Breast is Best or Fed is Best: Navigating the Rhetoric

What’s Best? Breast? Or Fed? As a new parent, it can be overwhelming to hear these slogans and discern what is best for your own family and situation. Janet Jones and Lauren Reyes from Breastfeeding Success in Austin, Texas join us on this episode to help break down what these slogans mean. The Breast is Best campaign was an effort to raise public awareness of the health benefits of breastfeeding, but it has faced criticism for creating guilt and pressure on parents. The Fed is Best movement emerged as a response to address the diverse needs and challenges of infant feeding. It emphasizes the importance of supporting families in making informed choices and providing high-quality lactation support. The conversation also highlights the need for healthcare providers to offer non-judgmental support and prioritize lactation support for all families.  About our guest, Janet Jones, IBCLC, RLC Co-CEO, Chief Culture Officer An International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) since 2009, Janet is a former Breastfeeding Peer Counselor and Women Infants Children (WIC) participant. She cares deeply about equitable access to lactation care and strives to remove barriers to lactation care — both for families who need it and for a diverse field of individuals who feel called to provide it. Janet serves the International Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA) as Treasurer and has four breastfed children. She enjoys nurturing all sorts of growing things, from families and babies to her backyard garden and sourdough starter.  About our guest, Lauren Reyes, IBCLC, RLC  Co-CEO, Chief Innovation Officer  Lauren has been in the lactation field since 2004 and an IBCLC since 2009. Proud to have started her career as a WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselor, Lauren believes that the lactation profession is strongest when providers reflect diverse education and demographic backgrounds. Lauren is a past board member of United States Lactation Consultants Association (USLCA) and a breastfed breastfeeder of five beautiful sons. On weekends, you’ll find Lauren driving kids around Central Texas, training for her next half-marathon, and learning about new tools for her various home improvement projects.  To learn more about Breastfeeding Success, go to www.BFSuccess.com  IG: @breastfeedingsuccess    Are you a parent interested in learning more from Ciarra? You can check out her class offerings HERE. For the pre-recorded, self-paced Birth Basics Class, click HERE. For the pre-recorded, self-paced Newborn Sleep Class, click HERE. Are you interested in training to become a birth doula? Check out Ciarra’s Birth, Baby! Academy Birth Doula Training and Certification HERE.  Online, self-paced Birth Doula Training and Certification Program with Birth, Baby! Academy This podcast episode is also on YouTube. If you prefer a video podcast with close captions, you can find the channel HERE. Thank you for all of your support and don't forget to follow and leave a review on your favorite place to listen to podcasts. www.BirthBabyPodcast.com Send an email if you’re interested in becoming a sponsor, you'd like to be a guest, or you have a recommendation for an episode idea! Email: [email protected] Follow on Facebook Follow on Instagram The information provided on this podcast is for general informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on this podcast. Reliance on any information provided here is solely at your own risk. This episode of Birth, Baby! Podcast was produced by Ciarra Morgan and Samantha Kelly. Ciarra Morgan: www.EmpoweredBeginningsATX.com www.BirthBabyAcademy.com Samantha Kelly: www.beautifullymadedc.com Intro and Outro music by Longing for Orpheus. You can find them on Spotify!