Breastfeeding Past 2 Years of Age! – Let’s Really Talk About It!

Spilled Milk Podcast with Mrs. Kendra Shelby

Recently I had the pleasure of being a guest on the SPILLED MILK PODCAST for season two! This podcast is hosted by my good friend, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), Mrs. Kendra Shelby. She is doing phenomenal (and I mean phenomenal) work in Chicagoland to support women and families through pregnancy and postpartum. Click HERE to learn more about her work!

I have spoken about my journey throughout this space and getting to year five is monumental. I wrote about it last month (click HERE) and provided several links to the science which supports my rationale to keep on keepin’ on! This podcast is the perfect compliment because Kendra asks the pressing questions that everyone wants to know. Was the journey always easy? Why keep going? What do others think? Is it uncomfortable? What does it look like at age five? Does your child lift up your clothes in public to nurse? We talk about it and then some! Listen to our conversation below to get a better understanding about what breastfeeding entails at age five!

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Three Years and Counting…

“Breastfeeding is a gift that lasts a lifetime.”

— Unknown

I am a mother, social worker, therapist and lactation counselor. I never envisioned that lactation would become such a major aspect of my life following the birth of my daughter in 2017. The books I read throughout pregnancy made breastfeeding look relatively easy. By no means did it look comfortable; but it certainly looked relatively easy. Latch the baby on after birth and life goes on. Simple… Simple was not my story but for now I will spare the details. Let’s just say that I focused on one hour at a time in addition to living my life in three-hour increments. We were the little engine that struggled for a variety of reasons.

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Allow Me to Introduce Myself

My name is Salimah (she / her / hers). I am a Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC) and I run Maziwa Tribe. Maziwa Tribe is a safe space that provides breast / chestfeeding support and brings attention to maternal mental health matters. My interest in lactation came following the birth of my daughter in 2017. Stay tuned because I plan to chronicle our journey in a future blog.

I am also a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) specializing in individual, family and group therapy. I have provided counseling in a variety of settings including private practice, in-home, hospital inpatient / outpatient psychiatry, collegiate and various community environments. I work with adolescents, adults and families. Mental health is a career switch from the corporate arena (most thought I was absolutely insane). In my past life I worked as a Packaging Engineer for a number of years with several major consumer products companies. Navigating corporate spaces taught me the importance pursuing my passion and taking charge of my personal happiness. I exited the corporate world almost 10 years ago and I haven’t looked back.

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