Episode 52: An interview with Heather Eure, IBCLC, owner of The Lactation Expert, a Discussion of the Intersection of Mental Health and Lactation

In this episode, we sit down with lactation consultant and perinatal mental health coach Heather from The Lactation Expert to unpack the very real, very under-discussed relationship between mental health and feeding. We dive into how anxiety, birth trauma, hypervigilance, and societal pressure directly impact lactation outcomes — and why feeding struggles are often an early warning sign of deeper nervous system stress. This conversation bridges physiology, psychology, and lived postpartum experience to help parents and providers better understand why feeding is never “just mechanical.”In this episode:🧠 Perinatal anxiety + hypervigilance around feeding🍼 The bidirectional relationship between mental health and lactation📊 Tracking culture, freezer stash pressure, and social media myths💔 Birth trauma, cortisol, oxytocin, and delayed milk onset🌈 Supporting queer, neurodivergent, and high-risk parents🛠 Making feeding plans realistic instead of punishing🤍 Why preventative lactation support actually mattersBecause feeding your baby shouldn’t cost you your mental health — and you deserve support, not survival mode.Find Heather: 🖥 Learn more at www.thelactationexpert.com📲 Follow Heather on Instagram @thelactationexpert🧠 For birth & health professionals:Heather’s Lactation Essentials for Birth Professionals course is opening enrollment for its second cohort. This multi-week program includes recorded modules plus live calls, and is designed for pediatricians, midwives, doulas, SLPs, OTs, sleep coaches, and anyone supporting feeding families.🤍 For parents:Heather offers a bi-monthly support group that’s evolving into something special — the Parent Kind Support Circle. This is ongoing, relationship-based support from pregnancy through early postpartum, featuring two live virtual calls each month, expert guest speakers, and an intimate community space to stay connected between calls.Find the Lady Birds: 📩 Questions or episode ideas? Email us at [email protected]📱 Follow us on Instagram: @ladybirdpt🩺 Book pelvic floor care with our team: ladybirdpt.com⭐ Love the show? Leave a review — it helps more parents find honest, evidence-based care