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“Hope is not a strategy.”
— Allison Alexander
In this episode, we’re talking with Allison Alexander of Skilled Lactation Solutions about the beautiful rabbit hole that is lactation care—and why sometimes the best clinical skill you can have is being comfortable saying, “I have no idea, but I’m going to figure it out.”
Allison shares how she went from nursing to lactation after noticing a pretty significant disconnect: moms were showing up devastated and struggling, while the paperwork said everything was “fine.” Spoiler alert: the paperwork was not, in fact, breastfeeding the baby.
We dig into why every parent-baby pair is completely unique, why there is no magical protocol that works for everyone, and the importance of remembering one tiny but extremely important detail:
Your baby did not take the class.
Listen now to discover:
- Why lactation consultants need curiosity, flexibility, and the ability to be wrong—with absolutely no room for ego.(2:05)
- The problem with treating breastfeeding like a checklist: Latch? Check. Weight? Check. Mom is crying? Moving on! (3:26)
- The importance of helping parents trust their own intuition instead of outsourcing every parenting decision to TikTok, textbooks, or someone’s very opinionated grandma. (13:08)
- How social media can actually give parents something they desperately need: community at 3 a.m. (16:29)
“This is a profession that requires curiosity and the ability to be wrong. No place for ego at all.”
— Allison Alexander
Links and Resources
- Subscribe to the Deeper Dive Membership: https://learn.paperlesslactation.com/subscription/deeper-dive-membership
- Have an idea for a podcast episode or a Deeper Dive? Let us know! https://learn.paperlesslactation.com/form/collaborate
Connect with Allison
- https://www.skilledlactationsolutions.com/
- https://www.facebook.com/skilledlactationsolutions
- https://www.instagram.com/skilledlactationsolutions/
- https://www.tiktok.com/@skilled.lactation
- Nursing the Neurodivergent course: https://www.skilledlactationsolutions.com/professional-ibclc-programs
Highlights:
2:05 – Why there’s no room for ego
3:26 – Don’t treat breastfeeding like a checklist
9:00 – Your baby didn’t take the class
13:08 – Trusting your own intuition
16:29 – Using social media to be helpful
25:04 – Taking care of yourself
About Us
Leah Jolly is a private practice IBCLC with Bay Area Breastfeeding in Houston, Texas. Annie Frisbie is a private practice IBCLC serving Queens and Brooklyn in New York City, and the creator of Paperless Lactation.
The Lactation Business Coaching podcast is produced by us and edited by Jillian Grover, who also writes our show notes. Our theme song is by Silas Wade.
