The Breastfeeding Diaries

Episode 5: Breastfeeding as a physical therapist and mom of teenagers with Miranda Harvey

When her 2nd baby was 10 months old, Miranda Harvey had to abruptly stop breastfeeding so she could get her thyroid removed due to thyroid cancer. Years went by, and it seemed she would never get another chance to have another baby or breastfeed. But almost 15 years later, she discovered she was pregnant unexpectedly! She was successfully able to breastfeed her third baby for much longer than a year, even while working full-time as a physical therapist. She shares how she kept up her milk supply while pumping hands-free between patient visits, and how God blessed her with a redemptive experience she never would have imagined she could have. 

Episode 4: Entrepreneurship and oversupply struggles with Maggie Awalt

Maggie Awalt is an entrepreneur and coffee-shop owner who had to reshape her business and her identity when becoming a mom. She shares how she navigated the demands of the business while wrestling with oversupply and mastitis. What does it mean to find balance as a working mom in the early days of motherhood? How do you prioritize your baby and your business, when both depend totally on you? Maggie shares her story in this episode! 

Episode 3: Breastfeeding through sepsis hospitalization with Shera Evans

Breastfeeding seemed to be going smooth for Shera Evans - until she was hospitalized with a severe infection for 7 days. Separated from her baby and waiting for a surgery in the hospital, no one would have blamed her if she had given up. Breastfeeding seemed pointless when she was even having to pump and dump her milk down the hospital sink. But she didn't give up and after she got healthy, she went on to nurse her baby for 12 months and beyond! 

Episode 2: Exclusive pumping to exclusive nursing with Kara Blessing

 Kara is a full-time mom, and part-time doula, so birth and babies are a huge part of her world. If you saw her nursing her toddler until she was almost 2 years old, you would never have guessed that her breastfeeding journey had a rough start. Despite having a beautiful, unmedicated birth at a birth center, her baby was found to have mouth and tongue ties and Kara’s dreams of nursing exclusively, turned into exclusive pumping. The temptation to give up was strong, especially when she was told that maybe she physiological COULDN’T produce milk. But she didn’t give up. 

Episode 1: Persevering through low supply with Casie Britt

Casie Britt faced an under supply, but through determination, she was still able to continue pumping and providing her baby milk all the way until almost 12 months. After losing her milk supply at 6 months with her first baby, Casie had hoped to go farther with her second. But after returning to work and finding her milk supply wasn't meeting her baby's needs, she had a choice to make. Her baby wouldn't take formula, so she used donor milk, and continued to pump even when she wasn't making 100% of the bottles. Her story is one of determination and dedication because she truly believed every drop of milk counts.