#351 | Inside A Difficult Breastfeeding Journey: Flat Nipples, Tongue Tie and Slow Weight Gain

Down to Birth

Down to Birth
#351 | Inside A Difficult Breastfeeding Journey: Flat Nipples, Tongue Tie and Slow Weight Gain
Jan 21, 2026 Season 7 Episode 351
Cynthia Overgard & Trisha Ludwig

In this episode, Jessica shares the breastfeeding journey she never expected. After a smooth birth at a birth center, feeding quickly became complicated: flat nipples, an early nipple shield, a missed first feeding window, a significant tongue tie, and a baby who grew increasingly sleepy and underweight. What followed was weeks of pumping, weighted feeds, donor milk, tongue-tie revision, and the ongoing effort to understand why breastfeeding wasn’t working despite doing everything “right.”

Jessica describes the emotional strain of those early weeks, from feeling inadequate to questioning her own anatomy, and the constant fear she was letting her daughter down. This conversation brings needed attention to the realities behind many breastfeeding challenges and the gaps that leave mothers without the support they need. 

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