Today I’m talking to the lovely Isabella from near Vienna, Austria, about breastfeeding her two sons, Jonathan (2½) and Valentin (1). Isabella describes generally good breastfeeding support and mixed feeding norms in Austria, and how her early postpartum pain settled with midwife help. She became pregnant unexpectedly when Jonathan was 10 months old while using natural family planning, and assumed she should wean. She made several attempts but didn’t feel committed to a process that was complicated by bottle refusal and a lack of weaning information. After hearing positive tandem-feeding stories from this podcast, she resumed breastfeeding late in pregnancy when Jonathan was distressed and ill, then tandem fed after Valentin’s birth. This time lactation started easily and she managed nights with family bed-sharing and support from her husband. Isabella eventually weaned Jonathan gradually at 2, starting with night weaning and dropping “set” feeds, while continuing to breastfeed Valentin to this day.

My picture book on how breastfeeding journeys end, The Story of Jessie’s Milkies, is available from Amazon here - The Story of Jessie's Milkies. In the UK, you can also buy it from The Children’s Bookshop in Muswell Hill, London. Other book shops and libraries can source a copy from Ingram Spark publishing.

You can also get 10% off my books on supporting breastfeeding beyond six months and supporting the transition from breastfeeding at the Jessica Kingsley press website, by going to https://bit.ly/JKPbooks and using the code MMPE10 at checkout.

Follow me on Instagram @emmapickettibclc or find out more on my website www.emmapickettbreastfeedingsupport.com

Resources mentioned -

Loving Comfort book in English (und auf Deutsch) https://www.juliedillemuth.com/loving-comfort

This podcast is presented by Emma Pickett IBCLC, and produced by Emily Crosby Media.