:05:43

1:05:43

For this special Q&A session all about dads and partners, I’m delighted to be joined by Scott Mair. Scott is an ex-military dad of seven children, and one grandchild, who specialises in fathers’ mental health and inclusion. Who better to answer your questions about how dads can support breastfeeding, how non-feeding partners can form a bond with th…

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Metasha's story - 7 breastfeeding journeys 55:41

7M ago55:41

55:41

Another candidate for the breastfeeding hall of fame, my guest this week is Metasha who has fed her seven children over 20 years! Unlike many of my guests, Metasha’s story isn’t one of enormous challenges and struggles. Her attitude to breastfeeding and parenting has been to go with the flow, and to respond to her family’s needs, although she does …

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Talking to children about breastfeeding, with Emma Rosen 1:07:48

7M ago1:07:48

1:07:48

For too many people, the first time they think about breastfeeding is when they are pregnant with their first child. If we are to change this, and normalise breastfeeding in our societies, we need to start with how we talk to children about breasts and babies. That’s why I’m delighted to be joined this week by Emma Rosen, a breastfeeding counsellor…

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Beth's story - my diabetes and breastfeeding 1:05:51

7M ago1:05:51

1:05:51

Back in episode 21, we explored breastfeeding and diabetes with Lucy Lowe IBCLC, and I’m delighted to be joined this week by Beth, to talk about her personal experience of breastfeeding her two sons, Sage and Jago, with her type 1 diabetes. We talk about how Beth’s long-term health condition affected her pregnancies, births and breastfeeding. We al…

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Francesca’s story - finding attachment parenting, breastfeeding twins and staying strong 1:07:18

7M ago1:07:18

1:07:18

Trigger warning - Listeners who would prefer not to hear discussion of maternal suicide should skip from 44:48-46:00 minutes. This episode contains some conversational swearing. Francesca’s inspirational story is one of determination, positivity and courage. Led by attachment parenting philosophy, she tandem fed her twins, while also bringing up he…

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Emma's story - breastfeeding a 35 week old baby 47:24

8M ago47:24

47:24

No one expects their motherhood journey to begin in the NICU, but that’s where Emma found herself, after the birth of her daughter Maya, by c-section due to placenta previa. At 35 weeks, Maya did not have a fully developed sucking reflex, and so they began a process of tube feeding, formula, pumping, and eventually breastfeeding. Emma’s determinati…

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Emily and Ali's story - sister support 49:42

8M ago49:42

49:42

This week’s episode has it all - feeding twins, c-sections (both emergency and elective), triple feeding, cross-nursing, tongue tie, vasospasms - but what comes across most from Emily and Ali’s story is their love and support for one another as they breastfeed together. Emily had her son Frankie just weeks before Ali’s twins, Suni and Kiri, were bo…

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Katie's story - Breastfeeding with hypoplasia/IGT 1:05:52

8M ago1:05:52

1:05:52

Hypoplasia or IGT is not often spoken about, but there are estimates that up to 1 in 10 of us have insufficient breast tissue to exclusively breastfeed. Katie found out that she was one of those people when she sought help after her son, Ezra, lost 11% of his birth rate in a matter of days. The advice she received from midwives and health visitors …

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Charlotte's story - donating milk after loss 57:37

8M ago57:37

57:37

This episode does contain discussion of miscarriage, stillbirth and infant death. This week, I’m speaking to Charlotte Mills, a midwife and IBCLC, whose third son, Robin, died before his birth at 20 weeks. Charlotte talks about losing Robin and her decision to continue lactating. She donated Robin’s milk to the Hearts Milk Bank where it went on to …

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Ellie's story - breastfeeding with confidence 1:07:38

8M ago1:07:38

1:07:38

This week, I have the privilege of chatting with Ellie Warner, a hairdresser from Leeds, about her breastfeeding journey with her son, Ezra. Ellie initially knew little about breastfeeding but had an instinctual desire to do it. Ellie faced challenges, including gestational diabetes, a tongue-tie and torticollis, which eventually contributed to a b…

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Eleanor's story - breastfeeding and Bell's Palsy 1:01:16

9M ago1:01:16

1:01:16

This week, I’m talking to Eleanor Nightingale about her breastfeeding experience with Bell's Palsy. During the birth of her daughter Hattie, Eleanor had an emergency forceps delivery, extensive tearing and haemorrhage. Six days later, the left side of her face became paralysed and after a rushed trip to A&E fearing a stroke, Eleanor was diagnosed a…

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Lara's story - 11 years of breastfeeding 1:21:55

9M ago1:21:55

1:21:55

If there was a Breastfeeding Hall of Fame, my guest this week would certainly have a place. Laura has breastfed her three children, Beatrice, Joseph and Georgina, for 11 years and 3 months. She talks to me about the challenges she has overcome, including a traumatic NICU experience with her first child, her decision not to pump, the benefits of tan…

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Breastfeeding in the neonatal unit 1:00:51

9M ago1:00:51

1:00:51

This week, I’m delighted to speak to Sam Petridis, a neonatal nurse and IBCLC, about her breastfeeding and neonatal care. She is Baby Friendly Initiative Lead for her hospital, so we discuss what that means, and what the UNICEF guidelines mean for breastfeeding. Sam explains the different levels of neonatal care (Levels 1, 2, and 3) and the importa…

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WHO code and marketing of breastmilk substitutes - with Vicky Sibson 55:58

9M ago55:58

55:58

This week, I’m delighted to be joined by Dr. Vicky Sibson, Director of the First Steps Nutrition Trust, to talk about the challenges and regulations surrounding infant formula marketing. Vicky explains the importance of the WHO Code, which aims to protect infant health by regulating the marketing of breast milk substitutes, and clarifies what infan…

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Louise's story - breastfeeding through PND 1:20:19

10M ago1:20:19

1:20:19

Louise’s story might be a difficult listen if you have suffered from depression, anxiety, or postnatal depression, but it is a story that she feels is helpful to share, and I am so grateful that she has. Louise Chappell went into her pregnancy and birth excited and happy, but after her son Robin was born, anxiety and trauma surfaced, and she became…

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Bec's story - breast refusal 56:29

10M ago56:29

56:29

Sometimes our children can be our greatest teachers. That’s certainly what my guest this week, Bec, believes. Although she was a midwife before she was a mother, Bec has learnt so much about mothering and herself since having Lily two and half years ago. Their journey began with a peaceful water birth at 42 weeks, but continued with vomiting and po…

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Starting nursery Q&A with Molly 57:36

10M ago57:36

57:36

It’s a pleasure to have Molly Morgan back with me today, to answer your questions about starting nursery and breastfeeding. You can find out more about Molly on Instagram at @molly_foxandthemoon and www.foxandthemoon.co.uk My new book, ‘Supporting the Transition from Breastfeeding: a Guide to Weaning for Professionals, Supporters and Parents’, is o…

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Natural term breastfeeding working positively 1:14:15

10M ago1:14:15

1:14:15

In this episode I’m talking about natural term breastfeeding with someone who has both personal and professional experience of it. Olivia Hinge is an IBCLC, midwife and mum of three, currently breastfeeding her youngest child (who makes a sleepy appearance in the episode). We talk about the realities of breastfeeding support on the maternity ward a…

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Being a breastfeeding peer supporter 1:02:04

11M ago1:02:04

1:02:04

Volunteer breastfeeding peer supporters are among the unsung heroes of the breastfeeding and chest feeding world. This week we’re exploring who they are and what they do. I’m joined by two peer supporters, Hilary and Katrina, who volunteer for Treasure Chest, in York. We talk about how they came to train as supporters, what they enjoy and find chal…

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Rakhee's story - a gradual weaning journey 1:06:19

11M ago1:06:19

1:06:19

It’s my pleasure to be joined this week by Rakhee to talk about her gradual weaning journey with her daughter Isla. It was lack of sleep and aversion connected to her cycle that made Rakhee consider putting in some boundaries with Isla when she was around 18 months. With the support of her husband, Sandy, she made these changes very slowly, allowin…

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Summer holiday replay - Weaning a booby monster 1:00:14

11M ago1:00:14

1:00:14

This summer bonus episode is a replay of episode 5, where I explore your motivations for weaning, and whether a refresh on nursing manners could help. I talk about ways you can upskill to meet your child’s needs without the breast, how to cut down on the number of feeds and how you can talk with your child to wean with kindness and authenticity. I’…

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Summer holiday replay - Making the decision to wean 45:12

11M ago45:12

45:12

This summer bonus episode is a replay of episode 2, where I explore why you might want to end breastfeeding/chest feeding. I discuss the misleading advice that some parents receive, the societal pressures, and the guilt that you may be feeling, but also the autonomy that you can have to make this decision for yourself and your family. I’m taking a …