Overcoming Breastfeeding Struggles: Nicole's Journey In this episode of the 'Breastfeeding With Confidence' podcast, host Jamie Zaki, an international Board certified lactation consultant and Mom of five, speaks with Nicole Kristensen. Nicole shares her challenging breastfeeding journey amidst the backdrop of COVID-19 and a formula shortage. She recounts her initial struggles with breastfeeding, including a traumatic C-section and lack of support, which led her to formula feeding. Nicole discusses her experiences with multiple lactation consultants, both in-person and virtual, and highlights the importance of finding tailored breastfeeding support. The conversation underscores the significance of overcoming societal stigma and emphasizes that breastfeeding doesn't have to be perfect to be positive.

Tune in next time for the continuation of Nicole's inspiring story.

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00:00 Introduction and Personal Experience

00:27 Welcome to the Breastfeeding With Confidence Podcast

01:17 Meet Nicole Christensen: A Journey Through Breastfeeding

03:02 First Breastfeeding Experience: Challenges and Lessons

10:42 Second Breastfeeding Experience: Overcoming Mental Health Struggles 12:22 The Importance of Personalized Lactation Support

28:33 Third Breastfeeding Experience: A New Approach

28:44 Conclusion and Resources for Breastfeeding Support

Are you expecting twins and worried about how breastfeeding will work? Do you feel like everyone is silently assuming you’ll “just need to supplement”? Have you heard horror stories—and are now wondering if exclusive breastfeeding is even possible with two?

If you're carrying twins, you're already doing something incredible. And when it comes to breastfeeding, you deserve support that honors your goals—not pressure to settle. So many twin moms are told right from the start that formula is inevitable. That breastfeeding two babies is “too much.”

But you don’t have to accept that story. You can write your own.

In this episode, you’ll hear from someone who’s walked that road—and made breastfeeding twins not just possible, but joyful.

In this episode of Breastfeeding With Confidence, I sit down with Shelly—a twin mama and lactation consultant from Canada—to talk about the real challenges and triumphs of breastfeeding twins. From the early postpartum to the decision between tandem nursing vs. individual feeding, we’re covering what it really looks like to exclusively breastfeed multiples.

Shelly shares how prenatal breastfeeding education can set you up for success, how to stay grounded in your "why," and what new or expecting twin moms can do to thrive. If you’re planning to breastfeed twins, this episode is full of encouragement, strategy, and sisterhood.

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⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 – Welcome + today’s topic: Breastfeeding twins 01:10 – Meet Shelly: Twin mama + fellow IBCLC 02:11 – Shelly’s story: The early days with two 04:22 – The unique challenges of breastfeeding twins 12:50 – What twin moms need to know before birth 17:31 – Tandem feeding vs. individual feeding: Pros and cons 21:29 – Final advice + supportive resources for twin moms 23:07 – Wrap-up + how to get more support for your journey

If you're pregnant and planning to breastfeed, you've probably heard of prenatal colostrum collection and you might be wondering "Should I collect colostrum during pregnancy" or "How do I collect colostrum during pregnancy"? In this episode of the Breastfeeding With Confidence Podcast, Jaimie Z, IBCLC explores when, why, and how you might benefit from prenatal colostrum expression.

We discuss benefits & risks to colostrum expression, hand expression vs. using a pump, and how to store and transport expressed colostrum.

Grab your colostrum collection kit here.

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