EBB 360 - Overcoming Challenges with Low Milk Supply with Katie James, Midwife, IBCLC, and Host of the Midwives' Cauldron Podcast

Evidence Based Birth®

Rebecca Dekker

Pregnancy, Health & Fitness, Childbirth, Parenting, Birth, Medicine, Kids & Family, Doula, Obstetrician, Midwife

4.6 • 978 Ratings

🗓️ 28 May 2025

⏱️ 47 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Struggling with low milk supply can feel overwhelming, isolating, and confusing. In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Dekker talks with midwife and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant Katie James to demystify the realities of low milk supply. Together, they explore the hormonal, medical, and systemic factors that can affect lactation, as well as the critical importance of early postpartum support. Katie shares how birth interventions, lack of education, and misinformation can interfere with lactation—and how reclaiming knowledge, honoring instinct, and receiving timely help can make all the difference.

(07:21) How Birth Interventions Impact Breastfeeding

(09:30) Prolactin, Oxytocin, and the Critical First 3 Days

(11:18) What is Low Milk Supply—and Can it Be Prevented?

(14:58) Medical Conditions That Can Affect Milk Production

(19:27) Gestational Diabetes, Cesarean Birth, and Milk Supply

(23:42) The Trap of “Perceived” Low Supply

(28:48) Why Judgment-Free Support Matters

(36:56) When and How to Get Help from an IBCLC

(38:16) The Rule of 3s: Key Windows to Boost Milk Supply

(44:39) Why Partners Need Breastfeeding Education Too

Resources

Follow Katie: katiejames.site | Instagram

Listen to her podcasts: The Midwives’ Cauldron and The Feeding Couch

Find an EBB Childbirth Class: evidencebasedbirth.com/childbirthclass

Learn about the EBB Instructor Program: evidencebasedbirth.com/instructor

For more information about Evidence Based Birth® and a crash course on evidence based care, visit www.ebbirth.com. Follow us on Instagram and YouTube! Ready to learn more? Grab an EBB Podcast Listening Guide or read Dr. Dekker's book, "Babies Are Not Pizzas: They're Born, Not Delivered!" If you want to get involved at EBB, join our Professional membership (scholarship options available) and get on the wait list for our EBB Instructor program. Find an EBB Instructor here, and click here to learn more about the EBB Childbirth Class.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, everyone. On today's podcast, we're going to talk with Katie James, Midwife, IBCLC, and host of the
0:06.4	Midwife's Cauldron podcast about how to overcome challenges with low milk supply.
0:15.2	Welcome to the evidence-based birth podcast. My name is Rebecca Decker, and I'm a nurse with my PhD and the founder of
0:22.1	evidence-based birth. Join me each week as we work together to get evidence-based information
0:27.6	into the hands of families and professionals around the world. As a reminder, this information is not
0:33.8	medical advice. See eBbirth.com slash disclaimer for more details.
0:40.6	Hi everyone. Before we get started, I have a special announcement for you. If you're an
0:45.3	experienced birth worker or healthcare professional and you're interested in becoming an evidence-based
0:50.6	birth instructor, applications for 2025 are opening soon for a limited time only.
0:56.6	In fact, podcast listeners who are interested in becoming an EBB instructor are invited to join us
1:01.6	today for a live Q&A session Wednesday, May 28, at 1 p.m. Eastern Time. We'll be answering your
1:08.3	questions about who is eligible to apply, what the application
1:11.4	process looks like, and the support and training you'll receive as an EBB instructor. Whether you
1:16.8	want to teach the evidence-based birth class or lead EBB Pro workshops for doulas, nurses, and midwives,
1:23.8	this is your opportunity to learn more. Just head to eBbirth.com slash instructor to sign up for
1:29.6	the Q&A about the EBB instructor or to learn more about how to become an EBB instructor.
1:35.8	Did you hear this announcement too late and missed the Q&A? Register anyway and we'll send
1:40.3	the replay straight to your inbox. And now let's get started with today's episode
1:44.9	of the Evidence-Based Birth Podcast.
1:47.3	Today I'm so excited to welcome Katie James
1:49.9	to the podcast as our guest expert today.
1:53.4	Katie has been a midwife and international board
	...

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