Claire - Breastfeeding and expressing for her baby born at 29 weeks

Claire Summers joins me in this episode. Claire is the voice behind Claire’s Itchy Feet and Claire Summers Speaks. A seasoned travel influencer, yoga teacher, and a passionate advocate for conscious parenting and wellness. With over a decade of experience as a content creator, Claire blends her journey through motherhood, wellness practices, and adventures across the globe into inspiring narratives and practical advice.In this episode Claire talks with me about her two experinces with breastfeeding but with a focus on her second baby who was born at 29 weeks premature. Claire tells me about the pressure to start hand expressing, the fear, overwhlem and the courage needed to get through. Claire talks about how providing milk for her baby at this time felt like the one thing only she could provide for him.  We discuss how Claire exclusively pumped for 6 weeks, how her baby’s tonuge tie was released when he was just 33 weeks corrected age and how that helped set them on their path to feeding at the breast. And how when one person advocates for you, giving you the encouragement that “you can” go home breastfeeding your baby, it massively helped Claire power through all the other information being bombared at her,  and she left the hospital exclusively breastfeeding. We discuss how and why it is often the norm for most mothers of premature babies to be encouraged to start bottle feding in the hospital and told instead to get breastfeeding going once you’re back in the comfort of your own home, and why it is often not as ‘easy’ as it sounds.  As we recorded  Claire’s little man was 3 months old and she was still experiencing the roller coaster ride of having a baby come into the world too soon. I am grateful to Claire for her open and honest talk with me.  Thank you for being with us today, thank you for taking the time to listen and share in this growing collective of stories.  LINKS: Claire Summers SpeaksClaires Itchy Feet Instagram Send a text Resources & Links Get your FREE Milk Supply Confidence Kit Feel calm, informed and confident about breastfeeding—whether you’re a parent or a professional. Download here Online Courses by Katie James – Pregnant or just had your baby? Start with The Feeding Couch – A midwife, doula, or health professional? Join Breastfeeding & Lactation: The Fundamentals Support the Show If you’re loving the podcast, please leave a review 🎶 Music by Joseph McDade Disclaimer The information in this podcast is for general educational purposes only and is not medical or legal advice. While we aim for accuracy, no guarantee is made that the content is error-free or up to date. Always seek guidance from a qualified health professional for individual concerns. The Feeding Couch podcast accepts no liability for any loss or damage arising from reliance on any of the content provided.