We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jana Spillers. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jana below.
Jana, appreciate you joining us today. Can you recount a time when the advice you provided to a client was really spot on? (Please note this response is for education/entertainment purposes only and shouldn’t be construed as advice for the reader)
As I progress in my experience seeing lactation clients, I have discovered that there may be a myriad of underlying hormonal and metabolic factors contributing to low milk supply. As lactation professionals, we always preach frequent and complete emptying of the breasts to facilitate increased milk production. However, although that is most often the solution, it may not always be enough. Many women turn to galactagogues (herbs and supplements to increase milk supply) but these may not be sufficient or even appropriate for the situation. With permission, I will detail one such client case. My client reached out to me with profoundly low supply and was producing approximately 30 ml (1 oz) per day at 4.5 weeks postpartum. I met with her in my office to assess the baby’s feeding ability and take a thorough maternal and infant health history. This is crucial because chronic maternal health conditions, pregnancy, labor and delivery course and infant factors can affect milk production. This client had suffered from preecclampsia (high blood pressure) that necessitated premature delivery and a NICU stay for her baby. In addition to being premature and receiving bottles, her baby had significant lip and tongue ties that made it difficult for him to remove milk from her breasts on his own. His ties were so restrictive that his airway was affected, making it even harder for him to eat effectively. This mother was extremely knowledgeable and doing everything she could but had reached the end of her expertise. She was desperate for help and had seen three lactation professionals before coming to me. After taking an extensive history, I discovered that she needed to change her breast pump and I referred her to her OB provider for a long list of metabolic and hormonal labs and placental pathology to rule out multiple conditions that may cause low milk supply. I also referred the baby for Craniosacral Therapy and evaluation by a Pediatric Dentist for revision of the ties. He received regular chiropractic care as well. Once all the maternal labs were complete, it was discovered that multiple conditions were contributing to her low milk supply. We discussed multiple essential oils and supplements to support her body. As with all my clients, I stayed in contact with this mother via phone and text as she followed our plan of care that included nursing, pumping and multiple essential oils and supplements, Through her diligence and hard work, she gained a full milk supply! We gradually decreased the number of bottles the baby required until he was fully breastfed. What a victory! He is still nursing at one year! The primary lessons to be learned from this experience is that there may be more than inadequate milk removal at play in cases of low milk supply. A very thorough evaluation by an experienced multidisciplinary team may be needed. This may seem overwhelming to a struggling new mother but the potential reward of long term breastfeeding is immeasurable. Breastfeeding decreases the risk of metabolic disease and cancer for both the mother and infant and provides customized immune support and nutrition. The emotional benefits to mother and baby are incredible as well.. If you or someone you know is struggling with breastfeeding, get help! It is worth it!
Jana, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I began my work with women and infants as a Neonatal ICU nurse tech. I remained in that unit as an RN after graduation from nursing school in 2005. After working for several years, I obtained my Masters in Nursing and became a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner in 2011. Then in 2016, I opened Bishop Babies as a passion project to support families welcoming their new babies. I gained certification in lactation and car seat safety and took specialized training in childbirth education, new parent education and postpartum doula work. In total, I spent 17 years in the NICU caring for the sickest of the sick before pursuing my passion of full time community work. Bishop Babies offers a unique and complete package of education and services to help parents prepare for their new babies and transition to life as a family. From infant CPR and baby care classes to postpartum doula and lactation services, Bishop Babies supports families throughout the process of welcoming new life. I am dedicated to helping my clients and their babies get off to the best possible start in life.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
As a Western trained RN and NP, I was taught that there was only one way to prevent, diagnose and treat illness. I once operated through the lens of illness and pharmaceuticals rather than the lens of wellness and holistic care. I have since learned that complimentary and alternative remedies are extremely valuable as well. As nurses, we are trained to educate our patients and empower them to make their own informed health choices. If medical professionals are unable to articulate multiple options and their risks and benefits, informed consent is not truly obtained. In my experience, an informed and empowered patient can maintain improved health and rely less on conventional treatment. This has never been more obvious than in the past two years. Community education regarding vitamins, supplements and nutrition has become an increasingly important part of my work recently. It took effort on my part to become familiar with natural and alternative remedies but it has been well worth it. I’ve even been able to apply this new knowledge to support my lactation clients and their families.
Have you ever had to pivot?
I made a major pivot at the end of 2021 in leaving the hospital to pursue community work exclusively. Bishop Babies has always been more of a passion and hobby while I worked 24 hour shifts in the NICU. I am now able to focus all my efforts on wellness rather than illness. This is a massive mindset shift for most medical professionals.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bishopbabies.com
- Instagram: @the.essential.mom
- Facebook: @bishopbabiestx
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jana-spillers-3854191a9/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7oUFHM8dl71lwF2Fj8uMsw
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/bishop-babies-dallas
- Other: My Linktree: https://linktr.ee/Janaspillers Pinterest: https://pin.it/22Hd6Xm Google Business: https://g.page/r/CV3JY6OOpW0rEAE