056: Breastfeeding, exclusively pumping, and tips for postpartum with Sandy J. Green

Hi friends! I’m so excited for today’s episode because I’m chatting with Sandy J. Green about quite a few things I wish I would have known for our first pregnancy and postpartum experience. She’s so knowledgeable and I really enjoyed our converstaion.

We’re discussing some new mom topics, like:

– Exclusive pumping and tips for low supply

– Viewing breastfeeding and pumping through a lens of self care (and not the Instagram kind of “self care”)

– Favorite books/resources

– What a postpartum doula does

– And so much more

I wanted to note here that I understand this this topic is pretty niche and if it’s not your thing, I totally get it! Before we had babies, I would have loved to have access to this type of info to store in my brain for access later on.

Also, I wanted to tell my friends out there who are on their fertility journey or have experienced miscarriages: I’m sending you my love and the biggest virtual hug.

Here’s a little bit more about Sandy:

Sandy J. Green is a breast pump expert, a maternal health advocate and she exclusively pumped for both of her babies.

When Sandy had her son, Avi, over 3 years ago, she knew nothing about pumping and hoped to breastfeed. It started off pretty well but when Avi was around 12 weeks, he stopped gaining weight. It turned out he had a tongue tie and the procedure to fix it didn’t help the feeding issues. Sandy wasn’t ready to stop breastfeeding, so she turned to exclusive pumping.

Once Sandy could see how many ounces Avi was getting, he started to gain weight which was great. But in a lot of ways, life didn’t get easier for her and she was plagued with feelings of doubt, anxiety and failure for pumping instead of nursing.
She found great resources online for all tips and tricks of pumping, but her mental and emotional health was in decline. She realized that she needed to take that emotional aspect of pumping into her own hands and started diving into meditation, exercise, and mindfulness among other things.

Simply put – Sandy started to take care of herself and make her needs a priority.

Sandy became a Certified Lactation Counselor and Postpartum Doula so that she could help other moms to feel better about pumping, too! And now, her goal is simple – that all moms have the knowledge, confidence, and pride to make infant-feeding decisions that work best for their baby, their family, and themselves.

You can connect with Sandy on Instagram and on her website

Resources from this episode:

Get your free download here on protecting your milk supply in times of stress

Check out Empowered Pumping here

Book recs

Don’t forget to sign up for your free 30 days of Les Mills On Demand! This is one of my all-time favorite workout platforms. The instructors are knowledgeable and motivating, plus the music is incredible. There are so many different formats, you’ll definitely find something you love. Get your free workouts here. Perfect opportunity to switch up your routine now that so many of us are working out at home.

CBD has changed my life. It helps so much with my anxiety and sense of calmness. You can read more about my experience with CBD here and use the code FITNESSISTA here to get an extra 15% off your first order. (I love the flavored drops!)

Thank you so much for listening and for all of your support with the podcast! Please leave a rating or review if you enjoyed this episode. If you leave a rating, head to this page and you’ll get a little “thank you” gift from me to you.

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xoxo

Gina