Many of us have heard of triple feeding, but have you ever heard of quadruple feeding?

Quadruple feeding is doing four things to try to feed your baby every day, and it’s exhausting!

Danielle Kawlewski's baby was born with Down syndrome and a heart defect.

In today’s episode, she shares the struggles of feeding, losing the sucking reflex, and then going straight from tube feeding to thickened breastmilk through a straw by eight months old… along with trying everything else under the sun in between.

Connect with Danielle online:

• IG-  Danielles_scrunchy_kids
• FB- Danielle Kawlewski

She Also Shares:

• 2:45 - Living in Wisconsin on 50 acres 
• 4mins - Had Daughter in Aug 2021. Born with Down syndrome
• 6:30 - Started to try to collect colostrum at 37 weeks
• 7:30 - Birth Story - Started as a home birth with a pool and a midwife
• 9:15 - Found out her baby was in breach position
• 9:45 - Decide to go to hospital
• 11:15 - At the hospital, ended up having a C-section (because the baby was breach)
• 12:15 - Baby went to Nicu at a DIFFERENT HOSPITAL for 30 days because of low oxygen, and her Down syndrome caused two holes in her heart. But, they stayed so long mainly because of feeding issues.
• 15 mins - learn she was transferred to Madison Wisconsin hospital 90mins away because that’s where they have all the Nicu resources for babies with Down syndrome
• 18:45 - Stayed at the Ronald MacDonald house around the corner. Baby got Donor milk for first 24hrs
• 19:20 -Able to use the colostrum she’d expressed before giving birth during the first 24hrs
• 20:40 - Explain all about a Ronald MacDonald House
• 23:30 - lactation cookies recipe
• 26:45 - Quadruple Feedings
• 27:20 - Sucking Reflex went away due to downs and the two holes in her heart
• 32:00 - Having a g-tube placed so they could go home from the Nicu
• 33:30 - How to thicken breastmilk
• 35:30 - Lactation consultants are the best
• 37mins - The Power of the Manual Pump
• 40:30 - Pumpin’ Pals Silicone Flanges worked well for her
• 42 mins - What happened when daughter lost suction ability
• 44 mins - Getting heart surgery
• 48:30 mins - Bottle to a straw cup at eight months old
• 49:30 - Resource Share: Honey bear cups
• 51 mins - Started foods at five months
• 53:30 - pumped for 11 months
• 55:30 - The unexpected joy of it all
• 57:30 - Journaling
• 59 - Dealing with all the emotions after birth
• 60mins - EMDR Therapy (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
• 61:45 - Started an at-home daycare after her baby had heart surgery 65 mins - weaned off the breast pump with cabbage leaves
• 66 mins - Finding your voice after having a kid
• 69 mins - Scrunchy Kids
• 73 mins - Rapid Fire Question Round
• 74mins - Resource: Jill Rabin Book: Your baby can self-feed too.
• 78 mins - Resource: Breastfeeding and Down syndrome
• 79:45 - Resource: Badass Breastfeeder - Pumping Hacks episode is great

Today, I was really honored to interview the incredible Lynan Saperstein. Not only is she a new, older mom (she gave birth at 39. and she's breastfeeding at 40), but she is a soulful, heart-driven entrepreneur with a passion for energetic clearing. She offers group energy programs as well as private sessions. You can check her out at ElementalSphere.com.

Lynan's milk came in very fast. She described it as terrifying. She thought she had mastitis. Ultimately, she learned she was an overproducer, which was quite messy, actually. 

Additionally, she shares the traumatizing experience she had with a breast pump during labor, so it took a long while to try pumping after the baby was born. 

She also tells the story of her cracked nipple and how Lanolin nipple cream and Silverettes helped. 

Her daughter is 11 months old and  she is still almost exclusively breastfeeding on demand. Lynan shares how she is preparing for a long haul breastfeeding journey. 

We also learn about her experience co-sleeping,  night feeding, the first 40 days ritual, why we should give Dad's breastmilk and so much more. 

Resources: 

• Haaka ladybugs - https://a.co/d/2e2d5De
• Hand pump - https://a.co/d/2e2d5De
• Lanolin nipple cream - https://a.co/d/hOKstwH
• Silverettes - https://a.co/d/cOUsHhN
• Washable pads for the bed - https://a.co/d/f2MVHLl
• Wrap breastfeeding bras instead of clip ones

Today, I am really honored to interview an incredible woman, Barb Higgins. I’ve known Barb since I was in 4th grade and ran track and field with the local Parks and Rec community. In high school, she was my cross-country coach, and she led us to win our local Division, then State, and then The New England Championship. I have such incredible memories with this woman.

Barb is now 60 and on the show today because she gave birth to her fourth child at 57.

In today’s episode, Barb shares about her four pregnancies, starting with the miscarriage of baby Gordy at 25 weeks and the surprise milk let-down experience she had afterward.

She also shares what it was like to breastfeed in public with her second, Gracie, and then what it was like to get caught on a day trip without a breast pump while nursing her third, Molly. And having Jack, her  IVF baby after menopause.

Note: If you don’t know Barb’s story, Barb has lost two children. In addition to the miscarriage of baby Gordy, she also lost her daughter Molly at age 13. We don't go into the details of Molly’s death in the podcast, but you can learn more about her at the MollyB Foundation: https://mollybfoundation.org/ or by reading Barb’s book, Motherland: https://amzn.to/3vEIg5N

She also shares:

• 8mins - 25-week miscarriage of baby Gordy
• 13:30 - Gracie’s Birth & Latching
• 15:25 - Breastfeeding Gracie in public
• 17:15 - The Difficulty of Pumping and What Worked
• 17:45 - Co-sleeping & ‘Self-Serve’ Breastfeeding at night
• 19:45 - Natural Weaning - Being Pregnant with Molly, Gracie no longer liked the taste
• 20:05 - Molly’s Birth & Initial Latching
• 22:15 -Forgetting the breast pump on a trip from NH to Connecticut
• 25:20 - Advocate, Advocate, Advocate - Your Boobs, Your Baby!
• 28:10 - Jack’s Story as an IVF Baby after menopause
• 37:00 - Developing Preeclampsia at 35 weeks
• 41:00 - Suction challenges with a 35 wk old
• 42:39 - When a nurse tells Barb she’s too old to breastfeed
• 43:25 - The baby-feeding regime (Breastfeed, Bottle, Then Pump)
• 47:00 - The Ridiculousness of the ‘Failure to Thrive’ label when Jack was slow to gain weight
• 48:00 - Advocating for yourself in the hospital
• 50:00mins - Nurse provides game-changing support on breastfeeding
• 50:30 - Getting donated breastmilk
• 52:30 - Spilt milk story and the frustration
• 54:20 - Still breastfeeding at 2.5yrs old
• 56:00 - A culture that thinks it’s okay to tell women what to do
• 57:30 - Introduction of Book, Motherland
• 60:00 - What Child-loss feels like daily
• 61:15 - Postpartum Anger after Jack
• 64:15 - Always listen to your instincts
• 65:30 - Rapid Fire Round

Recommendations:

• The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding: https://amzn.to/3U3qGm0
• Human Milk for Human Babies - FB Group
• NH Breastfeeding Moms - FB Group

You can find Barb on Facebook and Instagram:

• FB: https://www.facebook.com/barb.higgins.96
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barb_444/
• Website: https://athousandtinysteps.com/