The Breastfeeding Guide
By Australian Birth Stories
A how-to guide and a friendly encouragement that will take you through the basics of breastfeeding
This guide aims to inspire pregnant women to prepare for their breastfeeding journey much like they prepare for their birth.
In the hundreds of interviews I’ve recorded since I started the podcast in 2018, I’ve noticed a common theme throughout and it’s one I couldn’t ignore: pregnant women are encouraged and inspired to actively prepare for their birth experience yet rarely encouraged to do the same for breastfeeding.
We live in a culture where breastfeeding is often hidden behind doors and under wraps (literally!).
Despite advocacy in recent years, breastfeeding is still something that is relatively private and unseen. It’s no surprise, therefore, that many new mothers know so little about the art of breastfeeding; they haven’t witnessed it, they rarely sit near a new mother and observe the act of feeding, detailed discussions around dinner tables or at social events are almost non-existent. It is, in many cultures and societies, shrouded in silence — little is known about it because so little is discussed.
This is a how-to guide and a friendly encouragement that will take you through the basics of breastfeeding, including the benefits of antenatal expressing, the magic of colostrum, the nutritional makeup of breastmilk, essentials for the first few months and a list of resources to have on hand when you feel like you need support and advice from a professional.
The only birth education
you’ll need.
Sophie Walker
Hi there, I’m Sophie — host of the top-rated weekly podcast Australian Birth Stories (15 million downloads and counting), creator of educational programs for pregnancy and motherhood, and mother to 3 boys under 10.
I have a Masters in Public Health, and for as long as I can remember, I’ve been deeply interested in babies and birth; a fascination that only amplified when I became pregnant with my eldest son, Niko.
Despite planning for a drug-free birth centre birth, what unfolded was a lengthy 36 hour labour with a hospital transfer, induction, epidural, episiotomy, forceps, and a postpartum haemorrhage…
Along with my new baby and my aching postpartum body, I carried significant physical and emotional trauma home from the hospital. My second birth was the complete opposite; positive, redemptive, and empowering.
Research claims that a positive birth experience – regardless of where or how a woman is birthing – is dependent on two things:
- A pregnant woman has the opportunity to make informed decisions.
- Those decisions are respected and supported by her care provider.
After interviewing over 300 Australian women I wholeheartedly agree with this research. Women have positive births every day – in the comfort of their home, in surgical theatres, in birth centre bathtubs and on the bed in hospital labour wards. And the foundation of these positive birth experiences? Birth education. The podcast is a beautiful collection of stories that have become a powerful, informative and, often entertaining, resource. It’s endorsed by the Australian College of Midwives and currently has over 8 million downloads. Sitting alongside the podcast is a series of online education courses that feature interviews with leading specialists in perinatal health.
