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.