70 | Breastfeeding & Mental Health: Postpartum Depression, Mother Wounds, and Breastfeeding Grief with Vanessa from @MilkandMentalHealth
BREASTFEEDING WITH CONFIDENCE | Pregnancy Tips, Postpartum Wellness, Milk Supply, Tongue Tie, Latch PainShow Notes
Can breastfeeding truly support your mental health—or does it sometimes make postpartum depression worse? In this heartfelt episode of the Breastfeeding with Confidence Podcast, host Jamie Zaki, IBCLC and mom of five, sits down with Vanessa, a Licensed Professional Counseling Student and Lactation Counselor, to talk about the emotional side of breastfeeding that so many mothers struggle with but few actually discuss out loud. Together, they dive deep into postpartum depression, unresolved mother wounds, and the grief that can come when breastfeeding doesn’t go as planned. Vanessa shares her own journey through the intersection of motherhood and mental health, reminding moms that breastfeeding doesn’t have to be bad for your mental health—but the key is education, support, and self-compassion. In This Episode, You’ll Hear About:
How birth interventions and early postpartum experiences shape both breastfeeding success and mental wellbeing
The emotional layers of breastfeeding grief and how to process them
How social media and cultural expectations add pressure to new moms
The connection between unhealed mother wounds and the way we show up as mothers
Practical ways to protect your mental health while breastfeeding
Why being “birth to breastfeeding educated” before birth can transform your experience
Meet Our Guest: Vanessa — @MilkandMentalHealth Vanessa is a Licensed Professional Counseling Student and Lactation Counseling student passionate about helping mothers navigate the complex intersection of mental health and breastfeeding. Through her online platform @MilkandMentalHealth, she shares education, emotional support, and compassionate truth-telling to empower moms to nurture both their babies and themselves.
🔗 Connect & Resources
Learn more or join Vanessa’s Birth to Boob community: https://birthtoboob.my.canva.site/joinbtb
Follow Vanessa on Instagram: @milkandmentalhealth | @birthtoboob
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00:00 Introduction to Breastfeeding and Mental Health 00:24 Meet Your Host: Jaimie Zaki 00:46 Postpartum Mental Health 04:13 Cultural and Psychological Challenges for Postpartum Mothers 06:18 Therapy and Support Systems 13:41 Personal Experiences and Stories 20:05 Final Thoughts and Encouragement 24:31 Closing Remarks and Call to Action
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If you’re pregnant and planning to breastfeed, you’ve probably already decided you’ll only use formula if it’s medically necessary. But here’s the hard truth: most moms are never taught how to determine what “medically necessary” actually means in the first 48 hours after birth. Nearly 80% of American moms start breastfeeding, yet many babies receive formula in the hospital due to concerns about weight loss, blood sugar, jaundice, or latch issues. The problem? Normal newborn physiology is often presented as urgent. And when you’re exhausted and vulnerable, “just to be safe” supplementation can feel like the only option. In this episode, we break down: