Breast is Best or Fed is Best: Navigating the Rhetoric

Birth, Baby!

What’s Best? Breast? Or Fed? As a new parent, it can be overwhelming to hear these slogans and discern what is best for your own family and situation. Janet Jones and Lauren Reyes from Breastfeeding Success in Austin, Texas join us on this episode to help break down what these slogans mean. The Breast is Best campaign was an effort to raise public awareness of the health benefits of breastfeeding, but it has faced criticism for creating guilt and pressure on parents. The Fed is Best movement emerged as a response to address the diverse needs and challenges of infant feeding. It emphasizes the importance of supporting families in making informed choices and providing high-quality lactation support. The conversation also highlights the need for healthcare providers to offer non-judgmental support and prioritize lactation support for all families.

About our guest, Janet Jones, IBCLC, RLC
Co-CEO, Chief Culture Officer

An International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) since 2009, Janet is a former Breastfeeding Peer Counselor and Women Infants Children (WIC) participant. She cares deeply about equitable access to lactation care and strives to remove barriers to lactation care — both for families who need it and for a diverse field of individuals who feel called to provide it. Janet serves the International Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA) as Treasurer and has four breastfed children. She enjoys nurturing all sorts of growing things, from families and babies to her backyard garden and sourdough starter.

About our guest, Lauren Reyes, IBCLC, RLC
Co-CEO, Chief Innovation Officer

Lauren has been in the lactation field since 2004 and an IBCLC since 2009. Proud to have started her career as a WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselor, Lauren believes that the lactation profession is strongest when providers reflect diverse education and demographic backgrounds. Lauren is a past board member of United States Lactation Consultants Association (USLCA) and a breastfed breastfeeder of five beautiful sons. On weekends, you’ll find Lauren driving kids around Central Texas, training for her next half-marathon, and learning about new tools for her various home improvement projects.

To learn more about Breastfeeding Success, go to www.BFSuccess.com
IG: @breastfeedingsuccess

This episode is sponsored by Tree of Life Breastmilk Jewelry. Use code PODCAST at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.
Facebook Group:
Tree of Life Breastmilk Jewelry, LLC | Facebook
Website: www.treeoflifebreastmilkjewelry.com

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Intro and Outro music by Longing for Orpheus. You can find them on Spotify!

• (00:00) - Introduction to Breastfeeding Success
• (08:09) - The Breast is Best Campaign
• (11:34) - The Fed is Best Movement
• (21:39) - Supporting Families in Making Informed Choices