Alexis' story - breastfeeding a baby with a cleft palate

Today I’m talking to the amazing Alexis White from Canterbury, New Zealand, about feeding her son Flynn. Her older daughter, Norah’s birth did not go to plan, but breastfeeding did, and Norah was breastfed until she weaned herself when Alexis was pregnant again. After a victorious home VBAC birth, early breastfeeding seemed normal, but by day six Flynn had lost 11.5% of his birth weight and then failed to gain despite frequent feeds. Alexis began pumping and syringe top-ups, and at three weeks a lactation consultant identified a hard-to-spot cleft palate. Flynn was later also diagnosed with craniosynostosis. The cleft team told Alexis nutritive breastfeeding wasn’t possible, so she moved to a special cleft bottle while exclusively pumping for about a year, supported by a loaned pump, weigh-ins, and speech and hearing input, including grommets. After surgeries (craniosynostosis first, then cleft repair), Alexis slowly re-taught Flynn to breastfeed using babywearing, a nipple shield, and syringe/tube support. At 14 months he is fully breastfeeding, with ongoing monitoring of hearing and speech.
My picture book on how breastfeeding journeys end, The Story of Jessie’s Milkies, is available from Amazon here - The Story of Jessie's Milkies (amzn.eu/d/iI3pQGo). In the UK, you can also buy it fromThe Children’s Bookshop (childrensbookshoplondon.com/product-page/jessi…) in Muswell Hill, London. Other book shops and libraries can source a copy from Ingram Spark (ingramspark.com) publishing.
You can also get 10% off my books on supporting breastfeeding beyond six months and supporting the transition from breastfeeding at the Jessica Kingsley press website, by going to bit.ly/JKPbooks and using the code MMPE10 at checkout.

Follow me on Instagram @emmapickettibclc (instagram.com/emmapickettibclc) or find out more on my website emmapickettbreastfeedingsupport.com
Resources mentioned -
UK Cleft Lip and Palate Breastfeeding Support Group (facebook.com/share/g/1CbAoTyibU/?mibextid=wwXIfr) on Facebook facebook.com/share/g/1CbAoTyibU/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Cleft Lip and Palate Action (CLAPA) - For the UK cleft community (clapa.com) clapa.com
CleftNZ (cleft.org.nz) cleft.org.nz

This podcast is presented by Emma Pickett IBCLC (emmapickettbreastfeedingsupport.com), and produced by Emily Crosby Media (emilycrosbymedia.com).