In this episode of Spill the Milk, Nicola speaks with Emma Flynn, mum of three, midwife, and artist, about breastfeeding with chronically low milk supply due to insufficient glandular tissue (IGT).

Emma’s journey spans three very different postpartum experiences. With her first baby, she chose not to breastfeed in order to protect her mental health. With her second, she did everything: triple feeding, supplementers, pumping - only to find herself physically and emotionally depleted. It was only with her third baby that she was able to redefine success and breastfeed without pressure, focusing on connection rather than output.

This conversation explores:

• What IGT (insufficient glandular tissue) actually means
• PCOS and hormonal influences on milk supply
• The realities of triple feeding
• The grief of stopping breastfeeding
• The power of naming what’s happening
• Why exclusive breastfeeding is not the only valid goal
• Protecting maternal mental health during feeding challenges
• Adjusting the load when support is limited

This episode is a reminder that breastfeeding is not binary — and that a well mother matters just as much as a well-fed baby.

We’re nearly at the end of this first series of Spill the Milk, with one final episode still to come. Thank you for listening and sharing these conversations. Nicola hopes to return before the summer with a second series.

For antenatal or postnatal feeding support, see details in the show notes.

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