Down & Dirty Tips for Breastfeeding: Managing Engorgement

E 29. Going Back to Work: The Pumping Episode

Going back to work while breastfeeding is one of the most logistically overwhelming transitions a new parent faces. And most of the advice out there? Either too vague to be useful, or so overwhelming it makes you want to cry. In this episode, Dr. Ashley Robinson, IBCLC, breasks it all down: how to build a pumping schedule that actually protects your supply, what your legal rights are at work, how to talk to your employer about pumping time and space, how to store milk safely, and how to keep your supply up when you're spending eights hours a day away from your baby. This episode is the pumping-at-work guild you wish someone had handed you at your baby shower. LinkTree: Click here [linktr.ee/drrobinsonibclc] Book a virtual consult HERE [ashleyrobinsonibclc.com] The Supportive Partner found on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or my website: www.ashleyrobinsonibclc.com FirstDays: The baby tracking app build by an IBCLC. Available NOW on the Apple App Store!! Check it out here www.firstdaysapps.com [firstdaysapps.com]

E28. Nipple Confusion: Real or Just a Scary Word?

You've heard the warning. Don't give your breastfed baby a bottle — they'll get nipple confused and forget how to breastfeed. But what if that's not exactly what's happening? In this episode, Dr. Ashley Robinson, IBCLC, breaks down why nipple confusion is a misleading term — and why flow preference is the more accurate, more actionable diagnosis. She covers why not all bottles are created equal, what paced bottle feeding actually looks like, and exactly how to introduce a bottle without threatening your breastfeeding relationship. Plus — what to do if flow preference has already set in and you're trying to get back to the breast. Your baby isn't confused. They're rational. And now you'll know what to do about it. 🔗 linktr.ee/drrobinsonibclc [linker.ee/drrobinsonibclc] Book a virtual consult HERE [www.ashleyrobinsonibclc.com] The Supportive Partner — available on Amazon, B&N, and anywhere you find books!

E27. What Nobody Tells You About Breastfeeding After a Cesarean Section

Nobody told you the milk might take longer to come in. Nobody told you that the golden hour might look different than you planned. Nobody told you that major abdominal surgery and the hormonal cascade of birth are deeply connected — and that bypassing one affects the other. In this episode, Dr. Ashley Robinson — IBCLC, doctor of public health, and certified labor doula — gets personal about her own cesarean section experience and breaks down everything you need to know about breastfeeding after a cesarean. We cover the hormonal biology behind delayed milk coming in, how to advocate for skin-to-skin in the OR, what your support person and doula can do in that operating room, and a practical preparation checklist for planned cesarean families. And for the parent whose cesarean section was not the plan — this episode has a segment just for you. Because your birth was not a failure. And your breastfeeding story is not over. 🌟 Also — big news! I have been a little MIA from the podcast lately because I have been building something I am incredibly excited about. It is called FirstDays — a baby tracking app designed specifically with breastfeeding families in mind. Track feeds, diapers, sleep, and growth all in one place, built by an IBCLC who actually understands what matters in those early days. Available now on the Apple App Store. 🔗 linktr.ee/drrobinsonibclc 📍 Book a virtual consult: ashleyrobinsonibclc.com 📱 FirstDays App: firstdaysapps.com 📖 The Supportive Partner — available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and anywhere you buy books.

Tongue Tie: Overtreated, Undertreated, or Just Misunderstood?

You told your provider something was wrong. The latch hurt. The baby wasn't gaining. Every feed was a battle. And you were told — the tongue looks fine. Just keep trying. In this episode, Dr. Ashley Robinson, IBCLC, gets personal about tongue tie — one of the most dismissed and misunderstood diagnoses in infant feeding. We cover what tongue tie actually is (including the posterior ties that get missed on a visual check), how it affects breastfeeding for both parent and baby, why it is undertreated far more often than it is overtreated, and what the research says about frenectomy and feeding outcomes. Plus — the red flags that tell you something is actually wrong, and exactly how to advocate for a proper assessment when your gut is telling you to push back. Your instincts are data. This episode will help you use them. 🔗 Linktree [https://linktr.ee/drrobinsonibclc] 📍 Book a virtual consult: ashleyrobinsonibclc.com 📖 The Supportive Partner — available HERE [https://linktr.ee/drrobinsonibclc]

The Pump Doesn't Lie... Or Does It?

You finished pumping. You looked at the bottles. Your stomach dropped. Sound familiar? In this episode, Dr. Ashley Robinson, IBCLC, breaks down why your pump output is one of the most misunderstood numbers in breastfeeding — and why it is almost never the full story. We bust three of the biggest pumping myths that are driving unnecessary panic, including why low pump output does not equal low supply, why what you pump is not what your baby gets, and why flange size might be the most overlooked variable in your entire pumping setup. Plus — the real indicators of milk supply that actually matter, and evidence-based tips to get more out of every session. The pump is not your report card. This episode will remind you why. 🔗 https://linktr.ee/drrobinsonibclc [https://linktr.ee/drrobinsonibclc] 📍 Book a virtual consult: ashleyrobinsonibclc.com 📖 The Supportive Partner — available HERE [https://linktr.ee/drrobinsonibclc]